Have a read of Rosa Silverman's take on the phenomenon in the Telegraph. If you fancy an altogether different take on the whole HP thing, then take a look at this article in The Guardian.

Congratulations to both Chris Riddell for doing a fantastic job as the outgoing Children's Laureate and to Lauren Child who is the new Laureate.

Chris and Lauren mark the 3rd and 4th author/illustrators in this role proving that the strength and power of pictures can be as important as the words. They follow behind Quentin Blake and Anthony Browne, both masters of their art too.

Clarice Bean, the disapproving four year old, is probably one of Lauren Child's best known characters and we can now all look forward to another spike in her popularity.