Of late, it seems that the Harry Potter series has come up an awful lot around GiC. None of us are really complaining, though – for many in our generation, Harry Potter was the first blockbuster book series we read and encountered.
There are countless things about the Harry Potter series that drew readers in, including me at the ripe age of eight. Maybe when you read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, you cried when Harry saw his parents in the Mirror of Erised. Maybe it was the end of chapter ten: “There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.” Maybe it was Harry’s entrance into the world of magic, or maybe it was the world of magic itself.
What separates the Harry Potter series from the countless other magical school stories for middle grade readers? What makes Harry’s journey different from others?
A reader’s connection to a book – whether it’s prose or graphic novel in nature – is a special one that can be difficult to put a finger on it. When I asked my friends what drew them into the Harry Potter series, many of them responded that they didn’t know or couldn’t remember, or they had a general answer like “magic” or “friendship.” But “magic” is, in many ways, the best and only way to describe how a blockbuster book takes hold of the reader.
In this month’s issue, our staff will explore a number of blockbuster stories and trends to share what we love about them and try to find the appeal of others – from Jaws to The Fault in Our Stars, from RPGs to comics and movies.
What blockbuster franchises do you love?
Feliza Casano is a fan of anime, manga, and every sort of book as well as editor in chief at Girls in Capes. She writes for all sections of the site, and she’s the one behind GiC’s Facebook and Twitter. Follow her on Twitter @FelizaCasano.
Image: Kazu Kibuishi’s cover for the 2013 paperback re-release of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE illustrates the moment Harry enters the magical world through Diagon Alley.
