Harry Potter Is Officially the Most Inspirational Children’s Book Character

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has been capturing hearts around the world for more than two decades. No one was surprised when the theater production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was nominated for various awards and won most of them. Rowling and Harry have millions of fans, but recently, Harry Potter once again won a very special award, one that proves just how phenomenal the Potter series is.

The Works, which aims to encourage and support parents to help their children develop a love for reading, commissioned a survey to see which children’s book characters resonate the most with people. Guess who ended up on top. Yes, it was Harry Potter himself. If he’d been there to accept the award, we bet he would’ve been blushing a bit, not wanting the attention but happy that he could’ve been of help.

Being number one on the list of the top 50 most inspirational children’s book characters is definitely no small feat – and Harry had some tough competition. Roald Dahl’s mischievous Matilda landed second place, while Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘s Charlie Bucket came third. Our very own Hermione Granger landed the fourth place – there’s no doubt that she would’ve been incredibly honored. Following Miss Granger to complete the top ten were another few childhood heroes we all know and love – Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Paddington Bear, Willy Wonka, and Peter Rabbit made up the winners. The top 50 also included characters like Babe and Stuart Little.

Thinking back to all those childhood heroes, we can’t help but feel nostalgic and absolutely ecstatic about the fact that Harry managed to top them all. Guess Quidditch isn’t the only thing he’s extremely good at.

Dr. Jane Murray, a specialist in early childhood education and spokesperson for the Works, can’t emphasize the importance of books enough, especially for young children. According to her, the research done by the Works shows how much of a positive impact a book can have on a child’s development. Books also help build a relationship between parents and their children – no child ever forgets the feeling of having their parents reading them a bedtime story. Murray added that the characters in children’s books continue to inspire many people for the rest of their lives.

At the heart of every story there is a good character, and the research shows how nostalgic and classic characters continue to inspire parents and children throughout life. It’s great to see how adults are helping their children to embrace reading and discover fictional worlds and characters who can influence their child’s behaviour and outlook.

We couldn’t agree more. Most of the Harry Potter generation still carry Harry and his friends’ adventures and lessons in their hearts. There’s a reason why the Potter series became as famous as it is – it inspired people in their darkest moments, it comforted those who needed it most, and it taught us that love and friendship are the most important things in the world. Of course, it taught us a few cool spells as well, which is a bonus.

If there were ever a character who deserved to win this award, it’s Harry. Those of us who are all grown up still look to him for inspiration and guidance at times, asking ourselves, what would Harry do? Or maybe that’s just me.

How do you feel about Harry being the most inspirational children’s book character? Whom else would you have liked to see in the top ten? Tell us in the comments.