Explaining Harry Potter to children, specifically the later books (spoilers)

[NewJeffCT]

My daughter just turned eight years old and is a good reader. She has read through the first two Harry Potter books, and spent over two hours one night finishing 'Chamber of Secrets' because she was so interested in finding out the fate of Ginny Weasley. She is now almost midway through ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ and is thinking about being Hermione for Halloween this year.

I have also let her watch the associated movie only upon completing the book.

I had read the first four books years ago, but stopped not long after my daughter was born – partly because of a lack of time, and partly due to the daunting size of the just released 'Order of the Phoenix.'

I borrowed the audiobooks from the library of the first four books so I could go over them with her as she read the books – and, to also tease her about upcoming surprises, of which there are many in 'Prisoner of Azkaban' (Scabbers/Pettigrew, Lupin the werewolf, and, of course, Sirius Black, and their relationship with both James Potter and Snape.) Plus, I want to make sure that she is absorbing what is going on in the books

However, at the end of 'Goblet of Fire' the books become darker with the events at the graveyard – the death of Cedric Diggory and Harry getting tortured and almost killed by Voldemort. At the end, few believe Harry & Dumbledore that Voldemort has returned.

I am about (finally) halfway through 'Order of the Phoenix' now and it continues with the grim and dark tone. Is Dolores Umbridge a piece of work, or what? The Malfoys seem pleasant compared to her.

From what I understand, the dark tone continues through books six and seven. (no spoilers for the last two and a half books, please)

Any advice for explaining the troubling situations in books four through seven to a child? I am hesitant to not let her continue the series since she seems to love it.

[HappyMe]

1. Maybe just let her know that

she can come to you with any questions she has about the situations presented.

[Lucinda]

4. x2

[gratuitous]

2. Impress upon her that she is reading made-up stories

While a good storyteller tries to create characters who are believable and sympathetic, it's important to remember that these are just stories that a lady in England made up. You know your own child best, but maybe it would be good to give the books a rest for a year or so, and come back to them when she's 10, and has a little more real world experience to draw upon.

[Lars39]

3. Having read the series as they came out,

I think they're better suited to be read at about a book a year or so. :) Your child needs to age a bit with them, iow.

[NewJeffCT]

7. well, she seems to accumulate a lot of books

and, she is still not good at focusing on reading them one at a time...so, maybe after Azkaban, she'll read a few other books first and then pick up Goblet of Fire over the summer.

[mreilly]

5. There are certain themes throughout the series

... that I think would be useful to teach to my children. Like you, my eight year old is reading the books now and is on "The Goblet of Fire." I read them all recently to have sort of a book club with him.

I found Dolores Umbridge pretty much the most reprehensible character I ever encountered in fiction. As a 39 year old male (and liberal) if you could have transported me into an alternate universe with her I'd have cheerfully shot her - several times. But this type of loathsome character represents a good example to kids: the petty tyrant undeserving of power and authority; the evil person masquerading as good - I honestly believed she was worse than Voldemort and the Death Eaters, who were at least forthright and direct about their intentions. Harry's interactions with her are good discussion material; how should Harry have approached her (or not)? Was he right to hold true to his beliefs and the truth about Voldemort despite the pooh-poohing Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic demonstrated towards him (out of blind, stupid reluctance to face a genuine threat, choosing instead to desperately sweep it away)? What did he give up by maintaining what he knew to be true, and was it worth the cost?

There are several other moments in the stories about self-sacrifice, sticking with friends, doing what's right even when it's painful, the fact there are sometimes more complexities to a situation than can meet the eye, etc. I won't spoil those scenes for you since you're halfway through Book 5 and Books 6 and 7 get even more intense, but my advice is to see how they can be used to explain the world to your daughter, not in a way that's scary, threatening or "see how many bad things can happen out there" but rather from a positive perspective that ties into how you want her to see the world as a grownup.

[NewJeffCT]

6. I might agree with you Umbridge

I was trying to think of somebody worse than her that I've read about over the years and I can't think of anybody at this time. Sure, in terms of outright & blatant evil, there are plenty worse, but she's something different. Almost like a more insidiously evil version of Margaret Thatcher

[mcar]

8. It really depends on the child

and his/her level of sensitivity. We read the first two books to my son when he was 6-7. When he was 8, he started reading the 3 book by himself because he wanted to move along faster. Then, he and his schoolmates got competitive and they all read books 4 and 5. We discussed the characters (especially Umbridge, what a chilling character) and the plot and he was OK with the darker tone. I believed then, and do now, that the themes of solidarity, loyalty, friendship and determination were things that even younger kids could relate to.

He was 10 when book 7 came out. I had to buy 3 copies, one for each of us and one for my older son because none of us could wait till the others had finished (donated two to the school library after).

He has since re-read the books several times and has gotten more out of them with each re-read. Now at 13, he's anxiously awaiting the release of the 7th and 1/2 movie and we have a great time discussing all the ins and outs of the movies vs. the books.

[XemaSab]

9. No spoilies

but you have NO IDEA how horrible Umbridge is. :o

Have you gotten to "Snape's Worst Memory?" That chapter is where the whole series took a sharp turn for me.

I'd say that if she has the attention span to stick with the series through GoF, she probably has the attention span to understand the subtleties of the series. There are things that you will probably have to talk with her about, but that's how life goes, no? :D

[NewJeffCT]

10. No, I am at the point

now where they met up with Arthur Weasley in the hospital after he was attacked by a huge snake that Harry had a vision about and Harry overhears Mad Eye & Tonks talking about Harry maybe being possessed by Voldemort. So far, Snape has been a minor character in the book, though I was actually rooting for Snape when Umbridge was doing her inspection of his class (Umbridge to Snape: "You've applied for the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher but were unsuccessful, weren't you?"... Snape, "Obviously")

[XemaSab]

12. I thought book 4 was good

but book 5 was where the series got AWESOME. :D

So, so awesome. :D

[NewJeffCT]

13. Thanks - I'm looking forward to seeing how it gets wrapped up

Dumbledore has been conspicuous by his absence between Harry's hearing over the summer and to just before they went to see Mr. Weasley in the hospital. So, I suspect he plays a big part in the last half of the book. I keep hoping somebody pulls some obscure magical regulation out of their ass & hits Umbridge with it

[riderinthestorm]

11. My daughter started them when she was 8 and finished all but Deathly Hallows

by the time she was 10. She (like the rest of us) had to wait until the final book was published to finish the series at which time she was 11 years old. She loved them. Has since re-read them (she's 14 now) and got more out of them then before.

I've always let my kids read anything they are capable of reading. I've usually already read it, or I read it with my kids since the books are usually a faster read than any adult book I'm into at the moment (they read until bedtime and then I pick up the book and read it until I go to bed). They know that if they have any questions they can ask me because I've read that book too.

I've never censored a book because of their age. Again, for me, if they are capable of physically reading the material, it's all fine.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

15. That is amazingly open, and I cheer you.

More parents need to be like you.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. You know what your kid can handle.

The books get older and darker as they go along. More death, more torture, more sadness. The story is ultimately a triumphant good over evil win, and the destination is truly worth the amazingly sad, infuriating, funny, and amazingly clever journey of these three heroes and their friends and family. If you have any questions about the books, PM me. I'm some what of an expert. LOL I have read them all about 10 times apiece. They are my favorite books ever written.
You are going to laugh and cry and sob and scream. I still do even now, having read and reread them.
Duckie

[NewJeffCT]

16. Thanks!

I may have to do that. However, I'm guessing I'll be finished with "Order of the Phoenix" before my daughter finishes Azkaban, and I'll probably have finished the last two books before she finishes "Goblet of Fire." I tend to read very quickly when I'm focused.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

17. I read the last one in four hours.

They are very quick reads.

[XemaSab]

20. I am also an expert

The ending of book six was a SHOCK. A shock I tell ya. :o

[NewJeffCT]

22. well, that's gotten me intrigued now

I just got to the part where Dumbledore was replaced by Umbridge in "Order of the Phoenix"

I had figured Potter and the DA would get caught somehow, but I didn't imagine Dumbledore taking the fall for Harry... good job by Hermione jinxing the DA list.

[XemaSab]

23. You'll know it when you see it

:P

[NewJeffCT]

24. I'm sure

I've been laughing pretty good at some of the recent turns of events - McGonagall snapping at Umbridge about what nodding & shaking your head means, and then the Weasley twins setting off the fireworks and the teachers calling on Umbridge to help them because they're not sure they have the authority to stop them on their own...the image of Umbridge covered in soot from extinguishing fireworks all day...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

28. When you watch the movie, they isolate Harry a lot less than they do in the book...

And apparently Jo (JK Rowling. We're on first name basis ya know. LOL) liked the change. You'll see when you watch it. I love McGonagall so much.
Duckie

[NewJeffCT]

30. I really enjoyed

reading the sequences where McGonagall & Umbridge were verbally sparring... he'll become an Auror if it's the last thing McGonagall does! And, then when Umbridge said he had not had good marks in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class, to which McGonagall replies something like Harry having outstanding marks when he's been taught by a competent teacher.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

32. What is Umbridge going to do? Fire McGonagall?

What the hell does she care? She wouldn't dare fire Minerva because she is the best of the best, and it would have been suicide for Umbridge.
Duckie

[NewJeffCT]

27. Thanks - I just finished Order of the Phoenix today

Good book, surprising ending (to me). But, I guess not all that surprising that Sirius died, or that Harry not studying Occlumency led to a near disaster in the Dept of Mysteries. Heartbreaking that Harry opened up the magic mirror that he could have used to talk to Sirius, only after Sirius was dead...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

26. Really?

Why was that?

[tigereye]

18. yes, they are dark, but as a very wise teacher I know said

3rd graders love blood and gore- she was talking about their love of Shakespeare. I think kids that age are just starting to "get" these things. Maybe keep reading and see her reaction- I bet she will let you know if she's cool with it or not.


:hi:

[DinahMoeHum]

19. Shakespeare, Greek myths, the Bible. . .

yep, lots of blood, gore, guts, and sexual perversions there.

:evilgrin:

[quakerboy]

21. I worked my way through the old testiment at approximately that age and LOTR not much later.

and look how I turned out...


I dunno. I don't see a problem. I think people being in touch with reality is a good thing, and reality is bad things happen. We hope that the good guy will win in the end, but as adults I think we all know that its rare that anything important results in a clean cut "win" with out wounds and damage along the way. Why shouldn't kids be exposed to this idea as well?

[woo me with science]

25. My parents never followed me around explaining the books I read.

I really dislike our culture's apparently growing insistence that children are hothouse flowers who need to be protected and hand-held through anything potentially scary or upsetting.

If she is disturbed by it to the point of needing adult intervention, don't you think she will let you know?

[Withywindle]

29. As other posters have let you know, the series only gets darker and more mature toward the end.

I know the shock at the end of HBP that XS was talking about---but there's a sequence well before that that, well, I consider one of the most emotionally wrenching scenes I've ever read, and I'm 41 years old and a college literature major and I used to really love horror. It's because of the emotional intensity, and the raw, abject vulnerability and helplessness of someone we're used to seeing as a sheltering mentor figure.

I don't know how much experience your daughter has with death. The questions will come up. The thing is, the undercurrent in the HP series is not much different from all the other YA lit I was reading at her age *cough*morethan30yearsago*cough*: sooner or later, children learn that death is universal; adults--even magical ones--are only human; and there is no such thing as cost-free safety.

I don't think these are bad things for kids to know. It will always come up sooner or later. I often think death is an even more forbidden topic than sex. But yeah, beloved characters will die, and she will probably cry and want to be comforted. This is NOT a reason to try to prevent her from reading the books.

[NewJeffCT]

31. I never said I would stop her from reading the books

I was more looking for advice on how to explain them to her since they do get darker. Heck, I had read Goblet of Fire years ago, then when I borrowed the audio book, I knew that Cedric Diggory got killed, but still got a bit misty eyed at the end... but, listening to a well read audiobook is a bit different than actually reading it.