Saying “It’s like Harry Potter” is a useful way to describe a book, but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named should absolutely not be named in children’s publishing. Like Facebook or Instagram, it’s the unicorn that warps the industry, and “sets impossible expectations,” according to editor Connie Hsu.

Most middle-grade fantasy series are duds, so not only might Arlo Finch not become Harry Potter, it might not become anything at all.

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