Harry Potter has cast a spell over the Simon family.
Four of the five kids are avid readers of the series by J. K. Rowling and the fifth and youngest has been bugging her oldest sister to start reading the first book to her.
But the boy wizard almost didn't have the magic touch when the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, came out.
"My mom bought me the first one, but looking at the cover, I didn't really think it would be interesting," says Jacob Simon, who is now 12.
"I just left it on the shelf when Leora (his 13-year-old sister) found it and she read it first and she told me and I read it and liked it and that's how we got into it."
Leora, who was in Grade 5 at Stoneybrook public school at the time, said her class had just started studying the novel. She was so entranced she got her brother's copy at home and read cover to cover that night. "I stayed up really late to finish it."
As the younger Simon children grew a bit older, they also started reading the series.
"I guess our family just likes fantasy and action," says Allana, 9, who read it next. She was followed by Robin, 10.
Amara, who is 7, wants to join in. Leora says it has become a tradition for her to read the first couple of chapters of the first book to her younger sisters before they carry on by themselves.
Now that Leora, Jacob and Robin have read the four books published so far, they have to find a way to share the new one that will be delivered to their house Saturday by Canada Post.
"We arranged a plan when the fourth one came out, or else there would be major fights," explains Jacob.
"(He and Leora) are the fastest readers, so we switch back and forth. She got to read the fourth book first, so I'm going to be reading the fifth book first."
Robin gets to have it next.
Allana is waiting until she's a little older to read the fourth book, so she's in no hurry to get the fifth.
"I can't exactly understand everything because it's older," she says.
Mary Margison, the Oxford Book Shop clerk who introduced the kids' mother, Fay Simon, to the series, is one of many adults who are wild about Harry.
"My first choice is to read kids' books and I think these books are extremely well written. They catch your attention," Margison says.
"And I'm really pleased this woman who wrote her first books in a coffee shop with her baby has done so well."
Margison hasn't been to a midnight sale of a Potter book, but she confesses she has dressed up like Harry.
She's surprised the series has maintained its magic despite a three-year gap since Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was released. Before that, Rowling had pumped out four Potter books in as many years.
But the young wizard still has the magic.
At least three London book stores will be open at midnight as the clock turns to Saturday, the authorized release date.
Both the Chapters stores will hold "midnight madness" parties starting Friday night.
Chapters' Wellington Road store will have crafts and Potter movies starting at 8 p.m; the Fanshawe Park Road store re-opens at 10:30 p.m. with "mad science" experiments and a magician. The Wellington Road party is free, but the other will cost $10 for a family. "The ticketed event has a lot more going on," explains Chapters area marketing manager Christa Yoshimoto.
Oxford Book Shop is holding its first midnight sale. "There's quite a bit of anticipation," says co-owner Mark Pittam, who's also offering $10 "muggle money" (that's a gift certificate, for the uninitiated) toward a future purchase.
Wendell Holmes won't open until 9:30 a.m. Saturday, but it too is offering $10 gift certificates for future purchases. It offsets the $43 price for the hard-cover edition of Phoenix.
About 1,500 Londoners who, like the Simons, pre-ordered their copies of the book online from Amazon or Indigo, will have them delivered Saturday -- if not by owl, at least by a Canada Post mail service courier. They join 50,000 nationwide who have signed up.
"We're trying to demonstrate to the public and business that we can be flexible," says Canada Post spokesperson Tom Creech.
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MIDNIGHT POTTER SALES
- Oxford Book Shop: Magical Midnight, 740 Richmond St.; store re-opens at 11:30 p.m. tomorrow; midnight buyers get $10 gift certificate for purchase of other books
- Chapters North: Midnight Madness, 86 Fanshawe Park Rd. E.; store re-opens at 10:30 p.m. tomorrow for Mad Science, magician and lookalike contest; tickets available from Ticketmaster (488-1012 or www.ticketmaster.ca) for $10 a family, including service charges
- Chapters South: Midnight Madness, 1037 Wellington Rd. S.; starts at 8 p.m. tomorrow with dressup contest, Harry Potter movies and crafts; free
2003-06-19
