Responses of children (Re: In Defense of Molly Weasley (Long))

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 176273

> Sharon:
<snipping>
> But these are children's books. Children need to be able to 
> understand good and bad, black and white. So if it's simplistic to 
> call the baddies *dark wizards* then surely that is entirely
> appropriate.  Perhaps JKR should rewrite the series for adults and
> answer all our complex questions;-p  
> 
> When I asked my daughter (now aged 14, but started reading them 
aged 8) what messages she got from the books she said:
> * friendship/love is more important than anything
> *sometimes good people do bad things but that doesn't make them bad
> *you should always try to do what is right rather than what is easy
> *unselfishness, courage, modesty, friendship and sacrifice are the 
kinds of 
> virtues that we should try to develop
> *snogging means kissing (LOL!)

Jen:  That's quite a nice list!  Two times when my son and I went 
separate ways in the area of black/white vs. gray reading were 1) the 
scene at Gringotts 2) Epilogue.  Reading "Gringotts," he thought it a 
good thing they finally got hold of another Horcrux and was *most* 
concerned about the state of the dragon and its freedom.  Meanwhile, 
I was fretting over the whole planning stage and actions of the Trio 
for goblin relations, etc., (although equally relieved to see the 
dragon escape).

After reading the part in the Epilogue where Harry talked to Albus 
Severus, my son's reaction was first to laugh at the name, 'that's 
funny, he named him Albus Severus,' LOL - that went on for awhile.  
Then after we finished the reading, his only response was, "Harry was 
saying Slytherin is good now, right?"  I wasn't sure how to respond 
since my reading was taking into account all the other books, all the 
comments here, all my own expectations, blah blah blah....  I ended 
up muttering one of those patently useless parent things when it's 
hard to explain everything you're thinking, "Yeah, I think maybe 
that's what he's saying there - that's what you see, right?"  He 
didn't care, he was already headed out the door to play ball, certain 
of his rightness...;)

Jen