Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

As someone who grew up reading the Harry Potter series as they came out (I went to the book releases and everything) I was initially very excited about this play and the published script book. The world of Hogwarts and wizards and broomsticks is one that is very familiar and special to me, and many others (including children) who have read the books or seen the movies probably feel the same.

However I must admit that after reading the book I'm less than impressed. It was written by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, and while they did a pretty good job in terms of their skills in playwriting, the book definitely felt different than the ones written by JK Rowling. The characters also felt different, as Harry and the others are grown up in this story and the focus is mainly on their children. It was interesting to read about the next generation, and there is definitely a lot of action in the plot, but it wasn't as magical as I remember the original series being.

That being said, I definitely think this book could be useful in terms of classroom lessons. Since this book is actually a script from the play it would be a good opportunity to teach children about the differences between books and scripts, or to introduce them to how plays work. It also connects a very popular and familiar world with the theater, which might pique the interest of students who wouldn't have previously considered giving theater a chance.

Another positive about this play and book is that the original cast of the play featured a black actress as Hermione (who was played by a white actress in the films). This added diversity could help readers connect to the story and feel more open to reading or seeing the play since they know they'll see someone like themselves in it. Many people brush off the need for diversity as unimportant, but I think it's incredibly important, escpecially to children who may feel different for whatever reasons.

As for similar books, I would of course suggest the original Harry Potter series. The combination of The Cursed Child and the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film is a great opportunity to introduce the original books to children who might not have read them yet. And if you wanted to continue the theme of reading scripts or screenplays, JK Rowling has also published the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts as book.