“Harry Potter speaks to readers that long for adventure and belonging,” said Hannah Easter, youth services assistant for Delta County Libraries. Easter, a long-time fan of the Harry Potter series, is thrilled about the 2023 title for the Delta County Reads program. “Hogwarts is a place where even the misfits fit and that's what keeps people coming back to the books and movies for the second, third or even fifteenth time,” Easter said.
Delta County Reads is an annual program that brings the community together to read a book and then watch the corresponding film. Delta County Libraries, the Paradise Theatre, and the Blue Sage Center for the Arts have expanded the program each year since it began in 2016.
“We are excited to introduce Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the 2023 Delta County Reads Program, especially because students selected this year’s title,” said Michael Cooper, executive artistic director of the Paradise Theatre. “It’s going to be a magical, spellbinding event with special prizes, talkbacks, and other surprises in store for Delta County audiences.”
The planning committee for Delta County Reads put out a poll to Delta County students in January to select the 2023 title. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone won by a landslide,” Cooper said. “Our hope is that, by allowing students to select the title, they will be more excited to participate.”
“I liked that we got to choose our own title instead of just being told ‘read this,'” sixth-grader Michael said. Michael is a student at the North Fork Montessori public school in Crawford. The upper grade levels at the Montessori school in Crawford participate in the program every spring by reading the book together in class and taking a field trip to see the film.
“I like reading the book and then seeing the movie because I can see how they change the plot to fit the movie,” Michael said.
Along with students, families are encouraged to participate in the program together. Mass copies of the book have been distributed to the five libraries in Delta County and are available for checkout. At the time of checkout, library patrons receive a “Platform 9-3/4” ticket to redeem at the Paradise Theatre for complimentary jelly beans and licorice wands during the film. The Paradise Theatre is hosting free showings of the 2001 film beginning Wednesday, May 3 through Sunday, May 7. The Sunday matinee includes a facilitated discussion of the book versus the film.
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