Harry Potter's birthday is July 31 (the same as J.K. Rowling's!), so let's celebrate Harry and friends (and enemies) with books, films, and some scholarly articles!
Explore Harry Potter--as well as children's literature and fantasy fiction--with these resources!
Books
Wizards, Aliens, and Starships: Physics and Math in Fantasy and Science Fiction by Charles L. Adler: Check out fantastical possibilities and the real science and math underlying fantasy and science fiction! (Don't care for ebooks? You can request this copy!)
Reading Harry Potter: Critical Essays edited by Giselle Liza Anatol: Explore Harry Potter and its influence on our culture and our world with these essays.
Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts edited by David Baggett & Shawn Klein: Seventeen philosophers take on Hogwarts, exploring everything from Slytherin ambition to the prophecy-driven life!
The Ultimate Harry Potter and Philosophy: Hogwarts for Muggles edited by Gregory Bassham: Get your philosophy on with these exploration of the entire seven-book series. (Prefer physical books to ebooks? Request this one!)
Hermione Grainger Saves the World: Essays on the Feminist Heroine of Hogwarts edited by Christopher E. Bell: Study Hermione - and contemporary feminism - with these essays. (You can also request the physical book.)
The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter by Andrew Blake: Blake explores the relations between Harry Potter and the British New Labour movement in this work of criticism.
Using Literature in English Language Education: Challenging Reading for 8-18 Year Olds edited by Janice Bland: Learn about ways to incorporate youth literature - including Harry Potter! - into your classroom with this collection of essays.
The Fantasy Film by Katherine A. Fowkes: Harry Potter is also a series of fantasy films! Delve into the genre in more detail with this book, also available in print form.
Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter by Valerie Estelle Frankel: Explore the evolutions and culture of Harry Potter fandom!
I Find Your Lack of Faith Disturbing: Star Wars and the Triumph of Geek Culture by A.D. Jameson: Explore geek (and fan!) culture.
I Wanna Wrock! The World of Harry Potter-Inspired "Wizard Rock" by Paul A. Thomas: Learn about the Harry Potter fans who have turned their fandom into rock!
Feel free to check out these strings in action - or copy and paste them into your favorite databases and search yourself! Want help making your very own Harry Potter-themed search string? Just ask a librarian.
These books will be on your shelves...soon!
The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas: Explore race and representation in popular fantasy fiction, particularly that written for children, in Thomas's 2019 work.