How to Find More Books About Harry Potter

I'll admit it. I'm a Potterhead. I wish I had attended Hogwarts, and I wish my daughter could get accepted there too. But alas, we are muggles and won't have that opportunity. But that doesn't mean you can't read Harry Potter over and over again, and learn more about international relations, spirituality, philosophy, psychology and science. There's more to those Harry Potter books than simply the good guys versus the bad guys.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• All of the Harry Potter books
• Some money for some more Harry Potter books
• A real love for Harry Potter

1. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter by Tere Stouffer If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you already know the basics about the Wizarding world. But if you need a refresher, or would like to learn more about the symbolism of character's names, the historical roots of some of Rowling's ideas, or simply a reference for what's fact and fiction check out The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter by Tere Stouffer. This books is an excellent starting point.
2. Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice written by Mercedes Lackey For your first dip into the literary analysis of Harry Potter, check out Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice written edited by Mercedes Lackey. This book addresses feminism (Is Ginny the post-modern feminist?), moral issues (Is Severus Snape so bad?), and psychology (Is Harry facing a bad case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?) This book is accessible and a good segway into looking at Harry Potter in a different way.
3. The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works by Roger Highfield Maybe you are more into hard science than the social sciences. Then pick up The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works by Roger Highfield. Published in 2003, this book asks how much velocity would a broom really need to fly? What kind of magic already exists? Through the eyes of Highfield, we learn that some things considered magical in the wizarding world already exist in our humble muggle world.
4. The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Moral Choices by Edmund Kern Perhaps you are interested in addressing some of the morals and values of the Potterworld. You could use them in Sunday School, or talk to your children about what is right and wrong and why. Then take a look at The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Moral Choices by Edmund Kern. The author is also a parent, and understands it's so much easier talking to young people about moral issues when they have read about characters they love.
   
   For a more religious take, you can also read Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger (no relation to Hermione). This book was published before the final book, but still addresses some of the spirituality found in the other books.
5. The Psychology of Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Examination of the Boy Who Lived edited by Neil Mulholland Psychology plays a huge part in character development and analysis shows why characters decide to do what they do. Hermione is a firm feminist, and yet unsure when it comes to relationships. Ron's role in such a large family says a lot about who he in his family. And where do we begin with Harry? The Psychology of Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Examination of the Boy Who Lived edited by Neil Mulholland addresses the complicated Snape, the anti-social ways of Lord Voldemort and the self-hatred of Dobby. It appears Rowling's characters all need a little therapy.
6. Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogworts edited by David Baggett, Shawn E. Klein, and William Irwin Some books are more challenging than others. Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts edited by David Baggett, Shawn E. Klein, and William Irwin looks intimidating, but give it a chance. This is from the widely popular series that gave us Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy, The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer, Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think!.
7. Harry Potter and International Relations written by Iver B. Neumann and Daniel H. Nexon If you are really looking for some deep thinking, big issues and philosophical ideas check out these two books. Harry Potter and International Relations written by Iver B. Neumann and Daniel H. Nexon confronts how the wizarding and muggle world are very similar in how we relate to each other and how we deal with conflicts, culture and social issues. This is a must for international relations students, sociologists, anthropologists and people looking at the world from a post-9/11 viewpoint.
8. The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon edited by Lana A. Whited And finally, there is The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon edited by Lana A. Whited. The essays in this book range from folklore to popular culture, and includes literary analysis from several different perspectives. This is a great book for English, Sociology and Anthropology students.

Tips & Warnings

• Most of these are collections of essays which makes them ideal for use in high school and college classes.
• Take your time with these books. You won't be able to fly through them. They address some deep questions that may require discussion.
• The only book that includes the final book is the Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter.
• Don't let these books intimidate you. Take it slowly and think about the lessons they are teaching. Talk about them with other Potter fans.
• These books may be difficult to find in the standard bookstore. They are not likely to be placed next to the Harry Potter series because they belong in different sections (International Relations, Psychology, Philosophy). You may need to order them online.