Remember cuddling up with The Hobbit or The Chronicles of Narnia? Those classics still line the library shelves at schools, but a new character, destined to become a classic, has broken onto the scene. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of him. His name is Harry Potter, and author J.K. Rowling's magically-woven adventures and subsequent cinema masterpieces have captured the imaginations of preteens around the world.

If you're not sure what all the fuss is about, suspend your adult disbelief for a moment and meet the characters who are enchanting millions of children.

Who is Harry Potter?
Harry Potter, the little orphan boy who lives under the stairs in a cupboard at his aunt's and uncle's house, finds his destiny in a letter from Hogwarts School of Magic. Tall, thin and nearsighted, Harry sports a patch of hair that covers a lightning scar on his forehead. Harry shows himself and his readers that with ingenuity, common sense, knowledge and some help from his friends, he can solve his own problems and win the day.

Harry's teacher, Professor Snape, appears to be an evil man out for Potter's death. A man with a history of subterfuge and rivalry with Harry's dead father, Snape has unpaid debts and grudges to bear. Surprisingly capable of human compassion, Snape exemplifies the idea that most people aren't good or evil, but a combination of attitudes and a product of the past. Hermoine, Harry's friend and female protagonist, blends wisdom, courage, skill and intelligence. Flawed, she struggles with a desire for perfection in an imperfect world. She emerges a well-rounded, intelligent female who knows how to succeed in a male-dominated world.

Fantasy vs. Reality
Many of those who remember warming up to reading with J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit would recognize the same energy and excitement in Rowling's books. And educators agree that it's the element of fantasy that allows children to explore relationships without the threat of real-life situations looming over them. They learn, stretch and grow by stepping into other worlds. Fantasy simply makes real-life lessons a little more fun.

Ana Watts of New Brunswick says her 12-year-old daughter, Emily, is "keenly aware of fairness issues, which can be as trivial as too-early bed time and as profound as children eating out of garbage cans in Brazil." Any fictional story affords children a way to explore these truths and their meanings. Rowling's books contribute to a solid foundation of human understanding.

"Fantasy is an interesting vehicle to create a believable world that children can experiment with," says Bob Snyder, teaching librarian for the Waterloo Board of Education in Ontario. As adults, we interact with a mix of people who support and nurture us, people who don't care a bit about us and some who are actively against us. Snyder suggests that children read about how others handle love and rejection and transfer lessons learned to their own lives.

Most children and adults characterize their love of Harry Potter with delight and enthusiasm. "He's interesting and funny, too," says 10-year-old Ben Girling of Vancouver.

"Any book that captures imagination is doing its job," Snyder says. He has taught children for more than 30 years, and he loves the Potter books. He's read them all, and the copies in his school library rarely languish on the shelves. "Children appreciate the humor and cleverness that doesn't attempt to give glib answers but honestly entertains," he says. More than anything else, he says these books "grab attention and kids love it."

Good vs. Evil
Unlike most Disney movies that inundate youngsters with the "good vs. evil" theme, Rowling doesn't define her characters in simple terms. She lets them be perfectly imperfect. "Some of the bad guys are the very people who are supposed to nurture and care for Harry," Girling says. Most of the evil-doers aren't some distant malevolent force, but are a part of human nature.

Rowling also tunes into kids' awe of the impossible. Every child wants to fly or make someone disappear, and Rowling presents us with a normal child who can do those things. "It's imagination, not evil or satanic," Snyder says. "A child may be small and powerless in real life, but in imagination, he can soar."

Want to see more?

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Adventures of a Reluctant Reader
• Preteenagers Today MomsTalk Discussion Board