The Wisdom of Harry Potter. What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Moral Choices

Editorial Review
Since the 1997 release of J.K. Rowling's first novel--HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE--no series of children's books has been more incredibly popular or widely influential. How do we explain the enormous appeal of these stories to children? Should parents welcome this new interest in reading among their kids or worry, along with the critics, that the books encourage either moral complacency or a perverse interest in witchcraft and the occult?

In this original interpretation of the Harry Potter sensation, Edmund M. Kern argues that the attraction of these stories to children comes not only from the fantastical elements embedded in the plots, but also from their underlying moral messages. Children genuinely desire to follow Harry as he confronts a host of challenges in an uncertain world, because of his desire to do the right thing. Harry's coherent yet flexible approach to dealing with evil reflects an updated form of Stoicism, says Kern. He argues that Rowling's great accomplishment in these books is to have combined imaginative fun with moral seriousness.

Kern's comprehensive evaluation of the Harry Potter stories in terms of ethical questions reveals the importance of uncertainty and ambiguity in Rowling's imaginative world and highlightrs her call to meet them with virtues such as constancy, endurance, perseverance, self-discipline, reason, solidarity, empathy, and sacrifice. Chidren comprehend that growing up entails some perplexity and pain, that they cannot entirely avoid problems, and that they can remain constant in circumstances beyond their control. In essence, Harry shows them how to work through their problems, rather than seek ways around them. Despite the fantastical settings and events of Harry's adventures, children are quick to realize that they are just a fictional reflection of the confusing and disturbing circumstances found in the real world.

Kern also shows adults how much they can gain by discussing with children the moral conundrums faced by Harry and other characters. The author outlines the central morals of each book; considers the common critiques of the books; discusses Rowling's skillful blend of history, legend, and myth; and raises important questions for guiding children through Harry's adventures.

This fresh, instructive, and upbeat guide to Harry Potter gives parents a wealth of useful and educational information for discussing the moral implications of this continuously popular series of books with their children.
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Customer Reviews

A Great Defense of the Series, Offers an Intriguing Moral Analysis

2006-02-11
"Harry Potter" is a popular, but very controversial series. From accusations of encouraging witchcraft to complaints about the book's social themes, there has been much criticism of the series, despite its massive appeal. In "The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us about Moral Choices," Edmund M. Kern presents a defense against the criticisms and succeeds brilliantly. His defense is comphrensive, thoughtful, detailed and well-organized. He even goes further, providing background on the series and offering his own analysis of the books' themes. Although his references to the books occasionally contain small errors in detail, it is obvious that he has read them and it helps that he is also a parent. (Although he stresses that his book is not just for parents, but anyone who's interested in a thorough analysis of the series' themes.) He has also held discussions of the series on the radio.

Edmund M. Kern posits to great effect that the themes of the books are an example of modern-day Stoicism. He develops this theory nicely in the first three chapters, while also touching on other themes and other critical analysis of the books. The fourth and fifth chapters tackle both the religious and social criticisms of the books. Kern exposes many flaws in arguments against the series. uses examples from the books along with intelligent commentary to reassure those who don't know what to make of the idea that the series corrupts readers or demonizes them somehow.

Kern shows that imagination is the key to this series greatness. While it may not present a perfect society, it is very real in many ways, and readers can relate to it. I recommend this book for any "Harry Potter" fan interested in a well-written defense of the series.

I hope this book is someday updated, because right now, it has only a brief analysis of "Phoenix" and, of course, nothing on "Prince."

Delightful & Intelligent for Adults who love Harry & Kids

2005-05-21
Kern's easy-to-read, educated analysis allows us to relive the stories while seeing how they build confidence and self-understanding through Harry's choices, based on values rather than outside pressure. 50-some years old, left brained and typically interested in non-fiction, I started reading the Harry Potter books because I admired so that they made kids interested in reading. I believe reading is the key to a child's futures and I wanted to understand the motivation these books were giving young people. So far, I've loved 5 of the Potter books and the 6th one is on order. I also gave the Potter fever to my 74-year-old Dad and brother, a tough 34-year-old in prison who read and then passed them around to other inmates! He said, "Now I see why Mom loved to read." Then I found and read the Wisdom of Harry Potter by Edmund Kern, drawn by the great art on the cover, subtitle and Table of Contents - not to mention Kern's credentials and Introduction. The Wisdom of Harry Potter made me feel great for "choosing" to delve into Rowling's stories. Mr. Kern deserves 10 stars for sharing his brilliance so delightfully!

Should your child read Harry Potter? This book can help you.

2004-10-30
I thouroughly enjoyed this book by Edmund Kern. He does a great job of encapsulating the morality of Harry Potter. Excellent use of resources and summarizing other books written on Harry Potter. The book is written in easy to read sections and is understandable to those who have not taken philosophy courses. Great for parents who enjoy the stories and want to explain to their children what moral decisions Harry must make and the morality of the decisions he does make. Though one hasn't had to have read the HP books before buying this one since Kern's book summaries of books 1-5 are excellent. This is a great starting point for any parent who has wondered, "Should my child read Harry Potter?"

A brilliant work

2003-11-29
This is a wonderful work, well researched and fascinating...

An Excellent Resource

2003-09-12
This book is the most carefully studied, in-depth look at Harry Potter that I've found. It not only discusses the books' morality, but relates it to Rowling's use of history, legend and myth. It is a must for Harry Potter fanatics, but if you haven't read them yet and still want to, save this one for last.
I would recommend it to anyone who prefers to read books with substance and without platitude. It's clear, concise style would make it a useful tool for any teacher whose students are reading the Harry Potter books. "The Wisdom of Harry Potter" has a wonderful way of showing how philosophy can be interwoven with literature.
Any parents who've had doubts about their children reading Harry Potter will find this an excellent resource. And I would go so far as to challenge any of those people who want to ban these books from their children's libraries to find fault with the logic of this book.