In a television interview aired in July of 2000—just prior to the release of the muchanticipated fourth Harry Potter book—eminent children's and young adult literature critic and scholar Jack Zipes described Rowling's fiction as formulaic and sexist.

Because Zipes was not given the chance to fully support his thesis within the format of the televised sound bite, any response to his thesis must be based, in part, on conjecture.

Nevertheless, that Rowling's Harry Potter books should be described as formulaic is problematic. The "Harry Potter" books are, after all, a series, and, at least thus far, the action takes place during the academic year.

Aside from some scattered highlights of Harry's summer holidays, the plot of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone follows the unchanging rhythm of a highly structured educational calendar. While an academic year provides a useful template by which Rowling...