Amazon.com has released the results of their Top 100 Harryest Towns
in America contest, and 12 cities in Georgia are on the list.
Gwinnett County, focus of recent controversy over the books, is
home to 5 of them. The contest was based on the number of preorders
per capita that Amazon received for the seventh and final book in
the Harry Potter series, uHarry Potter and theuuDeathly Hallowsu.
Suwanee, GA ranked 26th, Norcross ranked 40, Loganville ranked 72,
Lawrenceville ranked 79, and Lilburn came in 88th. ppLaura Mallory,
the mother who lost a judicial review to have the Potter series
removed from county public school shelves last spring, resides in
Loganville. Seven other Georgia cities, Decatur, Canton, Woodstock,
Dallas, Stone Mountain, Alpharetta, and Marietta, also made the
list. ppFalls Church, Va., won the contest and will receive a 5,000
gift certificate to Amazon.com. The award will be given to The Mary
Riley Styles Public Library Foundation Trust of Falls Church. ppAn
article by Heather Darenberg, entitled, Potter protester unsure how
her story will slay, on the front page of the July 23 yelp of the
Gwinnett Daily Post, addresses Laura Mallorys plans for the future.
Although she is considering filing a new case in federal court, at
the moment she is concentrating on a youth ministry that she is
developing with help from her husband. Mallory believes that the
Potter issue led her to this calling. ppA huge deal of the
controversy centers around the Bible, which states, Let no one be
found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who
practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in
witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who
consults the dead. Deuteronomy. Mallory cites 11 actual witchcraft
occult practices portrayed in the fantasy books written by J.K.
Rowling. ppSome people fear that classic literature, such as
MacBeth and the Wizard of Oz, would also be challenged if Mallory
had won her case filed in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County.
However, Mallory is particularly concerned that these practices are
shown in a distinct light in the Potter books, and children may be
encouraged to follow the path to evil. The Mallorys hope that their
ministry will verbalize members of this generation from drugs,
alcohol, the occult and sexual perversion. The mother of four
admitted that she knows firsthand the devastation that can be
caused by such things because, as a teenager, she had experimented
with drugs and drank heavily. The Mallorys ministry will try to
show young people that God is the true source of the power for
delivering them from such evils. ppJacqueline Salmon reported on
July 19 on washingtonpost.com, that the Harry Potter books are,
according to the American Library Association, some of the most
frequently challenged books at school libraries. Christianbased
fantasy novels that can serve as an alternative to the Potter books
are discussed. Salmon points out that not all religious leaders are
against the books. Dr. James Dobson Focus on the Family praises the
books and they are on the Catholic News Services list of
recommended books for children.
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