One of the things I have argued for years as a bookseller was that HP didn't create readers, it created HP fans. If it created readers we would not have "the kids don't read" articles every year.
Replies
"Kids dont read" articles happen every year, and will happen every year, because they dont actually hinge on whether kids are reading or not.
sep 3, 2025, 8:08 pm • 0 0 • view
Yep. My kids loved Harry Potter, and then they read more and better books and stopped caring about Harry Potter.
sep 3, 2025, 3:23 pm • 4 1 • view
If I still worked at PSB, I'd staff pick So You Want to Be a Wizard hand-sell it SO HARD these days. A captivating book about wizarding students that featured more meaningful diversity 40 YEARS AGO than HP ever did, with a whole series to follow it. And @diane.dianeduane.com is an absolute treasure.
sep 3, 2025, 3:46 pm • 5 0 • view
Please tell me someone at the store has already done this. If not, I will gladly come out of my ten-year bookselling retirement long enough to write that shelf talker.
sep 3, 2025, 3:46 pm • 1 0 • view
God, I can't believe it's been almost ten years since I last worked there. And almost 20 since I first worked there. Am I coming due for a third stretch?
sep 3, 2025, 3:46 pm • 1 0 • view
We certainly try to lead readers elsewhere. Not sure who at the moment though.
sep 3, 2025, 4:16 pm • 1 0 • view
You're so kind to say so. 😊 Thank you!
sep 3, 2025, 3:53 pm • 3 0 • view
I suspect we would still and always have had “the kids don’t read” articles. Surely @paulisci.bsky.social has a thread about this.
sep 3, 2025, 2:59 pm • 2 0 • view
I was a reader as a kid- and didnt like the harry potter books- but they were so big i ended up with all of em gifted. I had a house fire once- my books survived but i left behind those. all of this happened before JKR decided im her mortal enemy
sep 3, 2025, 3:26 pm • 1 0 • view
Call me dense but at first sight I thought this thread was about H.P. Lovecraft and the arguments still kind of made sense.
sep 3, 2025, 3:30 pm • 3 0 • view
So did I.
sep 3, 2025, 5:09 pm • 1 0 • view
Just realized HP coincided with the nationwide teaching phase of dropping phonics for the new reading methods that included "find books kids will like to read and they'll read". Hubby got his MEd that year and he complained all the teaching reading classes were about picking good books.
sep 3, 2025, 2:57 pm • 3 0 • view
I definitely believe it's important to meet kids where they are in terms of interests. The problem with HP is the fandom capture (which has a bunch of different sources.) Read a bit about that pedagogy shift but don't know nearly enough to comment
sep 3, 2025, 3:04 pm • 0 0 • view
My very dyslexic kid read all the books several times. They helped with reading.
sep 3, 2025, 5:10 pm • 0 0 • view
Ok. And now?
sep 3, 2025, 5:20 pm • 1 0 • view
More reading. Never going to be a reader but better. HP is what cracked the nut and elevated her up a level.
sep 3, 2025, 8:05 pm • 0 0 • view