Expert Available to Discuss Release of Harry Potter Movie

Harry Potter, the fictional protagonist of a popular series of children's books by J.K. Rowling, will make his big screen debut later this month. But the bespectacled fighter of evil forces is not without controversy.

Eliza T. Dresang, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies at Florida State University and an expert on children's literature, can bring some perspective to the popularity - and controversy - surrounding the books and movie, which chronicle the young boy's adventures as a budding wizard.

With the Nov. 16 release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" drawing near, Dresang is available to discuss why kids all over the world are excited about the movie and why some adults object. The "Harry Potter" series topped the American Librarian Association's list of the most challenged books in the United States in 2000.

Dresang is the author of "Radical Change: Books for Youth in a Digital Age" and "School Censorship in the 21st Century: A Guide for Teachers and School Library Media Specialists." She has written a book chapter and several scholarly works on the Harry Potter phenomenon.To arrange an interview, call Dresang at (850) 644-5877 or (850) 567-3505, or e-mail [email protected].

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