Could you imagine a world without Harry Potter? It’s hard to believe there almost was. But on June 26, 1997 struggling author J.K. Rowling finally published ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ after countless years of rejection and the world of literature was forever changed. The now billionaire author used Twitter to acknowledge the milestone, “20 years ago today a world that I had lived in alone was suddenly open to others. It’s been wonderful. Thank you.” What began as a seven-part novel series quickly turned into movie adaptions, a play, Internet imitations, and amusement parks that defined an entire generation and still dominates culture and literature. Her beyond imaginative and magical world made reading and believing fun again. All of the sudden, children wanted to go the library or the bookstore and were enthused about finishing a book. One study showed that 84% of teachers said Harry Potter had a positive impact on children’s reading abilities and that reading Harry Potter improved children’s attitudes and empathy towards others. The collection ultimately convinced us all that children and young adult fiction was relevant and people wanted it in a time where the genre and people’s reading enthusiasm was dying. Just look at the numbers, the seven novels have sold more than 450 million copies and have been translated into more than 79 languages and it’s far from over. J.K. Rowling is an absolute genius at keeping her boy wizard franchise pertinent. The mega Harry Potter empire is a train that doesn’t seem to stop. Quite honestly, would you want it to?