Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Children's Literature, Coming-of-Age, Fantasy
The Harry Potter series starts out squarely in the genre of children's literature. Harry is eleven, and so is his intended audience. By the time we get to Goblet of Fire, we seem to be inching towards young adult territory. Not only are there some PG hints of dating and hormones, but also there are eight murders (if you include Barty Crouch, Jr. getting his soul eaten by a Dementor, which we do). What's more, the book is long enough to put off a lot of younger kids. Still, the language is plain and straightforward and the cover illustrations seem marketed towards a younger audience. We're going to stick with the genre of children's literature for Goblet of Fire. It's a tale of witchcraft and enchantment, so Goblet of Fire is also a fantasy series. And one of the central themes of Goblet of Fire is Harry's growth and development, so it is clearly a coming-of-age novel.