H arry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsopened last Friday, November 15 as the largest ever sequel by grossing $87.7 million in its first weekend in theaters. It was also the third best opener of all time, trailing behind only "Spiderman" and the first Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Based on one of history's most popular children's book series, many critics are now comparing paper and film. So which version do children prefer?
"Many kids are dazzled and mesmerized by the movie," says Jeffrey Derevensky, Ph.D., a professor of child psychology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. "Overall, most kids are more interested in the movie version than they are in reading the book." Derevensky sees the Potter movie as a complement to the book, and he expects that the book's popularity will only rise in conjunction with its appearance on the big screen.
Children recall the movie when they read the Potter series, Derevensky explains, and by giving them a frame of reference they will better appreciate the story. "I think kids often like seeing what they've read about," he says. "The movie will spur more [Harry Potter] books for kids; younger kids in particular."
