Potter's readers

The (Springdale, Ark.) Morning News

Kids won't read. We've often been told that as if it's an undeniable truth. Reading is too passive. It's old-fashioned and boring.

We think that's just one of the prevailing myths of modern society. Proponents of "newer" media often trumpet the supposed demise of the printed word as they promote their own trendy alternative.

But millions of young people, and some older children too, demonstrated this weekend that books are still being read.

The latest installment of the Harry Potter series by British author J.K. Rowling broke sales records set by its predecessor. ... The take from the weekend sales of the book probably surpassed the top two most popular films for the weekend. ...

We don't think the weekend's buying frenzy is a small thing. If young people can find pleasure in reading Harry Potter they can find it elsewhere. With the right kind of encouragement they will learn to find it for themselves. If that's so, then when Harry Potter leaves his readers for the last time they'll be much more likely to seek and find other sources for reading pleasure than they are to abandon books altogether. That's the real magic.