I just stumbled across this yesterday. An author named Jane Yolen wrote a book called "Wizard's Hall" years ago. I predates HP by 8 years I believe, but there are very interesting similarities.

Wizard's Hall: From Amazon:

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Henry is a small fellow, thin as a reed, without much talent for magic. But he tries. He really, really tries. And, as it turns out, that's the most important thing. Upon entering Wizard's Hall, the school for young wizards in training, Henry is promptly given a new name: Thornmallow--*****ly on the outside, squishy within. And although his curses tend to "splatter or dribble around the edges," and he's not quite mastered his changes or spells, and he simply cannot chant on the dominant, Thornmallow is bound and determined to do the best he can. As the 113th student to arrive at Wizard's Hall, he quickly learns that he has a mysterious extra burden of responsibility that no one will explain. The horrifying secret? The future of Wizard's Hall depends on him, regardless of his magical bumbling.

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This is from the Leaky Cauldron website.

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In this MSNBC article, children's lit author Jane Yolen speaks of Harry Potter, the similarities it has to one of the over 300 books she has written, and how she believes a lot of those were put into HP.

Have you read all six Harry Potter books? What do you think of them?
I read the first three. The fourth one stopped me in my tracks, partially because even though the story moves along, I just don't feel like they're well written. Besides, I wrote a book called "Wizard's Hall" [in 1991, eight years before the first "Harry Potter" book]. And there's an awful lot of "Wizard's Hall" in it [the Harry Potter books]. I always tell people that if Ms. Rowling would like to cut me a very large check, I would cash it. ["Wizard's Hall"] has got a boy named Henry [who] goes to wizard school, doesn't think he has talent. He has a good friend with red hair. There's a wicked wizard who's trying to destroy the school, and the pictures on the wall move and speak and change. I have kids who write to me all the time and say, "I thought you had stolen Harry Potter, but my teacher pointed out that you published it eight years before Harry Potter."

(Note: Edited so as not to unnecessarily upset Leaky readers, an actual important motivating force on this site.) We remind those with successful publishing careers that making an accusation of plagiarism is extremely serious and they should be prepared to back it up with proof. The book referenced was published in America in 1991, about the time Rowling was up to inventing Quidditch and had written 10 different first chapters for the first book. She was also teaching English as a foreign language in Portugal, and would have had to go quite out of her way to find Wizard's Hall and incorporate it into her early drafts (all of which, by all reports, have the elements of which Ms. Yolen speaks). If there's an accusation on the table that in 1991 Ms. Rowling wasn't, as so widely reported and so often asserted by her, actually writing these drafts - that she only did so after she was able to get a copy of Wizard's Hall - then we enter a level of accusation in which we here at Leaky do not have the time or energy to participate.

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I just don't feel like they're well written

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I stopped reading after this part, because she obviously has no idea what she's talking about.

Jealousy.

You can draw comparisons between many books. I could do the same with Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". Young kid goes to school of exceptional kids. Others are envious at his abilities. Ends up being a leader that saves the world. It'spoor kid makes good, not exactly a new theme. It's a good story, people should just enjoy it for what it is.

"Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now."

People treat the HP books like religious scripture. Yeah they're hella popular, but I agree with Yolen on Books 4-6 and have since I read book 4. 1-3 are much better written books. You can tell her success gave her more editorial control in 4-6. She needs a strong editor again to take care of some of the rambling, extraneous prose. Robert Jordan anyone?

Jealous? Doubt it. Yolen is one of the most respected writers out there today in the SF/Fantasy genre.

[This message has been edited by johnmyu (edited 8/15/2005 11:08a).]

One of most respected out there? Must say a bit surprised, not an expert, but do read books from many genre, included fantasy and had never heard of her. Got on Barnes and Noble and none of the books looked familar, most looked like for very small children. Have wondered through many book stores, doesn't appear she gets much shelf space.

Because shelf space is the mark of quality in our society, right?

I'm sure Harry Potter books get more shelf space than Hemingway, Faulkner, and Steinbeck combined. Does that mean Rowling is 3x better then these literary greats?

Obviously Yolen is not as widely accessible - few writer's are (unless your name is King, Clancy or Koontz). But many writers SF/Fantasy writers point to Yolen and she has won multiple prestigious awards - awards voted on by professional SF/Fantasy writers.

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I stopped reading after this part, because she obviously has no idea what she's talking about.

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I am not wowed by the writing in the HP books either. It’s the story, and the characters that have hooked me. The writing is very average IMO.

Exactly. Hey, I love the stories too - read #6 in one sitting. But I can separate a liking of the characters, setting etc. from a frank discussion of the quality of her writing. It has gotten worse as the series goes on.

I think some of you taht are critiquing her writing skills are forgetting one thing....these books are written for children. Her writing is very simple, and she does tend to ramble about things she has already explained...something that helps kids while they read.....

She has said she is writing for a more mature audience in the later books.

And the first 3 were much better written. Its not that she's a bad writer, its that the quality has gone down over time. IMO its due to a lack of a strong editing hand in the later books.