J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has the ability to ‘bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses’ as Professor Snape might say. Although the series has come to a close, the passion for Hogwarts, Harry, and friends still bubbles within the minds and imaginations of fans and waits for new readers to discover the magic. The new Harry Potter Reading Club from Scholastic and J.K. Rowliing hopes to deliver.
At 12:00 noon ET (9:00am PT / 5:00pm GMT) on Thursday, October 11, J.K. Rowling will participate in a live virtual author visit to computers across the world to discuss the world of Harry Potter including Pottermore, an exciting, free online experience that offers Harry Potter fans the chance to explore and discover exclusive new writing by J.K. Rowling as well as immerse themselves in other interactive content and community activities.
The October 11 webcast will be broadcast live from J.K. Rowling’s hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the first time she has had the opportunity to answer questions from kids live since 2007. Be part of the experience by signing-up for the webcast at www.scholastic.com/hpreadingclub.
The new Harry Potter Reading Club website provides educators, librarians, after school program coordinators and parents who want to organize a book club with access to all the tools they need to host a Harry Potter Reading Club and celebrate the joy of reading. The first 10,000 US registrants for the Club will receive a welcome kit including bookmarks, stickers and nametags; however, printable versions of these items will also be available for download from the website too (after you have registered).
The Harry Potter Reading Club website includes a comprehensive discussion guide for each of the seven Harry Potter novels. The guides provide questions to help club members start an insightful conversation about the themes and events in the books and, in certain instances, how the books may relate to readers’ own lives and the world today. Each month Scholastic will add new themed activities to complement the Reading Club discussions that will often relate to experiences on the Pottermore website: design your own wand or write a response to receiving your invitation to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary.
The Harry Potter Reading Club will also feature a live feed at Twitter #hpREADS providing a community for club leaders as well as “Teacher Tips” from educators already running Harry Potter Reading Clubs. The site will also include a series overview, a glossary of terms and a pronunciation guide as well as information about author J.K. Rowling and illustrator Mary GrandPré.
Sign-up for J.K. Rowling’s live global webcast by visiting www.scholastic.com/hpreadingclub