Once upon a long time ago, there lived a boy named Harry Potter. Well, not exactly. How about: once upon a time there lived two penguins, Silo and Roy, in the Central Park Zoo. That’s better, because at least they’re real, the penguins are, and they helped raise a penguin chick named Tango. 

But Harry Potter is real in the world of magic and fantasy, isn’t he? And wouldn’t you like to ride a broomstick across the sky and conjure spells and receive owl mail? Sure you would!

But back to those penguins … Central Park in New York City boasts a carousel and a boat pond and a wonderful zoo where chinstrap penguins Silo and Roy and Tango lived. When it became clear to the zookeepers that Silo and Roy were happy together and wanted to raise a chick, they were given an extra unhatched egg to incubate. 

Lo and behold, after about a month the egg cracked, and Tango made her appearance. It may seem unusual, but zookeepers around the world have noted the same phenomenon – two males and two females sometimes wish to make their own families.

All Harry Potter ever wanted was a real family, but his parents were taken away much too soon, and he was sent to live with the boring and bullying and nasty Dursleys until his eleventh birthday. Really, what’s worse – magic or bullies? 

Harry escaped by being spirited away to Hogwarts, the school for wizards and witches, and spent his time learning how to fight the forces of evil in order to make the world a better place. That seems like a particularly noble calling.

And yet, both of these stories can be found, year after year, in a library display of challenged books. Wouldn’t you rather discover them on your own, having the intellectual freedom to explore the world of literature and learn about other peoples and creatures by using your imagination and newfound information to grow into human beings of wisdom and goodness?

Think about it … and just so you know, Harry Potter is as delightful as ever!