A question for parents.

[Rip_Washington]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C6109
From: Rip_Washington
Subject: A question for parents.
Date: 8/7/00 9:18 pm  (ET)

I managed to ignore the HP phenomenon until 3 weeks ago when my Mom
mentioned it as a possible selection for my 8 year old daughter. It was
only until Karyn (my daughter) mentioned it herself that I decided to
see what this was about.

Upon seeing the stacks of books at my local book store, I knew
immediatedly that I wasn't spending $25 for a book Karyn was unlikely
to read. I DID, however, purchase Book 1 for the economical price of
about $7, thinking I would lose nothing if the book went unread.

Sure enough, I noticed Book 1 lay unread where Karyn had left it when I
initially gave it to her, so I picked it up to leaf through the pages. I
wanted to see if the material was too hard for her to read. I remember
thinking that the British names and terminology might be a tad difficult
for her. Before I knew it, I found myself drawn into ths wonderful
story. I couldn't put it down! It reminds a me a little of "The Lord of
the Rings" and "Way of the Peaceful Warrior". My wife kidded me that I
bought the book for myself under the guise of buying it for Karyn. She
neglected to mention that she, too, was under the HP spell, reading the
book secretly in the bathroom.

Well, I returned to the store a few days later for Book 2, and purchased
3 and 4 this past Friday. I finished Book 4 Sunday and I'm waiting for
my a chance to steal 3 from my wife. My concern is this:

As much as I enjoyed Book 4, I notice the tone is becoming increasingly
dark. I wonder how the children who've completed this book have reacted
to it. Are any parents concerned that the series may be turning a bit
too violent?

I'd hate to over react and deprive my daughter from such a marvelous
series. Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.