J. K. Rowling's series about the young, orphaned Harry Potter who escapes his often hostile, nonmagical Muggle (or human) existence for a world of ghosts, spells, and potions, magical objects, and exotic creatures to be found at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has captivated a worldwide audience. Since the publication in England of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" in June 1997 (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States), the series has become an unprecedented phenomenon in the book publishing industry. In addition to being a publishing phenomenon, the Harry Potter books have, however, become a touchstone for controversy; not all Muggles approve of Harry. There has been a range of responses to the series in literary, religious, and legal arenas. The authors discuss the literary criticism of Rowling's "Harry Potter" series and the challenges to the series's inclusion in school curricula or library collections. The authors also discuss the legal challenges to reading instruction that involves fantasy such as that contained in the "Harry Potter" series. They cite a case of challenges to "Harry Potter" and the court's conclusion in the case, which makes it clear that objections to the placement of books in the school library considered by school officials to have the potential to subvert authority or that consider ideas (e.g., witchcraft or the occult) that some authorities find distasteful are insufficient to deny children's access to such materials. (Contains 6 notes.)