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Given the current educational climate of high stakes testing, standardized curriculum, and ´approved´ reading lists, incorporating unauthorized, popular literature into the classroom becomes a political choice. The authors examine why teachers choose to read Harry Potter , how they use the books, and the resulting teacher-student interactions.

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Introduction: Why Harry? PART I:ON HARRY AND EDUCATION: WAKING THE DRAGON Moving beyond the ´Muggle Mindset:´ Possibilities for Learning in the New Millennium Defending the (not really) Dark Arts: Teaching to Break the DADA Curse PART II: Teacher A: Andrew Teacher B: Sandra Teacher C: Allegra Imagining More: Reflections on Education in the Mirror of Erised (Desire) Appendix A: Additional Teacher Stories on Teaching Harry

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"Teaching Harry Potter tells a powerful story about the current state of American education, one which contrasts the enthusiasm many young people and educators feel towards J. K. Rowling´s remarkable book series and the constraints which No Child Left Behind-era policies have imposed on how reading gets taught in the classroom. Reading this book produced powerful emotional responses - an enormous respect for the teachers described here who are battling to engage with their students in meaningful and timely ways and despair over some of the obstacles they must overcome in doing so." - Henry Jenkins, author of Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture and Provost´s Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, USA

"Just as the Harry Potter books invite readers to think critically and creatively about life, the authors and the teachers convincingly argue for culturally relevant pedagogy that promotes critical and creative thinking, including the use of popular books, such as the Harry Potter series." - D. L. Norland, Professor of Education, Luther College, USA

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Author Catherine L. Belcher: Catherine L. Belcher serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning at West Adams Preparatory High School, Los Angeles, USA, and teaches in the Masters in Teaching program of the Longy School of Music of Bard College, USA. Author Becky Herr Stephenson: Becky Herr Stephenson is a researcher focused on teaching and learning with popular culture and technology.

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