Reading Harry Potter : Critical Essays

Rating:
Summary: An impressive anthology of literary criticism
Review: Expertly compiled and deftly edited by Giselle Liza Anatol (Assistant Professor of English, University of Kanas - Lawrence), Reading Harry Potter: Critical Essays is an impressive anthology of literary criticism draw from a variety of learned authors who all of whom regard J. K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter fantasy series as far more than mere popular culture pablum. Examining the Harry Potter works with regard to theories of child development, literary influences and historical contexts, and morality and social values, Reading Harry Potter is a multifaceted exploration of the Potter books as literature with lasting potential influence on both developing and mature minds today.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Excellent.
Review: Quite simply, this is the book I will use as my primary resource to teach Harry Potter from now on. I teach both undergraduate and graduate English Education majors and plan to order this book for all of my Adolescent Literature sections this coming year. Not only are the essays interesting and diverse, they really show how many different ways a reader can think about a text. Most interesting, however, is how these very different essays (and authors) speak to one another. Overall, a really fine group of essays about some very important works.