In 1998, Scholastic Inc. published “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first book by a virtually unknown British author J.K. Rowling in the United States. The book had already overcome so much to get to that point. It had originally been conceptualized by a nearly destitute Rowling on a train and produced on a manual typewriter. Twelve publishers turned it down before it was saved from the slush pile at the Christopher Little Literary Agency. Originally published in Britain by Bloomsbury as “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” it was acquired by Scholastic for US release after an auction.
Best-selling series
Today, Rowling is one of the most influential and richest people in the world. “Harry Potter” went on to be published as a seven-volume series that sold millions of copies and was read around the world by all ages. It was adapted into eight blockbuster films by Warner Bros. that made stars of its lead actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. The world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (now known as the Wizarding World franchise) has given birth to a new film
series also from Warner Bros.; the second of five movies, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is coming to theaters in November starring Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law and Johnny Depp. The final story in the “Harry Potter” saga—the stage play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”—is playing to sold out audiences in London and New York, winning awards for both the West End and Broadway productions. Aside from being represented in almost all forms of media, the Wizarding World also established thriving theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood and
Osaka.
Clever twist
To celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2018, Scholastic has released a new run of all seven of the “Harry Potter” books, but with a clever twist. Instead of the original iconic covers by artist Mary GrandPré, the 20th anniversary series features covers by the talented writer/artist Brian Selznick.
Selznick is the Caldecott Medal-winning creator behind the 2008 book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” (later adapted into the feature film “Hugo” directed by Martin Scorsese) and the 2011 novel “Wonderstruck” (also adapted into a film in 2017).
Instead of the original covers depicting particular scenes from the novel in color, Selznick’s new covers are in black and white, presenting instead a collage of different characters and scenes from within. The Harry Potter title is in the familiar series font but is embossed in glossy metallic colors to contrast with the flat-laminated cover.
The seven covers line up horizontally, creating essentially a long mural of characters and scenes from the entire series. Eagle-eyed Potterheads will have a grand old time identifying the details and clues embedded in Selznick’s covers. One can literally see Harry grow up and become more of a hero as you read the covers from left to right.
Original sketches
But fans of GrandPré’s original art need not fret as the interior art, such as the chapter openings, still feature the original sketches. Each of the first six books has the first chapter of the next book at the very end.
There are interesting takeaways from examining the entire set. The first book is the shortest book, with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’ Stone” coming in at 309 pages. The fifth book, 2003’s “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is the longest book at a Whomping Willow-sized 870 pages. In fact, the first three books clock in at an average of 361 pages, while the later four books average 761 pages.
The story, of course, is as enchanting as ever. This 20th anniversary edition is something new for dyed-in-the-wool Potterheads and readers new to the series to collect. While old fans can relive the magic they grew up with, a new generation of readers can experience the same thrilling transformation. Happy anniversary, Harry Potter!
All seven of the 20th anniversary “Harry Potter” books featuring the Brian Selznick covers are available in paperback from National Book Store.