Harry Potter stars at library’s “It’s Not Just for Kids” Night

Madison Public Library will host “It’s Not Just for Kids: Harry Potter” with the interactive video game, “Scene It,” on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.

“The Harry Potter series has characters that are likable and a story line that draws you in,” adult services librarian Rachel Hooper said. “The author has an amazing imagination.”

Personally, Hooper loves J. K. Rowling’s imagination. “I first started reading the series when I was in high school. From the first book, I was hooked. It was sad to me when the series ended.”

Hooper shared Maria Putente’s “USA Today”  article, “How Has Harry Potter Cast Such a Wide Spell?”: “The classics-educated Rowling absorbed scores of genres and themes, especially the British boarding-school novel, and synthesized them into her own unique storytelling recipe. The result is a ripping good read.”

Some adults started reading the series because of their children. “Others just picked it up and fell in love with the story. This story attracts all age groups – from young children up to the adults,” Hooper said.

For game nights, participants will divide into groups. At each turn, a team answers a question card or DVD challenge, House Points Cards or Players Choice. An all-play challenge ends the game.

The game night resulted from a patron’s request. “After some planning and brainstorming, we thought this would be a good idea for adults,” Hooper said.

“We feel that Harry Potter and games/trivia are not ‘just for kids,’ so we came up with a new game night that we’re calling ‘It’s Not Just for Kids.’ These game nights are open to adults who enjoy games, trivia and are still kids at heart,” she said.

Madison Public Library has several copies of all seven Potter books and as book CDs (Harry Potter and the … “Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Chamber of Secrets,” “Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Goblet of Fire,” “Order of the Phoenix,” “Half-Blood Prince” and “Deathly Hallows”).

The class is free and open to ages 18 and older. Coffee and snacks will be provided. Space is limited. Registration is required and available at hmcpl.org.

For more information, send email to rhooper@hmcpl.org.