Harry Potter, scholarly examinations of

Shouldn't Hermione be in Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor?

Can American children understand a book that uses "foreign" language like Mum instead of Mom or trolley instead of cart?

Was it right for the New York Times to alter their Bestseller List parameters in order to cease HP's domination of the fiction list?

The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon, edited by Lana A. Whited is pithy stuff; I love examining/analyzing/beating to death anything I read or watch. And I definitely consider the Harry Potter series worthy of closer attention.

The article having the greatest number of quotes I want to memorize is "Crowning the King: Harry Potter and the Construction of Authority" by Farah Mendelsohn. Here is a juicy tidbit, condensed from page 171: "Hufflepuff: a house dedicated to the sidekick and creating the mentality of the faithful follower. ...it is perfectly acceptable to kill off Cedric Diggory...in order to provide our hero with a motive to hold out and allow Dumbledore to deliver his 'consolatory' speech. ...For those readers who know their Star Trek, members of the Hufflepuff house wear the red shirt." Amen to that.

"Hermione Granger and the Heritage of Gender" by Eliza T. Dresang points out that Rowling imposes stereotypical hysterical/fearful/whining behavior [on Hermione] and uses words like shriek, squeak, wail, squeal, and whimper, verbs never applied to male characters in the book. These descriptions are at odds with Hermione's basic role of "intellectual, problem solver" and seem to arise from stereotypes associated with her female gender rather than her own characterization.

Another great discussion assesses the translation of Harry and Co.'s British English into American, for the Scholastic editions. Verdict: Unnecessary. Thankfully, the amount of translating reduced dramatically with Goblet of Fire (You Say "Jelly," I Say "Jell-O"? Harry Potter and the Transfiguration of Language" by Philip Nel).

More food for thought was consumerism and conspicuous consumption; it is not limited to the Dursleys, says Elizabeth Teare in "Harry Potter and the Technology of Magic."

"Specters of Thatcherism" by Karin E. Westman examines power structures: pure-bloods vs. Muggleborns, house-elf controversy, prejudices against giants and werewolves, and what the persecution of Muggles at the Quidditch World Cup reveals about widespread wizardly attitudes.

Since these essays were published after Book 4 was published but prior to Book 5's release, I am on the lookout for other volumes which will take scholarly HP studies further. Perhaps I'll start with Jack Zipes' Sticks and Stones: The Troublesome Success of Children's Literature from Slovenly Peter to Harry Potter, and I'll let you know what else I find.

3-D illustrating

Remember the beginning of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, when the camera floats over the miniature set of buildings? I always found that view fascinating, and wished that the whole show featured those little buildings. Home, a wordless picture book by Jeannie Baker, offers views on a city neighborhood in a somewhat similar fashion. The illustration technique is relief collage. I feel a bit tardy on "discovering" Jeannie Baker as an illustrator, because she has been publishing since 1977. Home was a 2005 ALA Notable book, originally titled Belonging, when it was published in Australia. This summer I have caught up with Ms. Baker by reading Home, Grandfather, and Where the Forest Meets the Sea.

Another noteworthy illustrator, Salley Mavor, makes "fabric-relief." She takes broadcloth, felt, knits, ribbons, eyelet, buttons, yarn, and painted wood, and then sews, embroiders, crochets and arranges them into pictures. My two favorites among her work are The Hollyhock Wall by Martin Waddell and In the Heart by Ann Turner. In both books, the magic of a high-quality story is added to by intricately detailed illustrations. A quote from Salley Mavor herself, from the book jacket of The Hollyhock Wall, helps describe how this works: "she chose to illustrate Mary's garden-fantasy world in this medium because 'sometimes the vivid world of fantasy seems more real than real life.'" In art, realism has a place, but the audience often benefits more when guided to see things through a filter which the artist provides.

Engaging and spooky

Novel of the week is A Curse Dark as Gold, by Elizabeth C. Bunce. This retelling of the story Rumpelstiltskin is told in first-person by the miller's daughter. In a small English town in the late 18th century, the mill is plagued by bad luck: accidents, breakdowns, and inexplicable 'refusals' to stay in good repair. The townsfolk have many superstitions, lore, and simples to try to combat ill luck and danger. The traditions and lore seemed to be empty superstitions at first, but as the story progressed, it became evident that the practices and perceptions were tied to historical events. And those historical events were genuinely spooky! Charlotte Miller was searching for long-buried secrets from the past which would explain the mill's curse and allow her a chance to set things right. The melding of folklore with magic was the hook for me, as it had been also in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's as though the oral traditions are another form of myth, striving to express truth through symbolism and fiction.