Books as "Childrens' Books"

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 15609

Hi --

inyron at yahoo.com wrote:

> I agree that the books are not children's books, and JKR said she
> wrote them for herself- BUT.
>
> >From a Barnes&Noble.com chat, OCTOBER 20, 2000
>
>
> Question: Are you going to get more mature themes as your books age,
> or are you going to keep it geared toward younger kids?
>
> JKR: I think an eight- or nine-year-old will be able to read all
> seven books. That's my intention. However, Harry is growing up, so
> obviously he will face certain issues an eight-year-old won't. I
> don't think, however, that that will be uninteresting for an eight-
> year-old.

Yes, but here's what she said in an August Entertainment Weekly
interview:

> Rowling has said that Goblet of Fire is the turning point in the
> series, the critical book.  "Book Four is the end of an era for
> Harry.  He's been very protected until now."   "Harry's horizons are
> literally and metaphorically widening as he grows older."   She has
> also said that Goblet of Fire represents "the end of an era in the
> context of the whole series of books. For Harry, his innocence is
> gone."

> She says she has no intention of "toning down" the coming books in
> response to criticism of the darkening tone for younger readers.  "I
> have to write the story I want to write.  I never wrote them with a
> focus group of 8-year-olds in mind.  I have to continue telling the
> story the way I want to tell it."  Later in this interview, she
> emphasizes again that she "cannot write to please other people.  I
> can't.  When I finish Book 7, I want to be able to look in the mirror
> and think, I did it the way I meant to do it."  She seems to believe
> that the later books in the series will not necessarily be appropriate
> for all young children.

Footnotes omitted -- the above extracts are from the JKR FAQ draft.

My main point is just that the books are not being written with a target
audience; therefore, I don't think it makes much sense to say that JKR
will keep things light enough for young children to understand &
accept.  She's said pretty clearly that isn't what she intends to do.
If you consider how much older the protagonist will be at the end of the
series, this becomes even more clear to me.  I don't think you can say,
"She won't kill so&so because that would just be too hard for the kids
to deal with."  Just my two galleons.

Penny


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