“Rereading the HP series with a social justice lens opened a whole new world. I already thought it was a brilliant series, but rereading and purposefully exploring the text allowed me to see how complex the world of HP really is. A social justice lens also made it easier to draw connections between the wizarding world and the muggle world as class, gender, race, education, and government are central issues taken up in our society.”

“I’m biased because I think about children’s lit a lot, but this class is honestly amazing, and it’s really impactful to explore some of the places that inspired the writers of these books because it puts the stories into a greater and more conscious perspective.” Malik, Engineering.

“This course represents the perfect combination of all my interests and was the best class I have ever taken at Vanderbilt. I would recommend this class to every student. The opportunity to re-read Harry Potter as an adult is immensely rewarding, along with the writing assignments which inspire you to re-see the series through the lens of social justice issues. I truly grew both as a student and a person through taking this class.” Lili, A&S.

“Best class at Vandy! This class allowed me to dive deeper into my favorite childhood series and see a story I thought I knew so well in an entirely new way. The class trip to England was an absolute blast and truly enriched my experience as a reader and helped me really appreciate the influences each author incorporated to their works. I’m recommending this class to everyone I know — don’t miss your chance to join in on this amazing class!!” Madison, Mechanical Engineering.

“This semester I found the best way to bring Harry back. I joined a Harry Potter class. I thought that it would be a fun way to experience the world of magic one more time, but it became so much more to me. Not only did it involve yet another reading of the series (they told me to read one of the books, but who can stop at just one??) it allowed me to delve even farther into the story, and to look for real world applications in the realm of child development. This not only  gave me another chance to read the books, it allowed me to get even farther into the world. I was given to opportunity to learn more about the books and to GO TO ENGLAND. Yes. I got to experience Harry Potter in England. I walked through the doors into the Great Hall and spent a good portion of my day (and my money) exploring the world for myself. Now suddenly I find myself back in my everyday life missing Harry even more than I did before. And now I also have the friends I made and the experiences we had together to miss as well. So yes. I can admit it. I am having Potter Withdrawals. But I can take the pangs of longing and the disappointment every time I say Lumos and a light doesn’t turn on. Because it was all worth it.” Shaina.

“Harry Potter class was one of the highlights of my college career. I got to revisit one of the best parts of my childhood with people that love the stories as much as I do. It was such a cool experience to look at Harry Potter through so many different lenses, and to read some of the amazing books that came before it. Plus, I got to see England for the first time and made some great friends along the way. I would take this class every year of my life if Vanderbilt would let me.” Courtney, Peabody M.Ed.

“I loved the HP class because it gave me an opportunity to go back and rediscover my favorite books from childhood and see and learn from the sites that inspired them. This class is awesome because it includes students from all over Vanderbilt, with different background and focuses. I loved being able to learn from others, even just from the ways they approached these books and what they took from them. My favorite part of the class was discussing the various children’s books with the grad students and how we could approach teaching these books and reading them with children.” Rachael, Peabody.