Kids' Letters to Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Collection

Gr 4-6-The letters in this compilation were collected by Adler with the help of booksellers around the world. The authors hail from New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, and the U.S., among other places. Some write about their own lives and hometowns, while others imagine wizard existences for themselves and write to Harry Potter as peers. Their excitement for and love of the novels are apparent. Many of the letters are accompanied by follow-up interviews with the youngsters, and here is where the collection runs into problems. The interviews are so similar that they quickly become monotonous, and the answers to the interview questions often repeat what the letters say. In addition, the black-and-white illustrations are somewhat bizarre animation drawings and, after the first two or three, have nothing to do with any character in the series. Most fans would probably prefer that libraries save their money and buy extra copies of volume five when it comes out. Sharon Moore's We Love Harry Potter! (St. Martin's, 2001), which includes recipes, games, and letters, offers more variety and fun.

Timothy Capehart, Dayton & Montgomery County Public Library, Dayton, OH

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In the opening of Kids' Letters to Harry Potter from Around the World, editor Bill Adler says, "Kids from all over the world sent us letters. Some came via e-mail, some by conventional mail. Some were collected by teachers and librarians and sent to us in a bundle." Adler does not explain how the letters were solicited or whether Potter author J.K. Rowling ever saw this "unauthorized collection." Interviews with the children break the monotony, but the absence of any organizing principle makes this book a thick read.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6. Although he thanks an impressive number of bookstores for helping to facilitate this project, Adler never really makes it clear how he designed and acquired this "unauthorized collection." Certainly most middle-school kids would have written to J. K. Rowling rather than the fictional Harry if not otherwise instructed. Consequently, all these letters to Harry, though varied and often inventive, seem slightly manipulated. Nevertheless, readers seeking Harry-related material in this Harryless publishing year may find the letters of interest. To add some heft, Adler has interviewed many of the correspondents, an appealing feature that enables the kids to talk about things not necessarily covered in their letters: favorite characters, the magical elements they like best, and more. Not a first purchase but a pleasant diversion. Ilene Cooper
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