A New Generation of Readers

(“Harry Potter” fans at Barnes n Noble waiting for the final book.)

Photo: www.sfgate.com/news/article/AT-LONG-LAST-HARRY-S-HERE-Potterheads-flock-to-2580261.php#photo-2690072

“Books are dying out,” “You should read more,” are phrases that are commonly heard by teens and young adults. Teens and young adults are told that the amount that they read is not the amount they need to. This, however, has changed. In 1997, a book was released that would take the world by storm. J.K. Rowling released Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on June 30th, 1997. This book enchanted readers not just in the United States, but across the globe as well.

Rowling’s Harry Potter series greatly influenced the book industry. According to John Vivian, author of The Media of Mass Communication, “In the early 2000s, bookstores reported increases of 20 to 75 percent in young buyers,” (110). This quote implies that the Harry Potter books caused the increase in book purchases by young adults. I am from this generation.

I read a lot of books as a child. However, the book series that impacted me the most was Harry Potter. I remember having to read The Sorcerer’s Stone because all of my friends were reading it, and I was hooked. I bought The Chamber of Secrets and read it in a week. As the books came out, I bought the next one. I remember staying up all night the night before I started my new school just so I could finish The Goblet of Fire. I remember identifying with Harry and his friends because I felt as if we were growing up together. I have made many friends because of Harry Potter. I would see people reading the books, and we would start talking about our theories for the next book.

When the movies began, the hype grew. My friends and I would go to see the movie and we would compare it to the book. I remember when the last two books came out-it was like a race to read them before the films were made.

When the Harry Potter series ended, people were left with a whole. What books were they going to read now? Harry Potter created a need for a longer story format. Because of this, book series became immensely popular. Most of the popular books in recent years are book series: Twilight, The Hunger Games, Mortal Instruments, and the Divergent series. Because of Harry Potter, young adults and teens are reading more.