Harry Potter Question

[Erudite]

I don't really have an opinion one way or the other on the books or the movies. I think the books are enjoyable, but not earthshatteringly so. I think the movies are pretty good, but we haven't let any of our kids see any but the first one...we did think they got dark and scary after the first...and even the first we fast forward through much of the ending scenes. Richard has read books 1 - 3, but wasn't very interested in book 4. Maybe when school starts and he's the only kid who hasn't read them...

[smed]

What a great idea Erudite! to find a book that your kids would like and read it to them through out the summer. Is this book have alot of pages, and would girls like it? My daughters ages are 7 and 5.

[Dia Minha]

Erudite, we have already done holes. The book is awesome, just so you know. In fact, we saw the movie first and then hunted down the book and then watched the movie again and we understood a lot more of what was going on in the movie.

I have to laugh though, because we were at the library last night and I found holes on tape so I picked it up. We don't have access to the movie on DVD though so I still need to see if I can locate it, to see if we can use it on our trip. The kids were so excited we started listening to it on the way home from Salt Lake yesterday.

I was really trying to get movies that the kids hadn't seen before so they would be more wrapped in it and it would make the trip go faster. It has been a long time since they have seen though and I'm thinking it might work.

We are doing Charlotte's Web if I can get access to the new movie on DVD. And we have Chronicles of Narnia, and we are going to get Bridge to Terabithia. I'm thinking six should be enough so if anyone else has some suggestions I'm welcome to them.

Dia

[Big_Sissy]

Ahh, now that this thread has kind of made a shift, I can add something.

Growing up my all time favorite books were the Great Brain Series (7 books). They are not out on DVD or anything like that, but the Books are awesome. Although, I think you'd need to be at least in 4th grade to really enjoy them.

[smed]

DH-
If you are still looking for Charolet's Web I have one you can borrow. Heck! I have a whole sluee of movies you can borrow. You should come over sometime and see if there's any your family would like to borrow. Something that you'r kids might like is Sound of Music. Mine love it. "The hills are alive" it makes me want to sing!! Ha, Ha,!

[Dia Minha]

Smed, I might take you up on that. Do you have the new Charlotte's Web, with Dakota Fanny. That was the one we were looking for. It is on our rent list. I ended up getting a lot of them from the library. So that worked out fairly well.

Dia

[Mamallama]

Great questions about HP Dia, and great thoughts and discussion from you all!

When my oldest DS was 14 years old, and was in the hospital for a long time and was suffering with a lot of pain---I began to read Harry Potter to him. Harry Potter took my DS out of his pain and into this magical world for a time. I read the first three books to him in the hospital which gave him a temporary escape from his suffering......these books will forever hold a special place in my heart because of it! I was so surprised how into the books I got.....when my DS would fall asleep, I'd find myself reading ahead....he would get so mad at me when he'd wake up and see me reading ahead, he'd say "Mom, YOU CAN'T READ AHEAD, IT ISN'T FAIR!"

I agree that it's important to listen to how YOU are feeling about it, as to whether it is good for you to read or not. In my opinion, I think the first couple of books are okay for a young reader, but the rest of the books are more for teenagers and adults. FYI there are a couple of "D" words and the "H" word a couple of times in book 7.....but nothing immoral in the book or anything like that.

I compare the good and evil of the book to that of 'Star Wars' too or 'Lord of the Rings' series....although I think 'Lord of the Rings' is 'darker' than the Harry Potter story.

I too love mysteries and these kinds of stories and trying to figure out the puzzle of it all....it's a lot of fun.

Anyway, sorry for the novel here, just thought I'd throw in my two-cents.

[Mamallama]

I just wanted to add to my above comment: YOU all know your own kids and decide for yourselves what you feel is appropriate and not appropriate for them to read and watch. I don't think it's BAD if your younger than teens are reading the later HP books....I just think the story line is targeted more for teens and adults. My DS started reading them when she was 9. She is 13 now and is reading this last book and I'm okay with that.

I'm not taking my 7 yr old to see movie 5 as I know he will get too scared and I think the story line is too complicated for him to follow. I think I would've had trouble understanding HP 5 movie if I had not read the book. There was so much more explained in the book which helped me enjoy the movie more.

[smed]

I totally agree with you Mamallama, My kids are way too young to understand the book and they get scared watching the first movie. I'm glad I have the books and aventually will have the complete set of the movies when they all come out. So when they get older they can read and watch the movies and fall in love with them as much as I have.

[bookworm]

Dia, I have Holes on dvd if you want to borrow it, just swing by and get it before your trip. That is one of our favorites, we loved the book, too. I have the old Charlotte's Web, too, but not the Dakota Fanning one, sorry (I didn't like it because of all the fart/burp type jokes, so I'm trying to not buy it, but Katie wants it, so I may bend sometime). I'm like Smed, I have a ton of movies and a lot of scholastic dvds of stories (like click clack moo, etc. really cute dvds), if you want to borrow anything, come by and peruse the collection. I'd love to visit with you anyway.

[Dia Minha]

Thanks bookworm, I appreciate the offer. However, Mama beet you to it, she brought me her copies yesterday.

Dia

[natickgirl]

Hi, I'm new to this site. I just finished the 7th HP book and it was even better than I expected it to be. J.K. Rowling has a great way of making her characters be real, feeling people. There is a lot of good vs. evil, and the books do get somewhat "darker" as the main villian becomes stronger. I feel it is good for my children to experience characters learning new ways to overcome evil. (And they know it is so far from being real--like Darth Vader--that I'm not worried about them becoming more evil as a result of reading the books.) I've let my 10 yr. old read them all, and my 8 yr. old is on book 3. I think some of the darkness is actually over their heads, so in a way it's better for them to read it at a younger age, in my opinion.

I am particularly impressed with intricate themes of integrity, honesty, loyalty, family, friendship, forgiveness, knowledge, and choice & accountability (sound familiar, all you Young Women graduates). Rowling integrates many of our "values". Her brilliance is that she does it in a non-religious way so people all over the world who wouldn't pick up a religious book are learning good values.

RE: the movies. I've never seen a movie that is as good as any book I've read. Visual depictions of violence, sex, & evil affect me more deeply than reading & imagining it. Also, with the movies you can't see beyond the action into what the characters are thinking, so the action is more stark & senseless. I will not let my children see all the HP movies. I wouldn't even let them see all of the 1st one, but DAD did. (Good going, Dad.)

My children will also not see the Lord of the Rings movies, even thought they've read all 4 books. That's my 2 cents worth. Of course, do what you feel comfortable with.

[smed]

Welcome aboard! We love to hear from new members. Thanks for your opinion on this discussion.

[Big_Sissy]

Great thoughts, and yes, welcome to BnS. It's awesome to have you amoung us. Hopefully we see you often

[Dia Minha]

Thanks homegirl. I appreciate your thoughts. You have given me a lot to think about.

I have to throw this in, just because it is so odd to me and there might be people out there wondering why I called you homegirl instead of natick. I was reading a book just last night called, Sand Dollar Summer. I had noticed that someone by the name of natickgirl had registered here so it really caught my attention. There is a scene where an Old Indian man is talking to a young girl and uses the word Natick, meaning home. The interesting thing is I don't know if it is Native American or Polynesian, because the man talking is an American Indian who lived in Hawaii for a while. So can you tell me what it is, and how you have come to use it?

Dia

[5ft Diva]

I just came up for air. I'm finally done w/ HP #7. I told BS that I was trying to get it done in 24 hours (and I would've if I didn't have very many interruptions...oh well, a mom before HP addict ) but I ended up only finishing it in 40 hours. It was so hard to put down. My sister-in-law and I had a very heated discussion concerning Professor Snape's loyalties after each of us read #6 and I was surprised that I was right. I can't wait to talk to her about it now and get her thoughts on it.

[natickgirl]

I'd like to think my user name was something deep & meaningful. However, I use "natickgirl" because I live in Natick, Massachusetts. Just moved here from Bountiful, UT last summer. There are a few different Native American tribes around here (including the famous Wampanoag tribe who dined with the first pilgrims near Plymouth, which is 1 hour from here). Hence, I'm guessing the word "natick" is Native American???

Very interesting.

[bookworm]

HEY! You wouldn't be my oldest dear friend, would you??? (oops, not oldest, just that you've been my friend since 8th grade- or is it 9th? I don't remember... I think it's 8th... then there was the year of Tracy Taylor...)

The one who had the boy in her ward growing up that I was in love with until I met my husband??? The boy you didn't like??? Who's initals are BKC??? Wow, flashback city...

The one who was here just a few weeks ago visiting with me and my kids in beautiful Tooele???

Welcome!!!!


boy, I'm gonna feel stupid if it isn't you.

[natickgirl]

Yup, Bookworm, it's me.

I knew you'd figure it out by my last post. Thanks for the link. (Did you have to remind me of "the year of Tracy"?)

I haven't seen or heard from BKC in years & years, although my big sis is still good friends with his big sis, and my little sis is still good friends with his little sis. And, for the record, I actually did like BKC up until about 9th grade. Then I decided it was too weird to like any boy in my own ward!!!

It was great to see you! Still waiting for your letters.

[bookworm]

yeah, I'm working on the letters... my boys have a writing assignment every day, next week is letters, so patience, please!