Wizarding World Digital Launches “Harry Potter at Home”
Everyone could use a little more Potter in their lives right now, so Wizarding World Digital has teamed up with Audible, OverDrive, Bloomsbury, and Scholastic to bring us more magic at home. Here’s everything being offered right now.
J.K. Rowling already gave teachers permission to post videos of themselves reading from the Potter books so they can bring the stories to their students. This was the start of Harry Potter at Home, and Rowling promised there would be more to come.
Audible has joined the Harry Potter at Home initiative by offering the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for free. It’s currently available in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. If you prefer Stephen Fry’s version to Jim Dale’s, you’re in luck! Fry’s recording of the book is the one available to English listeners. Audible has also released a plethora of other texts for children, teens, and young adults to enjoy during this time away from friends and teachers. You can see what’s being offered at Audible Stories.
Wizarding World Digital is maintaining a Harry Potter at Home web page, which will be updated with content designed to fight boredom, “including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more.” Right now, you can find the Sorting Ceremony, quizzes, crosswords, and guides to assist those who are reading the books for the first time.
If you have access to OverDrive through your library, you can borrow the Philosopher’s Stone e-book or audiobook. Patrons can access the book from local or school libraries that offer texts through OverDrive, and the book will be available in over 20 languages.
Wizarding World Digital has promised that this is only the beginning of what it will be offering. Keep an eye on the Harry Potter at Home hub for new content and follow WWD on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for updates.
Which announcement are you most excited about? It seems like now is the perfect time to encourage friends or family members to try Potter, no matter what language they speak!
