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Sunday 22 July 2007

Deathly Hallows


In case you've just emerged from a hermit's cave somewhere, the news is that the final Harry Potter book has just been released. I was in the local Warehouse branch (the NZ equivalent of Wal-Mart) when, at one minute past eleven yesterday morning, the checkouts were mobbed by eager readers of all ages. It was a sight to gladden the heart of any teacher.

I'm a big fan of kid's literature. With the current discussion on child rearing, my modest contribution is to encourage any and all adults to enrich their children's lives with a love of the printed word. Neither computer games nor movies will do it half as well (no, not even blogs!) Books light the fuse of imagination and get kids (and adults!) thinking, predicting, evaluating and forming their own opinions. Fiction is a safe way to look out on the world through someone else's eyes, confront scary situations, discover and explore values.

Those are life skills beyond price.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dennis Potter Here:

Perhaps for a balance against the the onslaught of Harry is a devil school of theological truth, one could consider:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Harry-Potter-vs-The-Bible...Whats-the-Difference?&id=90676

Early church art shows Jesus using a wand to bring forth lazarus and of course the difference beween anything Moses does to outdo the magicians of Egypt is simply that he appears to have won. A contest between competing wizards to be sure!

Russell Miller said...

I read the book and enjoyed it greatly. But there are some overarching themes that Christians should be proud of. To reject it they way they have is very narrowminded and unbecoming.

Anonymous said...

Actually if you grasp the lessons from Aesops fables and such, you pretty much can get through without selling your soul or having to tithe to an Church to tell you how to be, and then of course, change their minds a few times along the way...

Anonymous said...

Having a child thoroughly familiar with HWA's complete collection of non-fiction work as soon as possible is the best education to train up your child for a good start in life.

If your child is not yet able to read, begin by reading to them an episode of HWA's autobiography or other booklet to put the right ideas into their head.

Anonymous said...

HWA's complete collection of non-fiction work

Most of Herbert Armstrong's works were fiction.

How are to make the distinction?

Isn't exposing a youngster to this pervert's work child abuse?

Anonymous said...

I think the anonymous pushing reading herbie's B.S to your kids is yanking our crank.

At least I hope he / she is - For their own kid's sake.

Anonymous said...

I read the book and enjoyed it greatly. But there are some overarching themes that Christians should be proud of. To reject it they way they have is very narrowminded and unbecoming.

I'm not a Harry Potter fan myself, but I see no Christians protesting the new book. I've looked. There are far more coming out saying they like it...