On Saturday night, enthusiastic Harry Potter fans gathered in bookstores all over the country. They were counting down to midnight and the release of the newest Harry Potter story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two. When the clock struck 12:01, fans cheered as the book was officially put on sale.
The Harry Potter book series follows a young wizard named Harry Potter and his classmates through their years at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Written by British author J.K. Rowling and published by Scholastic in the U.S., the seven novels in the series are some of the best-selling books of all time. The last of those books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came out in 2007. For many young fans, The Cursed Child is their first chance to see the excitement that surrounds the release of a new Harry Potter story.
Around the world, book release parties drew thousands of Muggles (that’s what people without magical abilities are called in the books). “My friends, my brother, and I are big Harry Potter fans. We’ve read all the books, watched all the movies, and we thought it would be fun to go to a Harry Potter-themed party,” says 11-year-old Allie Schuldt, who attended a midnight book release at Easton Public Library in Connecticut.
A DAY TO CELEBRATE
Max Surprenant, a 12-year-old fan from Needham, Massachusetts, is a Scholastic News Kid Reporter. He attended two Harry Potter events on Saturday. First, he went to a trivia contest at a bookstore. He was tested with tricky questions like “What magical creature is shown in this picture?”
After that, Max went to a book release party that was filled with people wearing costumes. The event even had a cake in the shape of the Sorting Hat, the magical hat featured in the Harry Potter series. At midnight, Max became one of the first people in the country to receive a copy of The Cursed Child. “I started reading it at the bookstore,” he says. “Truthfully, once I got home, my mom wouldn’t let me stay up longer to read it. I’d already been up pretty late!”
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORY
The newest story is different from the original Harry Potter novels. It’s a script book based on a play that opened in London, England, on July 30. The story is told entirely in dialogue (lines for the actors to say out loud) and directions for what the actors should do on stage. Many fans are eager to read a new kind of Harry Potter story. “I think that will make it interesting,” says Allie.
The Cursed Child is written by Jack Thorne and based on an original story by Rowling, Thorne, and John Tiffany. The story takes place 19 years after the events of the seventh novel. Now grown up, Harry and his friends have sent their own kids off to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The story follows Harry’s youngest son, Albus, as he learns to handle his magical powers.
The play was a big hit in London on its opening weekend. Fans in the United States are eagerly waiting to find out if the play will be performed here too. That likely wouldn’t happen for a while, but many kids are hoping it gets here as soon as possible. “My birthday is in October. I may ask to try to see that play,” says Allie.
