On the Harry Potter series.

It has come to my attention that there are those who believe that we, as Christian parents, should turn our children away from the Harry Potter series of books. These people see the subject matter of the books as dark, and perhaps even sinister. I would be interested in hearing their argument, supporting this absurd theory.


As a mother, and a liberal Christian, I admit with no hesitation that I have read these books to my own children, and I enjoyed them as much as they did. There are some dark moments, just as there are in real life. The overwhelming message of the books, however, if one takes the time to read them, is that light and love conquer over evil, every time. This message comes through loud and clear in the books, and I suggest that anyone who has not seen this has not read the books. The age old battle of good versus evil is played out in a setting the young reader can easily relate to. The young characters in the books deal with fighting for what is good and right admirably, and the moral of the stories can only do our children good.The world inside the stories is so fresh, new, and fascinating, it is often enough to capture the interest of even the most reluctant young reader.


I often reflect on the writer, J.K. Rowling, as a young, poor, single mother. I picture with excitement, as out of the stillness, and the loneliness and depression, there suddenly comes a spark. A spark of creativity, a spark of imagination. What an amazing gift, to benefit us all! As a writer, I can only dream about being blessed with the gift of this type of originality and inspiration. I read the stories with a combination of awe and jealousy.Her contribution of these books to the world of children's literature will be her legacy.


I won't argue that these books are great works of literature{ although, for the children's genre, I think they are fairly good ones.} I will say that the ability they have to draw the young reader into the story, and interest them in the world of reading and writing,is what gives the books their merit.


It is my opinion that the stunning creativity and talent of J.K.Rowling is to be celebrated, and that our children will benefit from the lessons learned from these innovative books.

Wendy Atkinson.