The Power of "Harry Potter": A Cornerstone for Conversation

Since being published in 1997, "Harry Potter" books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 80 languages (Pottermore News Team, 2018). Although Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is vastly different from public school, adolescents from both worlds share common struggles. On a daily basis, school psychologists work with students who struggle socially and emotionally due to a variety of challenges. Many students struggle to communicate and interact with peers and adults. For these youth, navigating adolescence is especially challenging and it takes extra effort for school psychologists to build connections and forge relationships with this vulnerable group. Building trusting relationships takes time, patience, and perseverance. Although school psychologists may empathize with the difficulties these adolescents face, nonetheless, mental health issues and behavioral challenges often create barriers to forming relationships. In this article, the authors examine examples how school psychologists and teachers can engage students into conversations and make connections by finding common ground with the Harry Potter books. It also includes quotations that are taken from the Harry Potter series and are categorized to address social-emotional learning competencies that can strengthen youth resilience: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Each quote includes a brief contextual description and a personal application.