Harry Potter was a worldwide phenomenon by 2001. Four books in the series had already been published. When a new book came out, bookstores held parties. Fans lined up for hours, sometimes wearing costumes, so they could buy the book the minute it went on sale at midnight.
But Hollywood movie studios were not at all sure the books would work as films. Sure, people loved Harry Potter, but would they go to see a movie with no parts for American movie stars? Some people in Hollywood even suggested making Harry American. Jo would not allow it. Harry was British and so was his world. Also, there was so much magic in the books. Re-creating the magic through special effects would be very expensive. Film companies did not want to spend a lot of money on a movie without being sure people would pay to see it.
And not everyone was a fan of the books. In the United States, Harry Potter was one of the most challenged books of the decade. A book is “challenged” when a parent or a group of people demand that it be kept out of schools and public libraries.
CHALLENGED BOOKS
MANY OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN AND BELOVED BOOKS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED AS BEING BAD FOR CHILDREN. BESIDES THE HARRY POTTER SERIES, OTHER COMMONLY CHALLENGED BOOKS INCLUDE:
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN BY MARK TWAIN— THIS BOOK HAS BEEN CHALLENGED FOR ITS RACIALLY CHARGED LANGUAGE.
1984 BY GEORGE ORWELL—ORWELL’S NOVEL WAS BANNED IN THE SOVIET UNION FOR BEING ANTICOMMUNIST. IT WAS BANNED IN THE UNITED STATES FOR BEING PRO-COMMUNIST.
BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA BY KATHERINE PATERSON—SOME VIEWED THE IMAGINARY WORLD BUILT BY TWO CHILDREN AS DANGEROUS AND UNCHRISTIAN.
THE GIVER BY LOIS LOWRY—THIS NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER IS MOST FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BECAUSE IN ITS FICTIONAL WORLD, PEOPLE ARE KILLED FOR NOT BEING PERFECT.
IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN BY MAURICE SENDAK—THE TODDLER HERO IN THIS BOOK DOESN’T WEAR CLOTHES FOR MUCH OF THE STORY.
LORD OF THE FLIES BY WILLIAM GOLDING—MANY PEOPLE OBJECT TO HOW VIOLENT THE CHILDREN IN THIS BOOK BECOME.
THE STUPIDS BY HARRY ALLARD—THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A VERY DIM-WITTED FAMILY. SOME FEEL IT ENCOURAGES KIDS TO DISOBEY THEIR PARENTS.
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS BY DAV PILKEY—THIS BOOK HAS TOO MUCH “BATHROOM TALK” AND BAD BEHAVIOR FOR SOME PARENTS.
Why did these people think the Harry Potter books were bad for children? It was because the hero was a wizard. They believed that Jo’s books were promoting witchcraft in real life. Of course, the magic in Harry Potter isn’t real. All the spells and potions in the books were made up by Jo. The names were ones she created, too. Spells like Accio (which brings an object to a wizard), Expecto Patronum (which calls forth a wizard’s guardian spirit), and Confundo (which confuses a person) are all based on Latin words. However, many of the ingredients that Harry uses in his potions class such as dittany, belladonna, and hellebore are real.
HELLEBORE
In Michigan, a school superintendent forbade teachers from reading Harry Potter aloud to their classes. School librarians were told to take it off the shelves. In Pennsylvania, a mother tried to get the books banned from all the schools in her district. A church in New Mexico burned copies of Harry Potter because they didn’t want anyone to read them. The books were also challenged in other countries, like the United Kingdom and Australia.
Many schools in America had “opt-out” policies. That meant that if parents didn’t approve of a book that was being taught, their children could leave the class. So in some schools, Harry Potter was only read to classes where every parent said it was okay. Other teachers and librarians stopped recommending Harry Potter to avoid trouble. But no challenge ever kept kids away from Harry Potter. Especially after Warner Brothers Studios finally took a chance on the books.
JO LEARNED ABOUT MANY OF THE HERBS AND PLANTS MENTIONED IN HARRY POTTER IN CULPEPER’S COMPLETE HERBAL. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY AND IS STILL IN PRINT TODAY.
BELLADONNA
BELLADONNA—IN THE MIDDLE AGES, THIS POISONOUS PLANT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A KEY INGREDIENT IN WITCH’S FLYING OINTMENT. AT HOGWARTS, IT IS A PART OF THE STANDARD POTION-MAKING KIT THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE.
DEATH CAP—THIS POISONOUS MUSHROOM IS BELIEVED TO CAUSE MOST MUSHROOM DEATHS WORLDWIDE. IT IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT IN THE DEATH CAP DRAUGHT.
DITTANY—THIS FLOWERING PLANT WAS OFTEN USED FOR HEALING. SOME VARIETIES CAN BE USED TO FLAVOR FOOD. THE STUDENTS AT HOGWARTS USE IT TO HEAL CUTS.
DITTANY
LOVAGE—THIS PLANT IS A LOT LIKE CELERY. THE LEAVES ARE USED IN COOKING AND TO HELP DIGESTION. AT HOGWARTS, IT IS USED IN THE BREWING OF BEFUDDLEMENT DRAUGHTS.
LOVAGE
NETTLE—THIS WIDESPREAD PLANT IS KNOWN FOR ITS STINGING HAIRS AND IS SOMETIMES BREWED IN TEA. FRESH NETTLES ARE USED IN THE BOIL-CURE POTION.
NETTLE
The movie version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone premiered in November 2001. It was a hit! American audiences had no trouble accepting the very British story starring British actors. Every one of the Harry Potter books would be made into a film. One book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, would even be split into two films.
Jo was excited about the movie. But she was more excited about her upcoming marriage to Neil Murray. They planned to wed in the Galapagos Islands at the end of 2001. But they canceled that wedding when their plans were leaked to the press. Jo didn’t want any reporters spying on her on her wedding day.
So Jo and Neil got married in the library of their home in Perthshire, Scotland. There were only fifteen guests, including Jo’s father and his second wife. Jo had three bridesmaids: Jessica, Di, and Neil’s sister, Lorna. Jo couldn’t wait to begin this new chapter in her life.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE AS HARRY POTTER
DANIEL RADCLIFFE WAS JUST ELEVEN YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS CAST AS HARRY POTTER. HE SOON BECAME ALMOST AS FAMOUS AS THE CHARACTER HE PLAYED. HE STARRED IN ALL EIGHT HARRY POTTER MOVIES. HE HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR, AND HE TRIED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS HE COULD FROM THE OLDER STARS THAT PLAYED HIS TEACHERS AT HOGWARTS. WHEN HE WAS SEVENTEEN, HE STARRED IN A PLAY CALLED EQUUS. RICHARD GRIFFITHS, WHO PLAYED HARRY’S MUGGLE UNCLE, VERNON, IN THE MOVIES, WAS ALSO IN IT. IN 2011 DANIEL CAME BACK TO BROADWAY TO STAR IN HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. NOW HE HAD TO SING AND LEARN TO SPEAK WITH AN AMERICAN ACCENT.
EMMA WATSON AS HERMIONE GRANGER
EMMA WATSON WAS BORN IN PARIS, FRANCE. WHEN SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD, HER FAMILY MOVED TO ENGLAND. SHE WAS NINE YEARS OLD WHEN SHE TRIED OUT FOR THE ROLE OF HERMIONE. SHE WON IT OVER THOUSANDS OF OTHER GIRLS. UNLIKE HERMIONE, EMMA IS VERY INTERESTED IN FASHION. SHE HAS APPEARED ON THE COVER OF FASHION MAGAZINES LIKE VOGUE AND ELLE. AFTER RECEIVING GOOD GRADES AT SCHOOL IN ENGLAND, EMMA MOVED TO AMERICA TO GO TO BROWN UNIVERSITY. HERMIONE WOULD BE PROUD.
RUPERT GRINT AS RON WEASLEY
RON WEASLEY IS THE SECOND YOUNGEST OF SEVEN, BUT RUPERT GRINT IS THE OLDEST OF FIVE. GROWING UP, HE WENT TO DRAMA CLASSES AND PLAYED RUMPLESTILTSKIN IN A LOCAL PLAY. BUT NOTHING COMPARED TO STARTING WORK ON THE HARRY POTTER MOVIES WHEN HE WAS TWELVE. RUPERT MADE A NUMBER OF OTHER MOVIES WHILE WORKING ON THE SERIES INCLUDING CHERRYBOMB, WHERE HE PLAYED A TOUGH CHARACTER NOT AT ALL LIKE RON.
