Harry Potter?
I have heard lots of people say they don’t want their kids reading Harry Potter and they think that Harry Potter should be on the Ban book list. But why? If you think that Harry Potter is just brainwashing kids that witches and wizards exist, then shouldn’t we analyze everything we are letting them watch? Disney movies always have that magical touch such as flying carpets, fairy godmothers, talking statues, enchanted mice, poisoned apples, but our kids know not to believe this so what makes Harry Potter any different?
And another thing, Harry Potter is directed for older teenagers and adults and for kids in first and second grade to read these books and understand them, shouldn’t they praised for mastering a level of reading that is far beyond their level?
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I watched a show on a public access channel (a few years ago) and it talked about this. It showed some parents actually burning the books! Treasonous I know! Some parents (insanely) believe that Harry Potter is influenced by the Wicca religion, (which, I don’t think, has ANYTHING to do with the wizards and witches of HP.) Even if it does, Harry Potter raises so many amazing moral and ethical questions that young people may otherwise not question.
And I am so glad that it has introduced so many people to the world of reading. Honestly, the only reason anyone would want to ban the books is because of their ignorance and fear of anything "different." I don’t know…maybe they feel threatened. But I’ve grown up with Harry Potter and I love the books. JKR is so talented and I’m so thankful for her contributions to literature!
I do not think that Harry Potter should be on the ban list. Its a book made for entertainment. Yea, maybe some of the lastest books are made for more mature readers but I have a little sister whos in 4th gr and reads all the books and my parents think its great. She picked up a better vocabulary and is more creative and has a beter imagination. Harry Potter, in my opinion, is one of the greatest childrens/young adults book out there. The movies are great too but the books are much better.
My father-in-law is one of those people who thinks that HP is evil and "not to suffer a witch to live" kind of thing. The man is a fanatical Christian. But yet he loves Lord of the Rings and The Narnia books. I do think it’s a little.. or a lot hypocritical but with him you just smile and nod. These are great books and JK herself as said that she has yet to have a fan come up to her thanking her for introducing them to the world of Wicca and that they now practice it. The books are just for entertainment (and great entertainment at that)
This is just a classic case of something that is very popular currently being vilified because some people need to vilify everything. Religious people who don’t like "magic" talk are all up in arms because Harry Potter is popular, and it might affect their children and the people around them. That’s all.
I think that children should be cautioned to avoid the latest Harry potter book solely on the grounds that it is a horrible, horrible collection of nonsense.
It should be protested (and preferably burned).
FACT ONE : The RavenClaw is actually a delicious ham and cheese sandwich and everyone should eat ham and cheese sandwiches so that they do not accidentally become vegetarians.
FACT TWO : The 7 Horcruxes, on the other hand, are more of a dessert arrangement which should be reserved for special occasions, holidays, and birthdays.
However, none this important information is given in the latest Harry Potter book. Ron is an idiot and Harry dies in a very boring and typical way but then he very boringly and typically undies and you realize that you have never, ever, seen so much chicken scratch. The story is boring and uneventful. There is almost no character development and the storyline draws heavily from the previous novels. The majority of the "plot twists" and "surprises" are trivial and the character’s motivations seem genuinely uninspired.
Not a very good book, wait for the movie
Harry Potter books in Banned List? That’s ridiculous. They’re one of the best books I’ve ever read-great plot, characters-Harry Potter won’t brainwash people’s minds!
Though I do think that Book 5 + up are directed for older children + adults!
I think that you have a great point. And you know what? They keep on saying how it’s evil and everything, and how it’s brainwashing kids, but what proof do you have of it? I, personally, have seen NO negative things come out of children reading Harry Potter. No kids are trying to be like Lord Voldemort. No children are trying to be like Death Eaters. I have, however, seen GREAT things come out of it. Children that hated reading before now love it, they have great morals, and they have great imaginations now.
P.S. This is to the dude that keeps talking about Ravenclaw and Horcruxes being food on every HP question. If you hate the books so much, why are you on HP questions? Just wondering why you thought it was nessacary to post your weird random opinion and thoughts on every post possible…
i agreeeee with you
They are afraid of `imagination’! They are afraid to enjoy. The most successful books / movies are all about something that draws us away from ourselves, like the `Star Wars’, `Lord of the Rings’. Wizards and witches are nothing new!
I pity them, for they know not how to enjoy and celebrate the miraculous and imaginative mind that only we Humans possess.
I agree. I have an aunt who is against Harry Potter because she says that the whole idea is an Anti-Christ. But like you said, all of those Disney movies do magic stuff. I don’t know, maybe people just don’t realize the things you mentioned.
I believe the book banning bit started out when the religious started saying that God played no part in the books. It started the ball rolling on brainwashing and other medieval reasons.
There are 7 books in the series. Even it the books became darker and darker, logically, kids can start reading and comprehending at age 5 at the earliest. They wouldn’t start reading Book 7 (or 5, or 6) first, would they? So, logically they would starting reading the first book first and go on until the final book. I doubt if they could read all continuously in a year. By the time they get to Book 4, they would have matured relatively.
Those banning the books have their reasons. And no matter how much we depend Harry Potter or other banned books for that matter, if their convictions are solid, they’d stand their ground.
I agree. The magic in Harry Potter is fiction and fantasy. It is nothing satanic or evil. And if people who want to ban the books are concerned that witches in HP are the same as Witches in the religion of Wicca, they must not realize (or not care) that Wicca is not satanic either. Below is a site that is very informative an open-minded.
We had a group in my state that couldn’t get a burn permit for their big book burning protest, so they got on the news with big-assed scissors and had a "book cutting" and hammed it up for the cameras. It was one of the most ignorant things I’ve ever seen.
Even if you don’t consider that people believing HP is evil are misinformed, the books have inspired so many kids AND adults who would not normally read for enjoyment to discover how enjoyable it can be.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. As soon as a child straddles a broom and it remains just a broom, he or she will quickly discover that he or she was not cut out to be a wizard.
It just doesn’t work for us mere mortals. Reading Harry Potter books doesn’t give you powers and doesn’t take them away.
i think this is for any age that can read them over the age of 9 cuz i was around that age when i started!!!!!(and i understood them fine) but i dont think the should be banned at all they would like start a strike or something!!
i do understand for littler kids but…….u get the point
ditto! i don’t see why people are totally dissing harry potter b/c they think its evil. they’re just being haters. its not like the book was written to convince us to worship witchcraft.
I’ve never been able to understand why people want to ban the books. I’ve also never heard a compelling argument against Potter.
They do so many positive things.
They’ve gotten an entire generation of kids to read. Rowling has put in positive lessons and morals teaching kids about choices.
With all the negative things kids can see on tv, in video games, the internet, and even in the newspaper I don’t know why people campaign against these books.
I AGREE!!100%
Your right, what about Jack and the bean stalk with the magic beans? It’s fiction. f-i-c-t-i-o-n
Most people who want to ban books period, are afraid of the story. They don’t want to believe anything anyone says about it even if they have concrete proof. Besides i think most people connect to movies better because they have real people in them. where as the books have more detail and you don’t really know what to expect the people to look like.
Basically the people who want to ban Harry Potter are scared of the phenomenon it has caused.
I think that the last few Harry Potter books are a bit too "mature content" for 10 year olds, but if children start young and then grow up with the series, they’ll be old enough to deal with the subject matter when they get to it. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that anyone would even consider banning these remarkable books. I plan on encouraging my son to read them as soon as he can.