Children’s Literature and Harry Potter

6)Children’s Literature and Harry Potter:

In an age of video games and cable television, the success of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories is without precedent in children’s literature. The Harry Potter stories have been influential both in promoting children’s literature and in fostering children’s love of reading. Many children are able to identify with Potter, perhaps because he does not look like a typical hero—he is average-looking and wears glasses. In a similar vein, Harry’s history of being bullied in school most probably strikes a chord with the experiences of many of the pre-adolescent school-aged children who read voraciously about him. Yet, not only children have been captivated by these stories, but adults around the world have also been entranced by Harry’s adventures, as the reader is able to transcend reality into the world of imagination.

Rowling’s lavish descriptions of characters and inventions certainly cater to a child’s state of imaginative immaturity. Nevertheless, we argue herein that the Harry Potter stories are more than simple sources of escapism and fantasy. More specifically, because the Harry Potter stories are classic fairy tales—that is, stories that revolve around the struggle of good versus evil and moral obligation—the exploits of Harry Potter and his colleagues not only serve as a source of entertainment but can provide an impetus for children’s social and moral development as well.

Harry Potter is not only the children’s literature but also as Landmark in children’s literature which can be the best example of ‘Interdisciplinary Study”.

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