Unless you've been living in a cave for the last few years, you've no doubt heard about the Harry Potter series of books. Author J.K. Rowling has written six books so far, and intends to end the series with the seventh title, which is due out within the next couple of years. Each of the first six books has been a smashing success the world over, and four of the six have already been turned into equally successful films, with plans of more movies to follow.

The main character of the books is of course Harry Potter. He lives in a world of wizardry and magic, and is himself a rather accomplished wizard. He was first introduced to readers back in 1998 and has captivated fans ever since. The books in the series focus on Harry's adventures at Hogwarts, which is a special school for wizards where he promptly meets and becomes best friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Each book in Rowling's series focuses on a separate school year, meaning that now Harry Potter and his friends are sixteen years old. As the main characters have gotten older, Rowling has made the plotlines even darker and scarier to reflect the fact that the trio is coming of age. This decision has also allowed Rowling to retain her readership because she is able to offer more compelling subject matter as her readers grow older along with their favorite characters. If she had instead decided that Harry Potter should forever remain the 10-year-old boy that we were first introduced to, then the stories would probably have become tiresome and repetitive by now.

Although the Harry Potter books are ostensibly marketed as children's or young adult books, they have appealed to readers of all ages. The basic theme of the books is good versus evil, which is of course an idea that people from all walks of life can understand and appreciate. In addition, Harry Potter and his friends are often called upon to face their fears and to show courage and bravery in trying times. These are admirable qualities that people want their literary heroes to have, so the books have quickly touched the hearts of millions of fans.

The Harry Potter books have been credited with making reading a cool pastime again. In fact, the release of a new Harry Potter title is met with incredible demand and fanfare. Bookstores around the world host midnight parties for fans who want to be among the very first to buy the new offering. Fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite Harry Potter characters, and in turn the stores supply the decorations, music, and sometimes even refreshments. In an age where young people would much rather surf the Internet or play video games than read, this kind of hoopla surrounding a book release is noteworthy indeed.