Is Harry Potter Harmful to Children? Read a similar article by Judy Blume here. I had just begun to hear a bit of the controversy about the Harry Potter books when the Scholastic Book Fair came to our school. My daughter had to have one and though I hesitated a moment, I wanted to read it too. A voracious reader in childhood, I was puzzled as an adult to hear the concerns that my favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, was anti-Christian. So, I was curious about Harry Potter because of it's enormous popularity and the controversy over it's "theological appropriateness". Great children's books speak to the unconscious. Children have strong feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and helplessness, but they haven't developed the rational thinking skills that an adult has to cope with these feelings. Bruno Bettelheim describes the psychological importance of dealing with the unconscious through fairy tales in The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and importance of fairy tales. [Bettelheim's book was written partially as a response to a movement by some parents in the early 20th century to ban children's fairy tales due to their violent and unrealistic content. And, in fact, the fairy tales of today are considerably watered down versions of the originals due to this movement.] The Harry Potter books have all the elements of a classic fairy tale but they speak to modern children in a way that classic fairy tales probably do not anymore. A fairy tale, or great children's book guides the child's unconscious in a structured way to resolve painful feelings. This frees the child to cope on a conscious level without being overwhelmed by all the underlying feelings of anxiety and alienation. Rowling uses very specific imagery to guide the reader from the mundane world of the wounded ego down into the mysterious world of the nonrational unconscious. The reader travels along with Harry as he leaves the city on a red train, past the fields, and into the deep woods. Night falls and he arrives at a mountain lake which he glides across to a huge castle. Inside he finds an incredible place where he can't see the ceiling and ghosts amble through the walls gossipping. Harry (and the child) are transported to a place of wonder where he is special and even revered. Harry is fearful but brave as he faces the immense learning and the dangers of this world. Rowling does a good job of reassuring the child that he is safe in this place. As in any good fairy tale, it is very clear that the reader is moving from the real world into fantasy then back again to the real world where he is stronger and more whole from his journey.. Could an obsession with, or even an interest in the Harry Potter books encourage exploration into witchcraft? A brief visit to some of the Harry Potter fan sites made me wonder. At The Unofficial Harry Potter Fan Club , children are invited to cast spells to win a contest, hmmm - dabbling in witchcraft maybe? On further exploration, though, I learn that spells (or charms) are actually creative word games. In fact, I ended up loving this site because it engages children to write stories, show their art work, and make up creative and unusual words. As usual, I couldn't pass up the Harry Potter party ideas. Another high quality fan site is The Wonderful World of Harry Potter. Children can also enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, hmmm again. What might they be learning there!? A fascination with the occult and witchcraft? Hardly. Check the educational Hogwart Library page to see how a child can use his fascination with Harry Potter to learn about early history and hone his creative writing skills. I love the invitation to theorize about the Y1K problem. At another virtual Hogwarts School children are invited to be sorted into a Hall, then to earn points for their Hall by using their imagination to come up with creative ideas and stories in an interactive fiction format. Yes, there is a section on ancient runes and also spells (as well as Wizard Duels, oh my!) Really, it's all just imaginative and creative play, not a gateway to the occult. As a Christian mom, the Harry Potter books don't scare me. I want my children to have wonder and imagination and magic in their lives. I want them to read books of fantasy that speak to and challenge their unconscious to be the best they can be. Then, when they encounter God in their lives, they will have both the ability to believe in His awesome Nature and the discernment to recognize and follow the truth of His Word. Back to Harry Potter Land