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0| HARRY POTTER AND CENSORSHIP: (1 out of 4)

Date Published: May 28, 2006

Attempts to ban or censor literature have existed since the invention of the written word. The rationale and debate over censorship varies from century to century and from genre to genre, but one of the most volatile fields of biblio-censorship is the in the area of children's literature. Parents and communities want what is best for their children. Many communities have taken action against books that they feel will have negative effects on their children's development. Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice have been repeatedly banned in schools because parents and school officials object to their portrayal of blacks and Jews respectively ("New…" 4; Valley 7). The most recent series of children's books to fall under scrutiny are J. K Rowling's series of Harry Potter books: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potther and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling).

The Harry Potter series follows the story of a young boy, Harry Potter, whose parents are killed by the evil sorcerer Voldemort. Harry narrowly escapes Voldemort's attempt to kill him also, and carries a lightning shaped scar on his forehead from the battle. In the on going series of books, Harry goes to magical land and learns how to become a wizard (Rowling). At Harry's wizard school, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he is exposed to such fictional books as "Modern Magical History…The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and Great Wizarding Events in the Twentieth Century" (Rowling, "…Sorcerer's Stone" 106). The series, currently with four books of the intended seven, has held the top three positions on "The New York Times Bestsellers" list due to its immense popularity from children and parents alike ("Top 25…").

Some conservative Christian parents have openly called for the banning of the Harry Potter books in schools however (Draper 1). St. Mary's Island Church of England Primary School in the United Kingdom has already banned Potter from its classrooms (Sapsted 4). The fears and misconceptions about anything having to do with "magic" or "wizards" being directly linked to Satan has helped cause this parental panic. Wicca organizations are none to happy about ancient "Satanist" stereotypes still being linked to their peaceful earth-based religion (Arendt 3, 6-7). The arguments made about the Potter books puts it in the company of such children's classics as The Wizard of Oz and The Chronicles of Narnia, which also have witches and wizards gracing their pages. In order to understand the controversy surrounding Harry Potter, let us examine to opposing sides of the children's censorship argument.

Depending on who you talk to, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are either wonderful fantasy novels with powerful messages for kids, or they are evil books designed to promoted an interest in the occult since Harry is a wizard. Some say the books have encouraged reluctant readers to read and others that they have encouraged readers to value witchcraft. In a number of states, there have been attempts, some successful, some unsuccessful, to have the books banned in classrooms, and banned or under severe restrictions in school libraries. As a result, those in favor of the books are also speaking out. There have been challenges to the Harry Potter books in over a dozen states. While many an article has been written in defense of the books, there have also been many written against the books. I share the view that it is wrong to censor these books. Instead, I believe that parents and teachers should take advantage of the opportunities offered by these books to increase their children's interest in reading and writing and use the books to promote family discussions about issues that might otherwise not be discussed.

With the publication of the fourth book, the controversy continued. All of the books have been bestsellers, and based on pre-orders and initial sales, the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire seems destined to ultimately break all previous records. In an interview in The Times of London, prior to its publication, the author, J.K. Rowling revealed that there is a death in the book, and it is someone readers care about. According to Rowling, "If it's done right, I think it will be upsetting but it's not going to be damaging. I have said from the beginning that if you really are going to honestly examine evil actions then you have a moral obligation not to fudge the issue."

Harry Potter is the hero of a series of children's books by author J.K. Rowling. These books have captured the imagination of 9 to 12 year olds all over the world. It's truly amazing to see how kids devour these books. Even children who say they hate reading love these books.

Most children can identify with the unlikely hero Harry and imagine themselves in his place. These books are pure escapism and teach kids that reading can be fun. The Harry Potter books are often the first books that a child reads just for the fun of it. They open up children's eyes to the further possibilities for recreational reading. They can change a child's whole attitude about reading while at the same time improving their reading skills.

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