What’s up? and Harry Potter Left Behind
So, I’ve been wrapping up my first class in years (what a strange experience to be graded again!) and getting ready for the two conferences I’m going to this month. (Talking about librarians and copyright at one, attending one on electronic records). I’ll be posting more regularly once again soon.
So, here’s a story to warm the cockles of your heart. In “Parent putting Harry to the test” from LISNews, a parent who hasn’t read any of the Harry Potter books (too long) wants to remove it from the shelves because of all the evil magic and replace it with the Left Behind series. Wow. How do you even begin talking to a person with those views? Again, I’ll say- if a parent doens’t want their children to read the book, tell their children not to read the book. Don’t tell other people’s children what they can and can’t read.
Killer Content said,
May 23, 2006 @ 4:40 am
series of Potters’ adventures is a modern fairy tale retaining all the features inherent to fairy tales. In brief it is all about good and bad, evil and good. So, evil magic in the book presents no risk or danger for children, they have to know that life contains both white and black sides. Personally for me, the books seem also too long and too boring, maybe becasue Ia m not a kid any more. But younger ones adore it and you won’t force the child to read what he does not want to. So it speaks for itself – that a book is a portion of good stuff.
StreetMagic said,
June 23, 2007 @ 12:14 am
Can’t say that I completely fault the parents, as they do have an honest desire to protect their children. They realize that they can’t control what they watch and/or read every moment, particularly when they (the children) are away at school.
The problem is.. putting your faith in the media to keep you informed as to what’s hot, and what’s not.. If the media reports that Harry P. is full of evil magic tricks, you owe it to yourself and your children to check it out ‘before’ you make a joke of yourself in the media, or even in front of the local school board, for that matter.
Realistically, which would do more harm.. having a child read Harry Potter, or a child watching as their parent(s) are ridiculed in the media, and the resulting flak they will endure from their peers?
No mas, no magic..
Joyce Jardine said,
August 28, 2007 @ 10:42 am
I wonder how many of the parents who complain have actually read the books? Shouldn’t that be the first step? I must say, some of the stories I grew up with were also full of so-called ‘ugly’ stuff, yet nobody thought that it would harm me.