Why Kids Read Only Potter

Hundreds of articles have touched on the Harry Potter phenomenon, excited that the teen wizard has inspired so many kids to read. But many teachers and parents have noticed something interesting about this: the kids are reading only Potter books. Here's a possible explanation...

I recently read an article by David Milofsky in the Denver Post, in which he pondered the perplexing question of why kids gobble up the Harry Potter books, and yet seem reluctant to read anything else. Educators and concerned parents recognize that many children will finish their latest Potter book and then, rather than move on to another Young Adult book, will choose either the television, the computer, or a video game.

I've spent years working with kids, hosting writing workshops and assemblies, and I've spoken with an awful lot of kids about their reading habits.  Here's my own personal theory: It has nothing to do whatsoever with the quality of the available books...it has to do with a child's longing to be part of "a community."

Think about it; the Harry Potter experience is unparalleled in publishing history. It wasn't just a story, or a set of books; it was an event.  Yes, the books are terrific, and I've enjoyed every one of them. But it somehow became the "in" thing to do, and if a kid wasn't reading J.K. Rowling's tales, he/she was an outsider.  Kids are extremely prone to peer pressure (which is the basis of The Big Brain Club in the first place!), and they are highly sensitive to being in on whatever is hot.

Need other examples? YouTube, iPods, Hannah Montana.

Yes, each of these has something of value, but they have also experienced an escalated frenzy, mostly because no kid wants to be left out. Think of MySpace; sure, it has some value, but the hysteria behind it is completely driven by the need to be part of a community.  C'mon, it IS a community.

The same can be said with Potter.  The stories are fun, but the sense of collective sharing is what made millions of people line up at midnight around the world to put down their money. Kids knew that their peers were doing it; therefore, they must do it.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm thrilled that this group-think was centered around literature (for a change). But it explains why overall reading rates continue to drop. Kids didn't flock to the Potter phenomenon because they suddenly wanted to read everything in sight.  They wanted to read about the wizard because it was...well, It.

Which leaves us with the following question: Do we constantly create another publishing mega-hit to take the place of the last one, or is it possible to somehow make reading itself the next It?

Comments

[Rokzane]

I think you have a good point about why the Potter books are so popular, but I also think it's important to discuss another reason why reading is not so popular in the younger generations: for most kids, reading is not a household activity. In a world of "I must have more, and I must live my life at 100mph," many parents are forgetting about the importance of not only reading to their kids, but also of the importance of making reading a household activity that all members engage in. If parents do not read for enjoyment often enough (and in front of their kids), then how will their kids discover the pleasure of reading for themselves?

I have a niece whose parents do not read to her at all, and she only began to read the Potter books when I encouraged her to because I really enjoyed them. In her limited world, I'm The Reader. We see each other often now, and she has begun to pick up reading as a pleasure activity because I love to read (I have a book in my hand or in my purse most of the time). Many of our activities together include jaunts to the library (which she had never been to outside of school before her family relocated to my area) and trips to Tattered Cover and other local bookstores.

Recently, we've been discussing the books that I loved when I was her age (she's 9), and I just recently bought her all the books of the "Little House on the Prairie" series. She has fallen in love with them, and the delight I see in her eyes is absolutely precious.

The point to this long winded, personal analysis is that if parents want their kids to read more, then at least one person who has a strong influence must become personally involved (which ultimately will involve some personal sacrifice).

P.S.

My dad used to say to me that having one or two TBR books on your nightstand will ensure a long life. If that's the case, then I'm going to live forever!