Performance of Children's Literature Spring 2025

Before and After Harry

The publication of the seven Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling marked a fundamental shift in children’s publishing. They showed that ‘children’s books’ could be blockbusters, and, more importantly, that children’s and young adult literature was something that adults were also interested in reading. This led to many other franchise-like books/films, such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, and many others that tried to capture some of the same magic.

Watch

By the time the fourth book came out, the series had a massive following. This is a clip from a ‘release party’ in 2000 for the 4th book.

The books became even bigger worldwide successes through translation, and especially the films that began coming out between the release of books #4 and #5.

Harry Potter has gone on to become one of the biggest cultural franchises in history, spawning movies, additional movies set in the same world (Fantastic Beasts), Theme Park lands at Universal Studios, a Broadway play, an official online community platform, and more. It has also served as the inspiration for lots of fan activity, including not only fanfiction but bands, quidditch leagues, online communities and wikis, fanvids, and so much more.

This fan-made video offers some musings on why the books/films were so successful. There are several things in it that are definitely arguable and more complex than how they are presented, but it’s good food for thought.

J.K Rowling has engaged heavily with the fan community, both in positive and negative ways.

Harry Potter has thrived because of adaptations across media.

Read

Pages 1-10 of “Introduction: Harry Potter and the Magical Screen” from Transforming Harry : The Adaptation of Harry Potter in the Transmedia Age, edited by John Alberti, and P. Andrew Miller, Wayne State University Press, 2018.

Get it at the Brooklyn College Library

An official ‘8th’ book of the Harry Potter series was released as the play script for the West End/Broadway play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a story that takes place once Harry and his friends are adults and features their children. It relies heavily on knowing the Harry Potter saga. The play is sold in two parts, with the first ending on a cliffhanger.

This is the trailer for the play which was first down in the UK, and then came to New York, and other places around the world.

A visit from NY1 to the Broadway version.

The return from COVID has led the Broadway production to condense the show into one longer production.

How familiar were you with Harry Potter? Do you have any ideas about why it became such a big deal? How and why do you think that the success of this series might have influenced future publishing for children?

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20 responses to “Before and After Harry”

  1. Denise Warren Avatar
    Denise Warren

    I watched a few of the films, but I was never intrigued by them the way other people were. Harry Potter might have become a big deal with many people around the world because it resonates with pop culture. It features a lot of fantasy, magic, and make-believe world that tend to attract many children and even adults. The characters were very relatable as well. They experienced some of the same issues that children in the real world experience ( like the trials that come with growing up, friendship, good vs evil, and issues with parents and other adults. The success of this series might have influenced future publishing for children as it allows publishers to be more open to more complex, sophisticated, lengthy stories for children, as they are proving to show more appreciation for this type of literature and film. Also, Harry Potter was very marketable, as they were able to create dolls of the characters and other toys and supplies, which fostered even greater influence.

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  2. Calista Spezio Avatar
    Calista Spezio

    I was somewhat familiar with Harry Potter. My brothers always loved it so I watched little clips here and there when it was on the tv. I was never as intrigued with it as they were. I think it became such a big deal because the movies and books were full of magic and fantasy. Not only that, but adventure too. These themes captured the attention of both kids and adults, which Is also a reason it became so successful. The success of this series might have influenced future publishing for children because it showed that young readers could read longer books.

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  3. Rachel Wong Avatar
    Rachel Wong

    As a child, I was never too interested in the Harry Potter series because I thought it was scary. I actually used to confuse Dobby with Gollum from Lord of the Rings. As of now, I have watched the Harry Potter films but not in order. I do find it interesting because of the concept of magic, adventure, and fantasy. I think that aspect is what made the franchise a big hit for both children, adults, and possibly generations to come.

    Reply
  4. Kajol Victoria Singh Avatar
    Kajol Victoria Singh

    I am actually mostly unfamiliar with Harry Potter. Yes, I have seen and heard of all the books and movies – but never read or seen one entirely. I am actually still wondering why it is/was made such a big deal to be honest.

    Reply
  5. Synphanie Mojica Avatar
    Synphanie Mojica

    I have never seen or read any of the Harry Potter books, or movies. I think it became such a big deal because this is another world different from our own and it deals with maturing through life. The video showing the midnight party and excitement for one of the book releases indicates some of the impact that Harry Potter may have had on the publishing industry. Because these books and franchises have been so successful, the industry may be more focused on trying to repeat that type of accomplishment, by pushing books of the same genre, etc.

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  6. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    I was pretty familiar with Harry Potter because it was very popular and almost everyone talked about it. I think it became such a big deal because it had magic, friendship, and an exciting story that made people want to keep reading. Kids could imagine going to a magical school like Hogwarts, and that made it fun. The success of the series showed that children’s books could be exciting and powerful, so more publishers started looking for similar stories with magic, adventure, and strong characters to keep kids reading.

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  7. Amy Merino Avatar
    Amy Merino

    The Harry Potter series is my favorite movie series, I loved it so much that I read the books as well. I watched them as the movies came out in theaters. I think it became big for its time because of the magical influences and the audience was for the same age of the characters we see in the films and books. I think once the first book became a big deal and movies were made, parents were also intrigued because it combines magic for children with mystery and fantasy for adults. Personally, I think its a story that all ages can enjoy. I think the success influenced other stories of magic.

    Reply
  8. Aliviya Iskhakova Avatar
    Aliviya Iskhakova

    I am familiar with Harry Potter through someone close to me who was a big fan of Harry Potter. I have only seen half the first movie so I barley know anything above the basics but I have been to the Harry Potter store in the city and tried their butter beer. I believe Harry Potter became as popular as it did for two reasons; its relatability and versatility in terms of the audience it appeals to. Despite all the fantasy and magic in the story, it stills features a lot of themes that audiences can relate to such as belonging, fitting in at a new place, and self discovery. A lot of the characters are beloved and likable and can resonate with a lot of people despite all the fantastical elements surrounding them. Additionally, both younger and older audiences are drawn to the Harry Potter series which is another reason why it’s as popular as it is. This is a strange comparison but it reminds me of Spongebob and how that show is so popular because anyone of any age or demographic can enjoy it. This is a prime quality of what makes something a classic, when it’s able to be enjoyed by anyone.
    I think this series inspired children’s books to be more ambitious as to what they can accomplish. Also, create quality content that can be enjoyed by adults as well children. Children’s media can handle heavy themes and become more successful that way.

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  9. Jada Williams Avatar
    Jada Williams

    As stated in most videos by both the parents and adults, Harry Potter captures the attention of most for its difference in the way it includes the usage of magic and being in another world. All the spells and the evil and how they fight them off. I did see part of Harry Potter before watching with my grandmother, she loves movies especially action and those that deal with witches, vampires etc. I too like movies with suspense and action and some evil. The part that would have made me like it was when they were flying around on the brooms and fighting the black ghosts. Although Harry Potter has certain aspects similar to other witch and fantasy films prior, it is modern and can relate to their age range as a kid. I believe Harry Potter was in high school. I remember reading in our modules that if you want to target a certain audience you will make the main character about 2-3 years older or younger than them. I think this allows room for other publishers to become more engaged and put themselves in their audience shoes. Not think to corny, but allow a deeper story with lots of elements. They should know that if they put a good plot and characters then it don’t matter how long the film can be, it would keep their attention.

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  10. Layla Ettu Avatar
    Layla Ettu

    I am very familiar with Harry Potter, I have actually never seen any of the movies, but I know what Harry Potter is. I feel like Harry Potter has become such a big deal because of how long it’s been on the air and how well it does every time whether it’s a book or a film. This is a series that I think might not ever go out of style. They even have their own theme park at Universal studios, that’s how popular it is. I think the success of Harry Potter influences future publishing, because of how long Harry potter has been in the industry. It’s not often you’ll see A series with such great success, such as Harry Potter. This book also isn’t for kids only people of any age can enjoy the book which is also another reason why it’s so popular it’s not directed for one specific age group

    Reply
  11. Sophia Awad Avatar
    Sophia Awad

    Honestly, I am not 100% familiar with Harry Potter but I have watched a couple of the movies and were interested in them. I think this movie portrayal of the famous book series definitely intrigued people to watch it and thus gained an enormous fanbase. I believe this success of this series influences future publishing for children by peaking their interests in experiencing a story from multi-media surfaces for example books and film. Also, it broaden the horizons of children literature by giving a chance for sci-fi to become popular and even mainstream gaining its investments and support in publishing companies.

    Reply
    1. Sophia Awad Avatar
      Sophia Awad

      Fixed some minor grammar mistakes:
      Honestly, I am not 100% familiar with Harry Potter but I have watched a couple of the movies and was interested in them. I think this movie portrayal of the famous book series definitely intrigued people to watch it and thus gained an enormous fanbase. I believe the success of this series influences future publishing for children by peaking their interests in experiencing a story from multi-media surfaces for example, books and film. Also, it broadened the horizons of children’s literature by giving a chance for sci-fi to become popular and even mainstream, gaining its investments and support in publishing companies.

      Reply
  12. Shania Smith Avatar
    Shania Smith

    My dad loved Harry Potter films and I’ve probably watched them a thousand times over and over at least 5 times a day. Im not really sure why it was such a big deal, maybe the storyline and the magical characters intrigued people. Authors saw the elements of magic that kids were so obsessed with and were probably able to incorporate that into future books.

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  13. Aleksandra A Grala Avatar
    Aleksandra A Grala

    Yeah, I was already pretty familiar with Harry Potter. From the videos and reading, it’s clear people went crazy for it. It was more than just a book. It became a whole world fans wanted to live in. It got so big because it had magic, friendship, mystery, and grew up with its readers. Kids and adults both loved it. Because of that huge success, publishers probably started looking for more big series with fantasy and young heroes hoping to find the next Harry Potter. It showed that kids’ books could be huge hits and make serious money.

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  14. Isabel Belasoto Avatar
    Isabel Belasoto

    I am more familiar with Harry Potter, I am unsure of its previous fame but in my day in age the Harry Potter movies were adapted and it was one of the first movies that had intentional writing to be parallel with the book. As opposed to it being another original story

    Reply
  15. Zoe Davis Avatar
    Zoe Davis

    I was familiar with Harry Potter (i mean, who wasn’t?! 😂), but I wasn’t allowed to read them, so I wasn’t part of the fandom. I had so many friends who loved the series. Everything I know about the series I learned from them. I think this series was popular for a few reasons. First, children love to imagine! Fantasy books allow children to explore other worlds. For some children, fantasy acts as an escape from the dullness of day-to-day life. Another reason is that the series features a cast of characters readers love. I imagine that children would keep coming back to read about the characters they love. There was an entire generation of kids and preteens who grew up with the cast (both in the movies and the books).

    I think Harry Potter had the same effect on the book publishing industry that The Hunger Games had. The Hunger Games kicked off a pattern of YA Dystopian books being released. In this same way, authors may have taken note of Harry Potter’s success and let it inspire their writing.

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  16. Salma Avatar
    Salma

    My sisters and I were huge Harry Potter fans. We read all the books, watched all the movies, and even went to the Harry Potter store in the city. I think it became such a big deal because it had magic, adventure, and fun characters that people of all ages could enjoy.

    Reply
  17. Malissa Solon Avatar
    Malissa Solon

    I’m definitely not a fan of Harry Potter, but I am familiar with the series. The reason why I think the series of books was so popular is because younger adults love magic and find it to be cool and engaging. The characters were easy to relate to because they were kids. I am not sure if this influenced future publishing for children.

    Reply
  18. D'Ella Brown Avatar
    D’Ella Brown

    I know a lot about Harry Potter because my older sister was a big fan when she was younger. I think it got popular because preteen book series were pretty popular a few years ago. It was unique and has extensive lore. To this day they are still rebooting the Harry Potter story trying to replicate the success it had with new shows and movies. The Harry Potter series did introduce a new world for artists to interpret but I don’t think it will be as popular as it was.

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  19. Leslie Talavera Avatar
    Leslie Talavera

    Honestly, i have never watched harry potter and even now im still not interested considering how more they talk about this. not just that but the amount of money people who watch it and still buy merchandise of this category

    Reply

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