Interviews with a few of the
winners of the Scholastic '
Half-Blood Prince' contest have appeared in the press.
The
St. Petersburg Times has an article about Julia Ceraolo, one of the winners who wrote about how Harry Potter brought her closer to her sister, Olivia, who died from cancer at he age of 16.
Quote:
"When Olivia was upset or in pain, my mom would tell me, "Talk about something that will cheer her up,"' Julia, 12, recently wrote in an essay.
Quote:
Olivia, a competitive sailor, violinist, surfer and aspiring poet, died at 16 last October. But in her illness, "Harry Potter would make her chuckle," Julia wrote. "Ms. Rowling brought joy to my sister and continues to help me get through my grief and escape my worries."
Quote:
In her essay, Julia wrote, "Without the "magic therapy' of Harry Potter, I wouldn't have been able to get though the unimaginable horror of Olivia's illness."
Quote:
"She's [Olivia] probably giggling and laughing," she said. "I know this would make her very happy."
Julia's winning essay can be read
here.
Julia, along with fellow winners, Kaitlin McAfee and Roberto Pagan, was interviewed on the 'Today' Show. A video clip of that segment can be viewed on
this page. A transcript can be read
here.
Source:
The Leaky Cauldron