[HPforGrownups] Be Forewarned:(Not so) Angry Rant to Follow:

[EvenCirce713 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 7224

In a message dated 12/18/00 12:06:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, Stephanie 
Becvar wrote:

> Be Forewarned: Angry Rant to Follow:

<< Thanks for listening and let me know if you think
 > that the administrators were within their rights to do so. >>

Having experienced this in our district, I can certainly relate to your anger.
I also have to relate it to where I was with the HP boks at the time.
In the fall of 1999 my sister, 10, was reading Book One. She constantly tried 
to have me read the book, knowing that I am and have always been very much 
into Tolkien, Merlin and things.  But I refused.
We live in Columbia, SC which is even mentioned in the infamous Beecham book. 
Holly's teacher had been reading the book aloud to the class after lunch but 
that came to a screeching halt. These   kids too were allowed to read the 
books if they brought them, it wasn't removed from the library, and sharing 
was allowed. Just no "Official Teacher  Reading"
I got interested during that time but there was also an incident that was 
worrisome. My sister and her friend were suddenly making odd combinations of 
things. Then we found that she'd not been taking her allergy medicine but had 
been opening the capsules,using the powder.  Next we discover a sheet of 
paper with "Hate Spells " on it.  OK maybe this is play, but it was not good 
play. It resulted in many family discussions of right, wrong, religious 
issues, character and value issues. Actually magic wasn't an issue.They 
weren't things that hadn't been discussed before, but believe me, it was in 
depth then.
I finally was trapped by boredom on a car trip in January into reading Book 
One, and read the other two the same week. Needless to say, I have been 
obsessed since then.
Where does this lead?  My sister who was a mediocre reader before is NOT 
obsessed( It's boys & makeup now) but was from then on out an excellent 
reader. An accelerated reader, who is now in Advanced Language Arts and reads 
constantly. She is my consultant (reluctantly now, I must admit) on Paris and 
was the instigator for Summer , if any of you have read it.
My point is that people will read the books, and they will eventually respond 
in character. Strangely enough, the more commercially successful 
the books have become, the less objection I hear from the religious groups. 
And I doubt JKR is going to pull a John Lennon in the 60's-
"We're biggger than Jesus".
Just some thoughts from Circe who's thoroughly enjoying the re -release of 
John Lennon's In His Own Write.