In 1998, J. K. Rowling's juvenile novel of an 11-year old wizard, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," appeared on the American market and quickly jumped to the best sellers list. It sold more than 5 million copies in the U.S.A. in the first year. The second, third, and fourth novels proved equally popular. Parents and child specialists believe Harry Potter books were singly responsible for teaching the joys of reading to a generation of kids raised on television and video games. Critics of the series worried about the wizardy and witchcraft presented in the stories. Yet, Harry Potter, inevitably, spawned a number of toys, games, and children's consumer goods.
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