Paul Stockfish, 9, is a Harry Potter expert. The fourth-grader has read the popular children's books, and he even looks a bit like the pixie-ish star of the books with his shaggy haircut and glasses.

        “Everyone calls me Harry Potter,” he admitted.

        He doesn't have to look far to find other children who share his enthusiasm this summer.

        The best-selling books have become a popular theme for summer camps. Cherokee Elementary School in Scottsdale is offering three-week Harry Potter camps in June and July, as are school districts and community theaters in Oregon, New York, Iowa and Louisiana.

        “They're really into it,” said Jenny Ekstrom, who developed the Scottsdale camp based on the first book, (beginitalic)Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(enditalic).

        That's not surprising to Shirley Sallach, who oversees camps in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada for the American Camping Association.

        “Camps are always looking for something new and catchy that will make kids excited,” she said.

        Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of Harry Potter books, isn't sponsoring or developing curriculum for the camps. But individual camp directors are coming up with activities based on the English orphan's magical adventures, which have sold 49million books worldwide. A typical Harry Potter camp features science experiments where children whip up “magic” potions of vinegar and baking soda and trivia contests to test their knowledge of the books.

        Brianna Trotti, 11, of Scottsdale sums up Harry Potter's appeal like this:

        “You can use your imagination,” she said as she dabbed glue on cardboard and attached it to tinfoil to create a magic mirror. “Sometimes you feel like you're there.”

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Kids have magical time at Harry Potter camps