Rowling brings Potter magic to LAUSD

[Dashken]

HOLLYWOOD - J.K. Rowling, perched on a golden crown and bathed in spotlights, didn't seem so different from the 1,600 screaming kids who sat before her Monday morning.

The Harry Potter scribe, with a sensible sweater over her attractive, floral print dress, didn't come across as a mega-wealthy, famous author. She was a former single mother, a kid whose family didn't understand her visions of magic, a dreamer. She was one of them.

For an hour, Los Angeles Unified School District students from South Los Angeles to San Fernando listened to Rowling read and discuss the fantastic world that spilled from her mind.

"She doesn't talk to you like she's a billionaire," said Melissa Jimenez, a 17-year-old senior at San Fernando High School. "She talks to you like she's a real person."

Following the summer success of "Deathly Hallows," which tallied more than 8 million sales in just its first 24 hours on shelves, Scholastic Corp. is looking to indoctrinate new readers.

The publisher sent Rowling on a three-city American tour, including New Orleans and New York, to meet school kids and give away copies of the first installment. LAUSD selected 15 high schools, 15 middle schools and 10 elementary schools to send 40 third- through 12th-graders each.

"You wouldn't think high school kids would be so enthused, but they are," said Pam Hamashita, principal at Canoga Park High School. "We had a Harry Potter day on a Saturday and they all came out. They're really excited."

As Rowling sat onstage at the Kodak Theatre, reading about her hero's departure from his miserable family, she held the crowd in near silence, broken only with laughter.

Van Nuys Middle School students had lavish compliments for her but saw her more as a peer than an icon.

"Harry Potter changed my life," sixth-grader Shavaree Buffington said. "Now we get to meet her."

"She was a single mom. She writes and takes care of her kids," Serenity Toledo said. "I like to write and type a lot, too."

"We like the same things she does," Christopher Edwards said. "Reading Harry Potter and writing."

"We'd all like to be successful like her," Julia Cocilion said.

"At one point in my life, everything had gone wrong," Rowling said. "Judged by any external standard, though I try to avoid the word, I was a loser. But I didn't feel like a loser."

Through hard work, luck and the help of friends, she assured them they could succeed as she had.

"It's all about magic, right? But a human thought of it," said Hazel Kasuskyof Sun Valley. "She put it all together. I can see myself in there through Hermione."

Source: Press-Telegram - Rowling brings Potter magic to LAUSD

[Adrian Wong]

Quite inspirational, isn't it? From rags to riches.

[Trinity]

Yeah, She is great!