SOURCE: “Harry Potter Update: Is It for Young Adults?” in Urbana, Vol. 89, No. 4, March, 2000, pp. 137–38.

In the following review, MacRae states that “Harry Potter” is more than just a children's series.

Several months ago I received a review copy of a new British fantasy novel just released in the US: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling. I glanced at the cover, skimmed the flap copy, and decided I wasn't interested in the book because (1) it clearly was a children's book and (2) it was fantasy. …

I began hearing more and more about the phenomenal success of Harry Potter and its sequels but continued to ignore the book for the reasons stated above. Then Newsweek ran an article (23 August 1999) about the Potter craze, which was soon followed by a cover story in Time (20 September 1999) about the jaw-dropping, unprecedented success of Rowling's new series. Apparently everyone—children...