Author J.K Rowling and her star literary character, Harry Potter, have had to overcome innumerable obstacles to reach the virtual cult status they now enjoy. But thank heaven they have finally “arrived.”

There were those who at first hated the prospect of wizards and other irreverent people and creatures getting so much attention. They expressed concern over the possible corruption of youngsters who might be captivated by the narratives of the various fantasy books. A few were put off by apparent violence, deceit and the detailing of evil vs. good. Purists criticized Rowling’s skills as a writer, indicating she falls considerably short of a Dickensian or Tolkien levels. Oddly, even some of them are now conceding that the ultra-rich author has far more to offer than they first believed.

But the bottom line is this: More children are reading. They are forsaking television sets, computers and video games and finding that opening a book can be enjoyable. As they read later books in the series, they go to the earlier ones. They are exercising the most important aspect of education – the rewards and joy of reading.

Upon the recent release of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” people flooded book outlets and quickly made purchases that set sensational records. Youngsters attended all-night gatherings so they could dive right into the latest adventures of the young wizard and his Hogwarts School associates. Think of all the educational doors this opened.

Chauncey Mabe of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel noted the rush to judgment about the latest Rowling offering and wrote:

“If anyone still labored under the illusion that the Harry Potter series was a light fantasy for children, Half-Blood Prince should dispel it once and for all. Rowling has set the stage, bloody and wreathed in cloud, for the climactic volume. This is serious literature, written by an author holding nothing in reserve.”

Added the Chicago Tribune:

“We don’t think the weekend’s buying frenzy is a small thing. If young people can find pleasure reading Harry Potter, they can find it elsewhere. With the right kind of encouragement they will learn to find it for themselves. If that’s so, then when Harry Potter leaves his readers for the last time they’ll be much more likely to seek and find other sources for reading pleasures than they are to abandon books altogether. That’s the real magic.”

How many gimmick-conscious youngsters, and adults, have been stimulated to expand their mental horizons because of Rowling and Harry? Millions, most likely, and isn’t it tremendous that more people may wind up reading and continuing to do so because of this marvelous phenomenon created by an author who 15 years ago was getting by on welfare checks?