Entering adulthood with Harry Potter

With "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2", the final installation of the movie series gives a complete closure to the millions of fans who have been anticipating the movie's delayed premiere in China.

The character development is mild compared to other movies in the series, but the fast action and animation keep the viewer entertained and on edge. It closes the curtain on the series well, but those who haven't already been hooked by the many twists of the epic might still leave the theater without understanding the Potter mania. [Full article]

Potter epic comes to an end

If last year's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" marked the beginning of the end with a gripping feeling of doom and gloom, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" wraps things up once and for all on a note of melancholy.

Oh, it's dramatic, to be sure: gorgeous, somber and startling as the young wizard faces his destiny and fights the evil Lord Voldemort. But the end of this staggeringly successful movie franchise, an epic fantasy saga spanning eight films over the past decade, provides a necessary emotional catharsis for Harry and for us. Even those who aren't ardent Potterphiles might find themselves getting unexpectedly choked up a couple of times. [Full article]

Where is China's J.K. Rowling?

And, today, the Chinese production of books aimed at children is certainly not moribund. According to official statistics, the number of children's books hit 10,000 kinds in 2009, compared to 200 in the early 1970s, while total printed copies rose from 30 million to 600 million.

But the question could be asked: is anyone reading them?

[Full article]