I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since the first U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. I remember one of my English teachers in high school recommended the book to me.
She would dedicate one day a week to where the students would just read all class period. No discussion, no tests, just reading.
It was clearly the best class ever.
I saw that Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has unveiled new covers for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as part of its year-long campaign to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter. Illustrated by Brian Selznick, the new paperback editions will be published in the U.S. on June 26, 2018.
Here’s the description of the covers:
[blockquote align=”middle” author=””]Rendered in Selznick’s stunning signature black-and-white style with jewel-toned type, the seven covers depict thrilling moments and beloved characters from across the series, including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Dumbledore and many more. When placed side by side, the covers form a dazzling single image that tells the overarching story that begins with Harry’s arrival at Number Four, Privet Drive, through the epic conclusion of the Battle of Hogwarts. Sharp-eyed readers will spot intricate details throughout the artwork, such as Hermione’s Time-Turner, Harry’s Patronus, the maze from the Triwizard Tournament, and the Hogwarts Express steaming toward a new school year with the next generation on board.[/blockquote]
Scholastic published Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S. in September 1998 under its Arthur A. Levine Books imprint with an initial print run of 50,000 copies. To date, the Harry Potter series has sold more than 180 million copies in the U.S. alone. This year, Scholastic is planning major events throughout the year at bookstores, libraries, schools and festivals around the country.
Here’s something about my relationship with the Harry Potter books.
I was a huge fan of the series. I even went to the midnight release at Barnes and Noble for the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This was in 2007 and Facebook was still fairly new and I was so concerned that I would read a spoiler on there that I stayed up all night to read the entire book. And I haven’t read any of the books since and I still haven’t seen all the movies.
I wrestle with the idea of if I should read them again. But there’s so many new and old books to be discovered, I just don’t know if I ever will. I’ll always have fond memories of when I was first introduced to the books.
