HP as children's book - scary stuff

[Haggridd]

No: HPFGUIDX 22323

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:

> 
> Well-put, and I agree with your friend's point that kids who can't 
> really handle or understand them might read them because everyone 
is, 
> even if they don't enjoy them.
> 
> 
> However, I'm not sure what the problem is.  My only concerns about 
> kids reading beyond their level are 
> 
> (a) they'll get discouraged and give up on reading, 
> (b) they'll be scared/overwhelmed/introduced to aspects of life that 
> they aren't developmentally ready for, and 
> (c) there's a lot of it that they just won't get.
> 
> For (a), maybe your friend can say otherwise, but I am not seeing 
this 
> happen with HP, nor hearing about this from elementary school 
teachers 
> or parents of young children.  Most of the younger kids are having 
it 
> read to them, for a start (this could be the reason, in many cases, 
> why it's taking weeks to read it).  For (b), parents and others who 
> know the kid well will have to judge whether he/she is ready for it. 
 
> I have friends who have read their kids 1-3 but are holding off on 
4. 
>  I know one little girl whose parents read her SS when she was 6, 
and 
> regretted it; she was scared.  The next year, they tried again and 
she 
> loved it and has motored through the rest (again, having them read 
to 
> her).  , 
but 
> I didn't really understand it); scary stuff, though, might give them 
> nightmares.  This is so idiosyncratic, too; I was terrified of the 
> picture of Alice with the long neck as a child, and it was on the 
> cover!  I made my dad cover it when he read me the books.
> 

> 
I have a completely different opinion about "scary stuff".  Denying 
the existence of scary things flies in the face of children's 
experiences, imaginary or not.  They KNOW that there is a boogy man in 
the closet.  They can see him in the shapes of the shadows.  What is 
empowering and healing is that they also know about the power of the 
blanket.  The books show how Harry defeats the scary stuff out there. 
 That is the message that kids assimilate as they identify with Harry, 
or Hermione or Ron:  "I CAN do it!"

I refer you to the Discworld novel "Soul Music". I like the way Susan 
Sto Helit as governess deals with the things that go bump in the 
night.

Haggridd  



> 
> Amy Z
>