I always read Harry as exceptional--as the most powerful of his peers, even if he's not as smart or as studly.

The key thing for me is that the only reason we ever know that is because he's thrown in situations where he really has to call on his power. Most of his peers aren't, especially in the first few books of the series. By the time it's made explicit that he's got crazy mad power, we've already bought into him as somebody to identify with, and the emotional resonance is already there.

He does show himself time and again to be an exceptional leader, but that's actually a pretty subtle ability for a hero, and not something that throws most out of their vicarious comfort zone.

It's nice too how his popularity at school fluctuates so - I mean, initially we have that whole "OMG I'm seekritly magical and rich and famous!" thing, but then later on he gets his fair share of being demonised and ostracised by wizarding/school society, so the readers don't get too pissed off with him being Mr Popularity - he's still kind of misunderstood emo outsider guy at times. (Thinking of Goblet of Fire now, and finding myself feeling v affectionately towards that book. Pity its editing team forgot to, you know EDIT it - but I do love that whole thing of Cedric being everyone's favourite, and Harry being universally despised. Neat trick, managing to make your boy an underdog even after he's saved the world a few times.

Pity its editing team forgot to, you know EDIT it

I'm that way about Order of the Phoenix. And it may be the one where he's most demonized and ostracized, what with the "Voldy isn't really back" meme.

Most fantasy, especially Arthurian or Epic fantasy, doesn't quite capture the sense of children enough, partly because they're usually extremely exceptional in one or more ways.

To me, the most real children in fantasy/magic are Edward Eager's children, who are very ordinary children who survive with their wits. E Nesbit's children are pretty much the same, except their being in Edwardian England made them somewhat exotic to me. I was grateful to Harry Potter for encouraging publishers reprint books like those. Until Harry Potter, Edward Eager had been out of print for years.

I am grateful to Harry Potter regardless. For all that the later ones needed editing, and it seems that most books these days need editing, the Harry Potter books have that rare quality of making you want to turn the page. I loved having so much public hoopla over books. It was like people running up to the pier and asking "Did little Nell die?" when the ships came from England with the next installment of The Old Curiousity Shop.

When one of the Harry Potter books came out, a reporter here interviewed a father who had his daughter and several more preteen girls with him waiting to buy the book at midnight. They were having a sleepover and they were going to read all night together. It was so wonderful that I cried.

It is the Oprah book phenomenon-- I saw more people that said "I haven't been to the library in years..." and despite the articles saying it isn't making a difference -- on an individual basis, it made a difference.

Bookistas - I'm going on a cruise, and I was thinking that I would go to a used bookstore, buy a bunch of books and just leave them on the boat. Any suggestions for books loved that would be in a used bookstore? I like fantasy, mystery, spy fiction, etc.

The Miles Vorkosigan books, which is like all three of your genre combined together! But I suspect you've read them all already.

I don't think I've heard of them, this is so exciting!

eta: Just checked them on Amazon, do you happen to remember which one is first? I find that even if reading out of order, or not the whole series, you should read the first one first because it sets up so much stuff.

The latest Vokosigan books have a list in the back of them of which ones come where in chronology.

edit: I adored Diplomatic Immunity. I read the books in a big bunch, and reading Diplomatic Immunity was so much fun with all the in-jokes and past events that informed the current events.