Five Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia, Make the Top 100 Harry-est Towns in America List

Amazon.com has released the results of their "Top 100 Harry-est 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 pre-orders per capita that Amazon received for the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows. Suwanee, GA ranked 26th, Norcross ranked 40, Loganville ranked 72, Lawrenceville ranked 79, and Lilburn came in 88th.

Laura 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.

Falls 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.

An article by Heather Darenberg, entitled, "Potter protester unsure how her story will end," on the front page of the July 23 issue of the Gwinnett Daily Post, addresses Laura Mallory's 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.

A great 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.

Some 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 positive light in the Potter books, and children may be encouraged to follow the path to evil. The Mallorys hope that their ministry will deliver 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 Mallory's ministry will try to show young people that God is the true source of the power for delivering them from such evils.

Jacqueline 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. Christian-based 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 Service's list of recommended books for children.