The Austin-American Statesman looks at the Harry Potter phenomenon and how it led to a whole lot of new young readers. They talk to librarians and to kids about how to keep noses in books now that the last Harry Potter book is almost here:

Interest in reading, especially from “tweens” ages 8 to 12 and young teenagers, has increased at least in part because of the Harry Potter series, said Heath Rezabek, teen coordinator at the Austin Public Library.

He said some teens have been reluctant to read because they are too old for picture books but too young for novels with adult themes. The resurgence of fantasy and science fiction, which is imaginative but also addresses life lessons, has resonated with that age group, Rezabek said.

Some are drawn to reading by other genres, such as the comic-book-like manga or graphic novels. Showing movies based on books can be enticing, as can pointing out authors’ online blogs or MySpace pages.

“The reluctant reader problem is real, but this growth of popularity gives us a window to really reach out,” Rezabek said.

The story notes that the number of books for people ages 12 to 18 increased more than 20 percent from 1999 to 2005, and libraries are doing more to offer programs for teens. There’s only a small mention of graphic novels and manga, but I did love this quote, which touched the eight-year-old S comic fan in me:

“Series are attractive to kids, primarily because they get to know a particular set of characters and they can follow them across the books,” said Beth Maloch, an associate professor of language and literacy at the University of Texas.

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