What does it mean to be a piece of literature

No no no no no, There is a difference between any little bit of writing & something that can be considered Literature.

Literature can only be considered as such when it tries to answer a great question, such as:

What is the meaning of life?
What is the nature of reality?
Why r we, as humans, here on this earth?
Or something important, along those lines.

It is a work of art, that makes the reader think, problem solve, reason. Basically, it makes the reader use their brains in a way that we do not normally do on a daily basis!

So no, not all books/writings r literature.

Well, first define literature. Then apply these characteristics to these novels. Literature is writings in which expression & form, in connection with ideas of permanent & universal interest, r characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, & essays. Now, do Harry Potter, Pud n' Head Wilson, Alex Rider, Thief & CHERUB have these characteristics? I should think so. All novels r basically literature. That is why at school when doing a novel study, teachers call it ''Literature Circles'' because u get into a group & discuss the literature. But, if u think that they r not that is ur own opinion & u probably have a good reason for it.

Web definitions for literature
creative writing of recognized artistic value

Literature may sound high-brow, but it can refer to all written texts. So yes, all books - fiction and non-fiction - are literature.

It is like saying that something is a ''work of art''. Literature is the ART of written work, so it is when books are written to entertain, and are successful in doing so. E.g. Great Expectations is literature because it is well known and is deemed artistic.