From: PritchWitt at aol.com <PritchWitt>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 20:27:59 EST

I haven't posted here in quite sometime, but I am very interested in some of the reactions--and I find I'm in agreement (somewhat) with Jennifer:

<< It wasn't until
 people started talking about it on TV and in magazines that we started to
 get requests for it. And most of the requests are from adults. The kids
 obviously do like it (I don't), but with this much media attention I am sure
 most good books or books with topics of interest to children would be just
 as popular. >>

Just to put all my cards on the table, I write middle-grade and young adult novels myself, so I admit there may be an aspect of sour grapes to this. But I also want to say that I loved the first Harry book, even though I was expecting it to be a media-hyped piece of junk ala Goosebumps. I'm thrilled that a good book is being devoured by children. But I don't by ANYmeans think it's the best or the only good book out there. NOW it may have become a phenomenon among children, but Rowling was on Rosie O'Donnell several times early on (Oprah too?) neither of which are watched by many children, and her intriguing story of single-motherhood and writing on napkins in cafes obviously captured the imagination of all kinds of media-types (who love that starving writer-in-the?fe image anyway) and made her an overnight celebrity.

I don't for a moment begrudge this author a thing--she's worked hard and the books are very enjoyable, but I am getting tired of people "discovering" HP and thinking it's a miracle. (The first thing my local newspaper interviewer asked me in an article supposed to be about my new book was, "Have you read Harry Potter?") There's a mother lode of great writing for kids--which I know all of you know--but I just needed to say it in the midst of this conversation about Hallowed Harry.

Ellen Wittlinger, author
"Hard Love"
"Noticing Paradise"
"Lombardo's Law"
Received on Mon 08 Nov 1999 07:27:59 PM CST