Celebrating 25 Years of “Sorcerer’s Stone”: Scholastic Launches Magical Events, Giveaways, and Initiatives

by · September 16, 2023

It has been 25 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in the United States. Earlier this year, Scholastic refreshed the classic Harry Potter covers for the 25th anniversary of the US publication, and now even more celebrations are underway, with Scholastic launching some exciting events and initiatives in the upcoming month.

 

 

Special Empire State Building Tower Lighting 

On September 27, the Empire State Building in New York City will light up in the Hogwarts House colors: red for Gryffindor, green for Slytherin, blue for Ravenclaw, and yellow for Hufflepuff.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan living in or near the city, you’ll definitely not want to miss this.

 

Copies of Sorcerer’s Stone Being Donated to Schools

Another way Scholastic is marking the anniversary is by donating 25,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to schools across the United States in collaboration with the Scripps Howard Fund.

All seven of the Harry Potter books are also going to be gifted to school libraries in underserved communities. 

 

Welcome to Hogwarts Book Kits 

Hoping to encourage more kids and families to begin their own reading journeys, Scholastic is sending schools and libraries thousands of free Harry Potter Welcome to Hogwarts book club kits. These kits will include activities, discussion guides, stickers, and bookmarks. The event kit can be downloaded online.

 

Welcome to Hogwarts Contest 

Giving young Potter fans the chance to win “the ultimate Harry Potter Prize Package,” Scholastic has also launched a Welcome to Hogwarts contest.

 

 

To enter, children have to write in 100 words or less what class they would take at Hogwarts and why.

Three grand-prize winners will each win a trip to either Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort. They will also receive a $500 Visa gift card, a Harry Potter boxed set that contains hardbacks of all seven books for themselves, and 35 paperback copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to donate to a school or class of their choice.

In addition to the three grand-prize winners, 25 first-place winners will be chosen, with each receiving a Harry Potter boxed set for themselves as well as 35 copies of Sorcerer’s Stone to donate to a school or classroom of their choosing.

Entries for the contest can be submitted online, and the deadline to enter is October 5.

All these amazing opportunities are a chance for Potter fans to celebrate the magic of the books and to encourage many more young readers to delve into the wonders of the wizarding world. Will you be joining in Scholastic’s 25th-anniversary celebrations of Sorcerer’s Stone?

Grace Hurley

I'm an animal-loving Ravenclaw with a Masters Degree in Writing and a passion for the Harry Potter universe since the age of five.