Today we’re looking at the continuing popularity of the Harry Potter books

written by the British author, JK Rowling. The seventh and final book in the

series is due to be published soon and will definitely create as much if not more

interest than all the other 6. The characters of the trainee wizards, Harry

Potter and his two friends Ron and Hermione, have appealed to children and

adults all over the world. We asked Jo Jacobs, a children’s librarian near

London just how popular she thinks the books are. Well as you’ll hear in a

moment, she tells us that the books have “captured the imagination” of their

readers. The phrase “to capture the imagination” means to become very

interested and excited by something, in this case children and adults have got

very interested and excited by all of the Harry Potter books:

I think JK Rowling just really captured the imagination – every boy and girl would like to go

to Hogwarts and learn how to do magic – adults too. It’s just really fun, well written, and

exciting.

Anna: Jo says JK Rowling has captured the imagination of every boy and girl. They

would all like to go to Hogwarts – the school where Harry and his friends are

learning all about magic and how to become wizards. Jo adds that the books

are also very “well written and exciting.” She explains what happens at the

bookshop each time a new book in the Harry Potter series is published. What

time does she say the bookshops open?

Book shops open at midnight especially to launch the look with special events and children

dress up as wizards – there’s special story times and magic events going on – and they just

can’t wait to get a copy of the book and start reading it at midnight. I’m one of the people 

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who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day – because they’re real

page turners – very exciting books. I’m a big fan

Anna: Jo says that the bookshops open at midnight – a time of the night that is also

known as “the witching hour” the hour or time of night that legend says that

witches are supposed to be around. So the bookshops open at midnight to

“launch” the new Harry Potter book . The verb “to launch” refers to an event to

celebrate or introduce something new – in this case the events at the bookshop

launch the new Harry Potter book. At the launch, children “dress up” as

wizards – they put on clothes that wizards wear such as pointed, black hats,

black cloaks and they carry wands. Everyone gets into the theme of wizards

and magic and Jo says that the children “just can’t wait” to get a copy of the

book. If you “can’t wait” to do something then you can hardly wait and are

very excited and eager to do or experience something. Jo says that she also

goes to the launches at the bookshops because she loves reading the books.

What is the expression she uses which means the books are so exciting that you

have to read them quickly? Here’s Jo again.

I’m one of the people who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day –

because they’re real page turners – very exciting books. I’m a big fan

Anna: The expression that Jo uses which describes books that are so exciting that you

have to read them quickly is “page turners.” She says the Harry Potter books

are “real page turners.” Jo also describes herself as a “fan” of the books – a

fan is someone who admires and supports somebody or something such as a

person, sport or team. Jo is a real fan of the Harry Potter books.

Anna: But what about the size of the books? Most of them have hundreds of pages –

they are very long, they are “huge”. Jo says that most children who go to her

library look for thinner ones to read – does that mean they don’t choose the

longer Harry Potter ones? What does Jo say?

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Jo Jacobs

A lot of children when choosing a book do look for the thinner ones but with Harry Potter it’s

different and it’s great to see them reading huge books and really enjoying it – and I think

Harry Potter has really encouraged children to read generally it’s really been a great

phenomenon.

It’s great its big and thick – lots in there to get your teeth into.

Anna: Jo says that even though some of the Harry Potter books are very long the

children at her library still read them. She describes them as a great

phenomenon,” a phenomenon is something or someone who is extremely

successful. She says the books are long but there’s lots to “get your teeth into”

they’re a very interesting and exciting read.

Finally I’ll leave you with an adult’s view of the books. She, like Jo is a big fan

and describes the books as “exciting, excellent writing, fast moving, very good

and very clever.” She also likes the fact that Harry “matures,” he grows older

in each book.

It’s excellent writing – it’s an excellent story, it’s very exciting and gets right down to the

children’s level - I like the fact that it’s fast moving – it’s exciting – he matures with the

book and I think it’s very good very clever

Anna: Well I’m off to read them myself now – that’s all from entertainment – join us

next time