How much were the last 6 Harry Potter books edited (Americanized) by Scholastic for US readers?

I'm aware that Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone was heavily edited for US readers, but I'd heard that the backlash to Scholastic's tweaking caused a reevaluation of that practice and that later volumes in the series were released pretty much as written, with only minor changes in spelling of words like colour. I'm just starting to read this series to my seven year old daughter and was so turned off by the obvious tinkering of the britishisms in the first Scholastic edition that I put it down and promptly ordered a copy of the UK edition of that title. Should I plan on ordering the rest of the series from an English (or Canadian) bookseller as well, or will can I assume that the later volumes are non-translated outside of a few spelling updates?

Asked by Katy 52 months ago Similar questions: Harry Potter books edited Americanized Scholastic readers Arts > Books > Books - Children's.

Similar questions: Harry Potter books edited Americanized Scholastic readers.

I don't mind if Harry wears trainers and a jumper while carrying a torch, instead of sneakers, a sweater and flashlight. Lorries, loos, and hosepipes aren't going to impact the charm of these books, so why "Americanize" the text? Arthur Levine: There are virtually no differences in the texts of the last few books.

Washington, D.C.: How much did you "Americanize" the text (i.e. Change spellings, idioms, and British speech patterns)? Arthur Levine: Very little.

Our rule of thumb is that we almost never change anything in a character's direct speech (characters talk the way they talk.) And we only query the author in instances where we think there will be a misunderstanding; this comes up more often when a word seems to be left out to American readers. It's very rarely the simplistic substitution of a bit of British slang for an "American" variant. Washington, D.C.:"There are virtually no differences in the texts of the last few books."So does this mean you used to edit out the British-isms and no longer do?

I thought I noticed more of them as the series progressed. Arthur Levine: I always raised questions to the author when I was concerned about misinterpretation.As readers have become more familiar with the world of Harry Potter through the books and movies there are fewer times when this concern comes up. Sources: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/07/10/DI2007071000566.html .

Actually, not a whole lot... We ordered the first Harry Potter book from Amazon.com. Uk, before american publication, and we've gotten both a british edition and an american edition of each book. Other than the first one, the differences between the two editions is mostly in formatting.

The british editions are smaller, not illustrated at all, other than the cover, and have smaller typeface than the american editions. The first is the most heavily edited. In the later ones, there is some editing of vocabulary--common british/american linguistic differences--trainers/sneakers, jumpers/sweaters level and the common spelling changes, but seriously, I've read 'em all, both editions (depending on which kid had obsconded with which copy) several times, and the differences are minor, other than the first one.

I prefer the british editions myself, and my kids will end up with the american copies while I'll keep the british copies for myself. I like the format and the cover art better--I'm not crazy about the am edition illustrations. Sources: Direct experience .

Here is a resource with a very detailed discussion of this- At this site-hp-lexicon.org/about/books/differences.h... between editions are discussed at length- in general and then book by book. This looks like the type of info. You will need to make your purchasing decisions."A number of differences exist between the Bloomsbury and the Scholastic editions of the Harry Potter books.

Most of these differences were made by the US editors to clarify the text for American readers. For example, the UK version uses the term "skip" while the US edition uses the term "dumpster." While some would contend that there is no reason why American readers couldn't work out what a British term means, those kinds of changes do have some logic to them.

However, some differences are a bit less easy to explain, such as the change which removed the number of Sirius's Gringotts vault in the US version. Probably the most infamous change of all is that of the title of book one. Rowling reluctantly went along with the change, which was suggested by Arthur Levine of Scholastic Books.

She now regrets her decision to allow the change, she has said, but at the time she felt that she had to go along with the advice of her editors. It never occurred to her that her books would be known the world over and that she would one day wish she could change it back. The change was made and now it's part of Harry Potter history.

In the Lexicon, we originally used SS as our abbreviation for that book. This was a decision I SVA made four years ago, before the Lexicon was anything like what it's like now. I only owned the American versions (although since then I have been given a copy of the Bloomsbury edition of book three, for which I am very grateful!

) and so I was used to the American version of the title. It never occurred to me that the Lexicon would be known the world over and that I would one day wish I could change it back. The change was made and now it's part of Lexicon history.

Differences between editions of the booksRowling is actively editing her books to fix errors and to adjust the story to fit the larger saga. As new editions of the books are released, these changes are incorporated into the text. The changes listed below are from a master list of edits circulated by Bloomsbury beginning summer 2004. Many small errors in the text have been fixed with this list.

I have not duplicated the entire list here, since many of the fixes are simple spelling or punctuation fixes and of little interest. Book and page original version edited version reason for the changePS p17/SS p16 "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. " "I best get this bike away.

" This sentence didn't fit very well with the way the character of Sirius was developed as the series progressed.PS p56/SS p72 "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..." "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..." Seventeen sickles actually equals one Galleon, so it is unlikely that someone would refer to a price in that way. They would have said "One Galleon. "PS p72/SS p96 Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it. In book five, Harry sees the badge which Ron and Hermione get when they become Prefects. It is described as red and gold, and Harry realizes that it's exactly the same as the one he saw on Percy several years before.So the text is now changed in book one to make the badges identical.

PS p92/SS p123 "I haven't eaten in nearly four hundred years," said the ghost... "I haven't eaten in nearly five hundred years," said the ghost... This change brings the years that Nick has been dead in the first book in line with the fact that the next year he celebrates his 500th DeathdayPS p168/SS p229 Harry, who was lookin up "Dittany" in One Hundred Magical Herbs and Fungi... Harry, who was lookin up "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi... The title of the book, according to the booklist from chapter five, is One Thousand... This edit fixes the typo. This error is only found in the British version of the book. The US version is already correct.

PS p193/SS p265 "...yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head--that's the pub down in the village. " "...yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head--that's one of the pubs down in the village." Since in later books we visit The Three Broomsticks, also a pub in Hogsmeade, this line is changed so that the Hog's Head isn't implied to be the only pub in the village.

PS p205/SS p282 "Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle. " "Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle." The castle and the bishop are not next to each other on the chess board at the start.

The knight stands between them. PS p205/SS p283 "I take one step forward and she'll take me--that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!" "I make my move and she'll take me--that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry! " Ron is playing the part of a knight.

Those pieces never move one space. They move in a four-space L-shaped pattern. Book and page original version edited version reason for the changePA3 "So all that remains, " said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation..." "So all that remains, " said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last three weeks of your vacation..." There are actually three weeks left in the month of August at this point in the story.

PA4 "I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard," roared Mr. Weasley."You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves -- they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! " "I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard," roared Mr. Weasley. "You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves -- they've even ended up in the Forbidden Forest!"

Harry has been in the Forest twice at this point, but Ron only once. GF36 "You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..." "You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..." This was originally a difference in the text between the UK and US editions. As it turns out, the UK text was in error.

Differences between the British and American versions:in all the books:Minister for Magic / Minister of MagicThe British form of the phrase uses the work "for. " There is no particular reason why this had to be changed for the American versions, since in the US we don't have government ministers at all (ours are called Secretaries). American readers would have been perfectly happy with "Minister for Magic."Sibyll / SybillI have to admit that this one baffles me.

I can't find any logical reason whatsoever for this change. In the British versions, Trelawney's name is spelled Sybill.In the US versions, it's Sibyll. Individual Books:These pages list the specific changes between the British and American versions of the books.

We have tried to include all changes, but every now and then a new one is spotted, and when that happens we do our best to list it here. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone / Sorcerer's StoneHarry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Sources: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/books/differences.html .

1 I've just started reading the books. I've seen the 4 movies that are out on DVD, so so far there have been no real surprises. I think that some Americanization is a good thing.

American and British are sometimes 2 different languages. So, things like NancyE stated: trainers/sneakers, jumpers/sweaters and one I read pitch/field- why make a big deal? Other things mentioned in the answers section seem to be a bit too much, so I'm glad the edititors backed off, but let's face it, British is British, American is American.

I want to read a story, not the dictionary. I was reading a recipe book and it was apparently written in British because they used "bangers". I had to google it (sausages) and wouldn't look forward to doing that with a British book.

Let me get into the story, not the dictionary.

I've just started reading the books. I've seen the 4 movies that are out on DVD, so so far there have been no real surprises. I think that some Americanization is a good thing.

American and British are sometimes 2 different languages. So, things like NancyE stated: trainers/sneakers, jumpers/sweaters and one I read pitch/field- why make a big deal? Other things mentioned in the answers section seem to be a bit too much, so I'm glad the edititors backed off, but let's face it, British is British, American is American.

I want to read a story, not the dictionary. I was reading a recipe book and it was apparently written in British because they used "bangers". I had to google it (sausages) and wouldn't look forward to doing that with a British book.

Let me get into the story, not the dictionary.

2 I had no idea until, now that, there was anything done to "Americanize" the Harry Potter books. Personally, I would prefer to read the books just as J.K. Rowling wrote them. So what if the book would have British terms.

Isn't that part of the charm and part of learning? Had I known I would have paid the extra bucks and gotten the books via Amazon.co.uk.

I had no idea until, now that, there was anything done to "Americanize" the Harry Potter books. Personally, I would prefer to read the books just as J.K. Rowling wrote them. So what if the book would have British terms.

Isn't that part of the charm and part of learning? Had I known I would have paid the extra bucks and gotten the books via Amazon.co.uk.

I wanted to know if anyone could tell me where I could find the dust jackets for the last 3 harry potter hardcover books" "Do you like the Harry Potter books or movies and why. " "my wife is an elementary school teacher who loves reading imaginative books like Harry Potter. Any other ideas?" "What are the 6 books of Harry Potter?

" "HOW DO I FIND READERS RECOMENDATIONS OF THEIR FAVORITE BOOKS? " "The Harry Potter books we receive in the USA, are they the Children's addition?" "Why are none of the Harry potter books available for kindle? " "Are the United State Harry Potter books different for the British version?

" "What are some of the best children's books?" "If I love the Harry Potter books, what other books will I love?

I wanted to know if anyone could tell me where I could find the dust jackets for the last 3 harry potter hardcover books.

Do you like the Harry Potter books or movies and why.

My wife is an elementary school teacher who loves reading imaginative books like Harry Potter. Any other ideas?

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.