Opinions on Harry Potter craze on kids... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Austin85 · #1 11-20-2005, 01:44 AM

This may not be as hot a topic as Murtha or Mobil Delvac vs Synthetic, but anyone else besides me think that Harry Potter books were NOT a positive influence on kids??

I just look back to what I read at that age ; say 8 to 12 for example, and it was nowhere near as freaky as HP books.....My favorite book was The Ted Williams Story.

Ara T. · #2 11-20-2005, 02:19 AM

Look what's on TV, if books can't compete with whats on screen then kids would never read.

cmac2012 · #3 11-20-2005, 03:34 AM

I have mixed feelings as well. It's good that kids get excited about reading I guess, but I wonder about a little too much escapism; fantasies of how they would take care of so and so if only they had the kind of magic Harry Potter has.

When I was a kid, I was crazy about the Black Stallion series -- also escapism, I suppose, but a more realistic and perhaps, more healthy sort.

MS Fowler · #4 11-20-2005, 06:07 AM

Escapist fantasy as a genre of literature has been around for a long time. IS the Potter series different from the Tolkein "ring" series? Are they not simply morality plays? " Good" battles "evil" and "good" wins. Both have sorcery and magic; yet I don't see the outrage against Tolkein.
A few years ago when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out, I went to see it with some friends. One of them was a very well read instructor, and he wondered if I followed the plot- since I had never read Tolkein. I responded, " I think I understood it---people dress in white were "good"; anything dressed in black and oozing blood was "evil".
How hard was that?

Botnst · #5 11-20-2005, 08:57 AM

My kids are avid Potter readers. My wife read a couple of them and her judgement was, "No harm."

If a kid didn't have a pretty good grasp of reality then there might be a problem. But heck, that kind of kid might be endangered by TV or a rampant Diffenbachia.

B

GermanStar · #6 11-20-2005, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

A few years ago when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out, I went to see it with some friends. One of them was a very well read instructor, and he wondered if I followed the plot- since I had never read Tolkein. I responded, " I think I understood it---people dress in white were "good"; anything dressed in black and oozing blood was "evil".
How hard was that?

No, I think you were watching Star Wars.

Uriah · #7 11-20-2005, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

When I was a kid, I was crazy about the Black Stallion series -- also escapism, I suppose, but a more realistic and perhaps, more healthy sort.

That's my wife's FAVOURITE series by far. She loves reading them to my 5 year old, although I prefer to read her Narnia myself.

I like Tolkien as well as several other fantasy writers, but that's not what I like to read the most by far.

I didn't think much of Harry Potter and my kids won't be reading it anytime real soon, but my mom likes it for some reason.

Jim H · #8 11-20-2005, 09:15 AM

I used to read The Hardy Boys.

They solved mysteries too, but could not rely on magic to help.

I think 'escape' stories actually help to form an active imagination, and therefore belong in the 'Good' column.

Benzadmiral · #9 11-20-2005, 09:51 AM

-- taught by the HP series, unlike a lot of modern fiction, is that Harry is not a victim. He takes an active hand in the events of his life, instead of wringing his hands and wailing, "If only I had [such-and-such a power, a girlfriend, more money, etc.]!" He works hard to learn and to control his magic skills, learns painful lessons, and is not always sure of the right path to take. He's loyal to and risks his life for his friends, and receives loyalty in return.

Is any of this a bad lesson for any kid (or any open-minded adult) to learn?

And if you think that all the kids will take away from Harry Potter is the wish-fulfillment stuff, I think you're underrating the average kid. When I devoured Roy Rogers, James Bond, and Ellery Queen, I had a lot of the wish-fulfillment stuff, sure, but I saw through to the underlying lessons about honorable vs. evil behavior and about the value of learning, and they helped me grow up right.

Uriah · #10 11-20-2005, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by w126

I don't understand the hype, but it doesn't hurt to have every major media outlet plugging it.

I was into "Dr. Who", the Tom Baker years and read most of the books. Other than that I wasn't hooked on any series.

I used to LOVE Baker era Dr. Who.

My buddy Brian though is really into Dr. Who, up to the point of buying a few of the origional props, manuscripts, ect... I like it, but not quite that much.

cmac2012 · #11 11-20-2005, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uriah

That's my wife's FAVOURITE series by far. She loves reading them to my 5 year old, although I prefer to read her Narnia myself.

I like Tolkien as well as several other fantasy writers, but that's not what I like to read the most by far.

I didn't think much of Harry Potter and my kids won't be reading it anytime real soon, but my mom likes it for some reason.

When I was 7 and 8, my mother would read me the "Golden Stallion" books -- not as well known as the Black Stallion series, but I liked 'em.

Later, in junior high English class, I used to piss everyone off by getting perfect scores on the tests. I couldn't understand why everyone else had such a hard time with it. Whenever I was asked what proper usage was on a test, I'd just say it in my head and whatever sounded right was my answer. I suspect having corrent English narrated into my young brain by my darling mither had a lot to do with it.