The suspense and the action within the Harry Potter books keep Corey Readon, 11, wanting to read more.
On Saturday, July 30, Corey visited the Miami-Dade Public Library to celebrate the release of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” the eighth book in the J.K. Rowling series.
Corey joined hundreds of fans of the magic, goblin and witchcraft-filled series for a night of celebration, as the library was decorated with banners, booths and activity centers to make guests feel like they stepped into Hogwarts.
“I loved the event,” he said. “I liked the sorting hat activity and playing chess; that was awesome. In this new book I look forward to Voldemort coming back.”
Miami-Dade’s main library in downtown Miami stayed open from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 12:30 a.m. Sunday as 600 copies of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” were given out starting at midnight to Miami-Dade Public Library system cardholders.
As guests waited for the moment to arrive, they watched Harry Potter movies, made wands, ate popcorn, drank butter beer, read books, took photos with owls and were assigned to different “houses,” such as Gryffindor and Slytherin.
Many showed up in costumes, of both heroes and villains of the books, giving the downtown library a magical feel.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout,” said Leila Khalil, public affairs officer for Miami-Dade Public Library System. “We are so excited that so many people have come to our library for this event; so many ‘Harry Potter’ fans, and they’re really getting into it. We have a costume contest going on and a lot of people are dressed in their costumes.”
Gloria Ortiz learned about the Harry Potter book release party from her job as an assistant at the North Dade Regional Library.
Ortiz, who was No. 291 on the list for those expecting to receive the book at midnight, waited along with other Harry Potter aficionados for the magic moment to arrive.
“I can’t believe so many people are here,” Ortiz said. “I have all the books at home and all the movies, and I’ve been to Hogwarts a few times. This is the best thing that has happened in Miami in a long time. We need to get more children and more adults [to be] interactive and into books, and that’s what it’s all about: fantasy and living out your dreams.”
