Broad Appeal of Harry Potter

["J. Kimball" <jakimball@MINDSPRING.COM>]

On October 2 Victoria DeFields wrote:
>Actually I'm quite surprised that this is considered an elementary
>book.  Though the character of Harry Potter is probably about 13 in the
>first story, the concepts in the story are really upper middle school
>and high school.  I just read the first book and really enjoyed it.  I
>bought all three for the high school.  Some of the themes in the book
>are emotional abuse by his "Muggle" parents who don't understand
>"wizardry", evil to harm, and greed for power.  Doesn't sound real
>elementary to me.

It is possible that the books are being enjoyed on many different levels.
I don't exactly know what my seven year-old granddaughter got out of the
first book which her mother read to her, but now at age eight she has read
the second and third books to herself with much reveling in the magical
aspects, the humor and the action. She and several friends want to dress as
Harry Potter characters for Halloween. Did she "understand" the twists of
plot, the reality of evil,  and the changes and complications in the
characters?  Not the way a fifteen year-old would, nor even a ten year-old.
But much loved fairy tales for young kids incorporate abuse and evil
(e.g., Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White), and
elementary teachers from 4th grade up find they are reading the Harry
Potter aloud to enthusiastic classes, while grownups like me are keeping it
on the Adult Best Seller List. Most amazing.

By the way, I believe Harry is eleven in the first book.  In each
succeeding book he is a year older, and seven books are planned for the
seven years he is at Hogwarts School of Wizardry.  According to a recent
article in Time Magazine Rowling hints that as Harry gets older the themes
will get "darker". Perhaps the entire series will not be suitable for
younger kids.

Joan Kimball

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
 To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
   listserv@listserv.syr.edu          In the message write EITHER:
    1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
 4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv
 For LM_NET Help & Archives see:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=