Like much of the English speaking world, the Bremner household is caught up in Pottermania.
Mom is halfway through the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, having grudgingly given Dad first dibs.
Daughter C is working her way through the first book, having already made a profound discovery in the ways of literature:
“Hey, there’s stuff in here that’s not in the movie!�
Atta girl.
Youngest daughter H isn’t reading the books and frankly isn’t all that sure of the franchise after that “one movie that had all the spiders in it.�
I won’t get into the plot of the new book for the sake of the poor Muggles who haven’t made it to the final page yet, except to say this. Rowling, no doubt with the help of observing her own child, has done an extraordinary job of drawing parallels with her characters and real life kids. Yes, it is a world of witchcraft and wizardry, and yet Harry and his friends have to try to save that world while juggling classes and sports practices and homework, all the while tripping merrily over their own hormones and each other through the whole process.
Sound like any teenagers you know?
Yes, I’ve heard the complaints. Some believe that Harry’s world promotes the occult to children. But you know what? My daughter reads the books and she still goes to church, too. She doesn’t choose between what she reads as fantasy and what she does in the real world. I don’t think we give kids enough credit.
They know the difference.
Then there’s the issue of violence. As you may have heard, there is a significant death in Book Six, just as there was in Book Five.
Maybe that’s something that parents will need to sit down and talk over. I survived the death of Old Yeller and the wolf who wanted to eat the little girl going to Grandma’s house. Barely, mind you.
Despite the criticisms, the Bremner household remains caught up in Pottermania.
The greatest achievement of this series won’t be told in the number of books sold or movies scripted.
J.K. Rowling has single-handedly gotten millions of kids to put down the Playstation controls, set aside the Game Boys and turn off the tubes. She’s gotten them to simply open up a book and read. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.