Wizarding World Launches Harry Potter Reading Magic Digital Hub for Summer Holidays

by · June 23, 2021

More magic begins this week! The Wizarding World Digital team has introduced a new initiative to start children on their Harry Potter reading journey called Harry Potter Reading Magic. This five-week journey is going to be filled with themes, excitement, and magic, along with a huge celebration of the first Harry Potter book.

 

Harry Potter Reading Magic

Harry Potter Reading Magic from the Wizarding World Digital team

 

Week 1 is underway for Harry Potter Reading Magic, and it’s time for new fans to meet the Boy Who Lived and be immersed in the wizarding world. This week focuses on Chapters 1–3 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. There are chapter challenges for each, and it gives everyone a chance to earn some House points.

You can listen to some favorite clips from the first three chapters and also enjoy some snippets by the United Kingdom’s audiobook narrator, Stephen Fry. The animated clip features illustrations by MinaLima, and we hear Fry telling us the scrabble of dropping Harry onto the Dursleys’ front step.

 

Harry Potter Reading Magic

Chapter 1 art for Harry Potter Reading Magic.

 

The next five weeks are going to be nothing short of spectacular. Audiences from all around the globe will get to know the famous characters from the Wizarding World, like Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Professor McGonagall, while discovering the secrets of Hogwarts. Fans can look forward to chapter challenges, quizzes, crafts, and other activities, as well as specially curated themes that will help young readers begin their journey.

Harry Potter Reading Magic will feature guides and tips for parents, caregivers, and teachers to make reading magical and fun during these summer holidays. We can expect to see contributions and surprises from Bloomsbury in the UK, Scholastic in the United States, and Pottermore Publishing. These guides feature the ABCs of reading for pleasure, and we know that new and old fans alike will enjoy these immersive pieces.

 

Guides

Guides for Harry Potter Reading Magic

 

Scholastic has also shared its top tips on how to make reading fun for kids. Can you guess what they are? The top tip is to read aloud. Use your best booming Hagrid voice to keep children entertained, and ask questions about Hagrid’s funny umbrella. Scholastic also shared to incorporate art and use new kinds of reading sources. Don’t be scared to break out the crayons and color your Hogwarts trunk while you listen to the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

To kick off the celebration of Reading Magic, the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone audiobook is available to stream for free on Alexa from Audible! This begins today and is available throughout the month of July. You get to use your own spell to activate this by saying, “Alexa, read Harry Potter Book 1.”

This is an amazing way to keep the Wizarding World spirit alive and to introduce some of our favorite characters to new fans. Can you ace the first few chapter quizzes? Chapters 4–6 will be explored next week, and we’re already looking forward to the surprises in store.

Press Release

Harry Potter Reading Magic free digital initiative launches for the start of the school summer holidays

Wizarding World and Harry Potter Publishers partner to inspire a new generation of children to read and discover J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and [t]he Philosopher’s Stone

HarryPotterReadingMagic.com | #HarryPotterReadingMagic

[London, UK] 23rd June 2021: In 2020 reading and interest in books by children and young people increased by over a third during lockdown (National Literacy Trust survey), and with that in mind, on the back of last year’s Harry Potter [a]t Home campaign, the Wizarding World and Harry Potter publishers have come together once again to continue to find new and interesting ways to inspire and engage more younger readers. Wizarding World.com is delighted to launch today (23rd June) Harry Potter Reading Magic, a free digital initiative aimed at encouraging new readers to start their Harry Potter reading journey.

Running throughout the summer, children and families are welcomed to the Harry Potter Reading Magic hub on wizardingworld.com, a destination to discover more about the exciting story and themes of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone and have some fun along the way. And this year, the Harry Potter Reading Magic initiative sits alongside Bloomsbury’s rescheduled 7th annual Harry Potter Book Night on 24th June, with fans all over the world joining in magical events and activities themed around Diagon Alley.

With well over 500 million copies of Harry Potter books sold in over 85 languages around the world, and over 7 million people alone visiting the Harry Potter [a]t Home hub on wizardingworld.com in 2020 during lockdown, first-time readers can now get even closer to the magic on HarryPotterReadingMagic.com. Over five weeks, young audiences with their parents and carers will be able to get to know more about the iconic characters of the wizarding world, including Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and of course Dumbledore, as well as discover more about Hogwarts and its magic. They can look forward to chapter-challenges, quizzes, [and] craft activities and enjoy specially curated weekly themes that will help journey young readers through the first book.

Housing easy[-]to[-]follow tips, the Harry Potter Reading Magic hub will also feature handy and helpful guides for parents, carers, and teachers alike to aid them in making reading fun and keeping kids entertained during the school holidays. This content comes from a partnership between all Harry Potter publishers, including Bloomsbury in the UK, Scholastic in the US and Pottermore [P]ublishing. 

Additionally, the first Harry Potter audiobook is available to stream free on Alexa from Audible beginning on June 23rd and throughout the month of July by saying: “Alexa, read Harry Potter Book One.”

Karen Napier, CEO, [t]he Reading Agency said: ‘This past year has been particularly difficult for children and young people, and we know that reading for pleasure can have hugely positive benefits to their well[-]being. We also know, from our own Summer Reading Challenge initiative, how vital it is to ensure children are able to access free reading materials and resources over the summer holidays, to help prevent the summer reading 'dip' ahead of the new school year. This free digital initiative is a wonderful way to encourage children to keep up their reading over the summer months, and to help to share the benefits - and magic! - of reading with as many children as possible.’

Harry Potter Reading Magic is to become an annual fixture in the Wizarding World calendar sitting at the beginning of the summer holidays on HarryPotterReadingMagic.com, helping first[-]time readers embark on their own Harry Potter reading journey … and every year new content to support their love of the first book will be available too.

 

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