Editorial: ‘Harry Potter and the Return of Reading’

Tuesday, June 24, 2003 | 9:05 a.m.

J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" has broken the record for book sales on an opening weekend, a record Rowling had held for a previous Harry Potter book. On Saturday alone 5 million copies were sold in the United States. Las Vegas was caught in the spell as bookstores quickly sold out of their copies. And as the Sun reported Monday, more than 700 people are on the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's waiting list to check out its 400 copies of the book.

The critically acclaimed Harry Potter books cut across generational lines. But the principal reason for their success is that they appeal to young people, a situation that says a lot since children are blanketed by mindless entertainment. While video games and television programs can have a hypnotic effect on children, rarely does the fare require thought; they're no substitute for books, which require imagination.

Hopefully, this is part of a trend that will find more children reading books. Other publishers and authors, too, just might find success if they publish books that are literate and exciting. Rowling's achievement shows we don't have to dumb down books to get children to read.