FAQF -- The Universal Appeal of Harry Potter

[DinaYS at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 23564

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., prefectmarcus at y... wrote:
Okay, i am a kindergarten teacher who has dealt with kids of a lot of 
different ages, so my thopught may have more to do with the appeal to 
children than adults.

i havw read a lot of childrens literaturew and for the most part, hp 
is one of the best series.   alot of current series that are out 
there are crap.  A lot are relly good, bnut a lot are crap.  The 
characters in Harry Potter are real.  Okay, obviously not real, but a 
lot more realistsic that chareacters in a lot of kiddie lit.  I know 
that sounds crazy b/c theye are magic, but look beyond that.  Who of 
us out there have not felt like one or more of the characters at some 
point.  I know that because my older sister is beautiful and smart 
and never had toi work very hard for good grades, attention, etc.  I 
on the other hand have more stupid medical and learning issues than i 
want to think of.  .  I grew up with a lot of living in her shadow, 
or someone elses.  I often sympathize with Ron on a variety of levels 
because i know what it is like to never be seen as number one or 
often to never even be seen.  I thinmk that the majoriuty of poeple 
just have a grewat understanding of some character or another.  Look, 
Harry Potter saved the world and continues to battle a very evi;l 
force, and is still not so popular, his popularity waxes and wanes 
with his acheivements, esp. in Quidditch.  ATHis is normal middle 
school behavior.  Kids can be cruel and who of us has not had a 
Malfoy in their lives.

As an adult reader i see the series as much of an escape.  You can 
see it in the eyes of the people reading.  They are lost and not 
thinking about anything else.  What a wonderful feeling.

Okay i will stiop abbling,

Dina