John may have a point below that without Harry Potter the reading rates of young people might even be lower. I’m not able to evaluate that from what I know, but Mark’s information below suggests that the picture is not good. The whole thing seems to be shaping up as something of a sensation, a passing fad, and not the vestibule to a lifetime of reading as was predicted. And instead of closing their Potter and opening their Lewis, or their Wilder, or their Wind in the Willows, the kids will be looking for the next big worldwide sensation. Mark seems to be suggesting just that. But is he serious, that we need a dozen popular series unfolding at once, providing a novel every few months? That we have to keep stoking these kids with blockbusting, sensationalistic, fantastical, gimmicky, mystery stuff every few months just in order to keep them reading? It would be like feeding a drug habit!