HP as childrens' books

[eccleston at clara.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 22288

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
> > 
> This is a really sad commentary on what children are expected to be 
> able to read.
> 
> I totally agree that HP is not *only* for children, but this 
suggests 
> that it is beyond the audience the publishers claim will enjoy it.  
> There are 6-year-olds of my acquaintance who are enjoying the books 
> thoroughly and understanding them very well--they'll understand 
them 
> better when they're 10, and still enjoy them when they're 33 <g>, 
but 
> the books are emphatically not too long or complex for them.
> 
> I hope HP has a lasting effect in redefining what children are 
> capable and willing to read.  How many times have we heard it 
> said, "It's so amazing to see children reading a 700-page novel!"?  
I 
> hope it will stop being amazing soon and start being a case of 
> children looking at long and complex books and saying "Hey, if I 
read 
> Goblet of Fire, I can read this!"
> 
> Amy Z

I think Amy has got it "sorted" here. My daughter started reading 
these boooks for herself when she was 6. Initially I banned her from 
reading GOF (too scary),though I enjoyed it myself! Undeterrred she 
got out the step ladders and climbed (literally) to the top shelf to 
take it and hasn't looked back. 

As I posted some time ago, she has spent a lot of thoughtful time 
reflecting on the nature of good, evil and doing the right thing as 
opposed to the easy option. She has a subtle understanding of these 
books and we underestimate children if we think they don't understand 
the ambiguities and unreconciled conflicts present in these stories

Steve
eccleston at clara.co.uk