Customer Reviews
Make This Book Available 
2007-07-29
Instead of burning Harry Potter and attacking J.K. Rowling..I suggest all Christian parents make haste to purchase and read (or, better yet, ask your librarian to have a copy purchased so that many people can read) Nancy Brown's new book "The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide." -www.caygibson.typepad
Cay Gibson, author of Catholic Mosaic: Living the Liturgical Year with Literature an Illustrated Book Study for Cathoilc Children
Helpful resource for wondering parents 2007-07-21
As a concerned Catholic mom, I have followed the ups and downs, pros and cons of the Potter series and mega marketing extravaganza over the years. I read the first four books to my children aloud, but at that point put them down, uncomfortable with the dark new tone and arc of the series. Since that time, I have read and listened to compelling reasons to avoid the Potter series; I have also read lucid arguments supporting the series. As a homeschooling mom with graduate work in folklore and children's literature, my first reaction to the series was to support it as classic children's literature, complete with classic types and motifs and great structure and vocabulary...all the good stuff. However, in my efforts to be also a mindful catholic mother, I also found the other arguments against the series well thought out and worth considering. Ultimately, I just shut the series down at our house. The kids were not rabid about Potter and it was easier to take a wait and see stance. My husband took the kids to the movies and discussed them thoroughly, had them pick them apart and point out inconsistencies in the moral grounding (the ends never justify the means, etc) and ethics and so on.
Now, as we approach the revealing of the full arc of the storyline, my interest has grown again toward deciding just what DO I think of the Potter series and how do I want to handle them?
This is a long background to say that Mrs. Brown's book helped quite a bit for me to sort through the various arguments and 'camps' on the series. She presents all the different factions and objections as well as the positive qualities in an evenhanded, thoughtful manner. She cautions and does not endorse, rather, she presents and examines and asks the parent/reader to do the same and come to your own conclusion based on your own standards and needs. Areas of concern as a catholic parent are also examined and reviewed, with suggestions of topics to discuss and/or evaluate. I found the book very helpful. My husband is skeptical of the series as a whole and it's usefulness, I am encouraging him to also read this book so we can discuss it and make our decision together. I think this book is a great resource to digest the tsunami of Potter mania pro and con in a level-headed, even treatment, with the concerns of raising our kids catholic being paramount, rather then them simply being on the top of the secular mainstream cultural curve. Worth a look.
Bravo! 
2007-07-15
Bravo, Mrs. Brown! Your thoughtful, well-written book is a breath of fresh air! Like a previous commenter, I was already a fan of Harry and didn't really need this book to make my decision about the Potter books, but have found it to be valuable for discussing the series with my own children and my friends who are not (yet) fans of Harry Potter.
This book does a fantastic job of distilling all the hype and showing where the truth lies. Mrs. Brown does not give a blanket endorsement of these books... she gives parents some tools to make that decision for themselves. She offers helpful guidelines for determining at what age children may be ready for each book (the books grow in intensity as the series progresses) and helps to put the objections of sincere Catholics into perspective.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, this guide for Catholic families can give you more to chew on as you read and reread the series.
If you are unsure of what to think about Harry Potter, this book will give you a lot of food for thought as you determine whether or not they are right for your family.
If you oppose Harry Potter, this book might help you to take another view of the series and will definitely help you understand why your pro-Harry friends may not be as off as you think... even if you never approve of the Harry Potter series for your own family.
Good job, Mrs. Brown. I love the book.
Great look at Harry Potter from a Catholic perspective 2007-07-13
When I got this book I pretty much sat down and read it in one sitting. It is subtitled A Catholic Family Guide and that is exactly what it is. Over the years there has been a certain amount of controversy over whether Christian parents should let their children read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowlings. Mrs. Brown provides a great resource for parents in prudently deciding this question and the answers and suggestions she gives should be used by all parents in deciding what literature they should allow their children to read.
Nancy Brown had originally started at the the point of a negative view towards the world of Harry Power and later revisited this because a Catholic friend of hers who she trusted recommended them and ended up reading the books and reading some of them to her children. I myself had quite a negative view of the Harry Potter book since I had read and heard commentary against them by Catholics whose views I generally trusted. Though over the years I was surprised to find that there wasn't this anti-Potter bias in the Catholic blogosphere and in fact there was quite a positive view of the books and the movies in general. I have seen the first four movies and enjoyed them and finally got around to reading the first six books in the series earlier this year in just a two week period. I enjoyed the series and like so many others is awaiting the final book in the series. I got around the to reading the books mainly because of Nancy Brown's blog and her entries on the books.
I really liked the advice given in The Mystery of Harry Potter in that even though she enjoys the books she does not advocate parents just going out and getting the books and giving them to her children. I also liked the fact that she encouraged parents to read the books first and then to make their own decision as to whether their children should read the books at all. She mentions that after all there are just so many good books that they could read and it certainly is not mandatory in any way that people should read these books. This advice certainly goes along with the Catholic view that parents are the primary educators. She also gives good general advice on pre-reading children's books in general and web resources for book reviews. She also gives a general guide as to what ages each book is appropriate to and that this must be used with prudence in considering the sensitivity of each child. The books do get darker as they go since they do deal with the battle of good and evil and death. While talking about the series she is careful not to give away plot points to those who have not yet read the book.
Since Nancy Brown is a thoroughly going fan of G.K. Chesterton I was not surprised at the Chestertonian references throughout. I did find it quite interesting that through out the book she used sections of Chesterton's Lepanto poem with sections of the HP books along with contrasts. Besides Chesterton she references C.S. Lewis, Thomas Fleming's The Morality of Everyday Life, John Granger's Looking for God in Harry Potter, and several other books. One section of the book starts off with Michael O'Brien's A Landscape With Dragons: The Battle for Your Child's Mind, though I think she should have mentioned that O'Brien (an author I really like) has written extensively against the Harry Potter books. This book was also accidentally left out of the biography at the end of the book.
I do think that Mrs. Brown did a very good job of addressing the complaints of critics and where they had valid points she agreed with them. I do think seeing these books primarily as a Fairy Tale as she and others have proposed is the best way to understand them and that they are driven by a Christian imagination and the magical elements to the stories are the background and not the primary focus. She points out that really it should be secular side that should be complaining about the series because amazingly it is so free of political correctness so often found in children's books today. That the power of love and sacrificial love, friendships, good vs. evil morality, children needing the help of adults are the main themes of the books. I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the balance. There is no tint of "if you don't like the books something is wrong with you" and that she doesn't just overlook some problematic aspects of the books such as the so-called "white lies' told by Harry and his friends at times. She puts all the impetus on the parents to judge. Towards the end she also addresses the movies in the Harry Potter franchise and cautions that Harry is much nobler in the books and the scripts in the movies sometimes inject dialogue not really fitting.
An appendix includes interviews with Dale Alquist the president of the American Chesterton Society and Regina Doman author of Angels in the Water and other children's books on the subject of the Harry Potter books. Both of the interviews are interesting for their insights and Regina Doman was once in the anti-Potter camp. Another appendix includes discussion questions for teachers, catechists, and parents. Throughout the book there are discussion points of topics pertaining to the books to make for fruitful parent child interaction and to ensure that proper lessons are learned from the series.
This is a really good book whether you are a fan of series or have some serious questions about it.
Getting to the heart of Harry Potter 2007-07-03
A bit of background on my part. I already love Harry. I didn't think I needed a guide for my family, but I have many friends who are convinced the stories are a slippery slope to evil. I was hoping this book would give me some helpful hints to discussing Potter with folks like this.
What I really loved about this book is that it is a common sense approach, not only to Harry Potter, but to family-life in general. Ms. Brown encourages reading together as a family, and discussing themes and whether or not they are appropriate for your family. She reminds us, it is our job as parents to set rules and guidelines for our children in what they watch and what they read. Certainly, as she walks you through her own path to discovering HP, you come to understand why Potter is a worthy work for families to read together.
Her book offers discussion questions, connections to literary history and real, honest-to-goodness thoughts about why Harry is an important phenomenon. Her guide cuts through the rhetoric and hyperbole associated with those who have frequently dismissed the books. It is a clear, concise, non-confrontational book about what I knew to be true when I began reading HP.
Harry Potter is a morality tale. It is about how love triumphs over everything in the end. The Mystery of HP takes everything and makes you see how it works together. The book hits all right points, offers great questions to think about and makes me want to go back and re-read books 1 through 6 before #7 comes out this month (and maybe even some Chesterton too). Even if you've never questioned whether Harry Potter is appropriate for your family, if you don't feel the need for a "guide", this book is worth reading. She provides a reminder and an analysis of all that is good and true in the Potter series.
An unfortunate and unnecessary injection of political views 
2007-10-10
I was very disappointed with the tone and tenor of this book. The author (and those submitting essays at the end) are using the Harry Potter series as a vehicle to not only promote the virtues of homeschooling, but to take gratuitous pot shots at single parents, public schools and homosexuals. (For example, there is a suggestion that bad things happen to those with single parents, ignoring the fact that Draco Malfoy resides in a two parent household.) As an active Catholic, married mother of a young son and Harry Potter fan, I found these comments unnecessary, offensive and ultimately distracting from some good points that were made in the book.
Great Resource 2007-09-03
This book is one-of-its kind--a Catholic review of Harry Potter that is written by somebody who has actually read the books objectively. Ms. Brown gives a logical, consistent analysis of the material. While she is obviously pro-Harry Potter, she does not shy from criticizing the novels when it is warrented.
As a devout Catholic, I was always wondering why these books--unlike other stories nowadays with witch heroes--did not smack of 'true' occult practices, and why they did not repulse me. Ms. Brown shows why--Harry Potter is not a series about the glories of the occult, but a Christian-themed hero's journey.
I would highly recommend this work to both fans and non-fans alike as a tool in discerning the value of reading the Harry Potter series.
HP is Good for Your Kids 2007-08-26
I am a huge HP fan. I have read each book as it has come out. We started reading them to our children a few years ago. They, too, love them. Now, they are reading them on their own. This book is an excellent source of information to get family conversations started regarding all the good that is in the HP books. I love the Catholic parrallels! It has really helped me have some great discussions with my kids. They really get it, too!
An excellent book that can be used in many ways ... 2007-08-18
I learned about this book from of all people, my 10 year old daughter. She asked if I would order it so she could read it. I said if she promised to read it all the way through, then we would get it for her. When it arrived, I read it myself first, and realized that the book was meant more for parents than for children. However, I came up with a plan to use it with her active participation. I said that as she read the sixth book, after she finished a chapter, we would go through the "table discussions" and questions posed by Ms. Brown in a chapter of "The Mystery" book. It worked out very well - chapter after chapter I learned to appreciate a different side of the Harry Potter series than I might have otherwise, and so did my daughter. On top of that, we both got to talk to each other about the media, morality (including moral relativism), the value of heroes, making the right choices, and how we all have to constantly on our guard against the evil in this world.
The book has other uses. For example, to stimulate dinner table discussion, and in helping parents decide if their child is really ready to read the series, and/or see the movies. For example, for several reasons, we delayed allowing our daughter to read the sixth book until this summer. After reading the seventh book, I can see she will have to wait until at least next summer for that.
Thank you Mrs. Brown for making such a terrific resource available to parents - whether they are Catholic or not!
Now I don't have to write that long series of blog posts .... 2007-08-04
The Mystery of Harry Potter is a book I've been waiting for.
Weary of defending the fact that I've allowed Harry into our home, I longed for some good Catholic mom to write down all the reasons why Harry can be perfectly compatible with a faithful, orthodox Catholic family.
I've mentioned on my blog a couple of times that I wanted to write a series of posts about how I came to be a fan, came to allow the books for my older children, and about the ways in which I believe the books are misinterpreted or misrepresented by some outspoken Catholic critics. I haven't gotten that series done because other things have simply taken priority in life and writing, putting Harry on the back burner. And, being a stickler, I didn't want to write about the books until I could devote the time necessary to do them justice.
I still don't have that series of posts written, but now it doesn't seem nearly as important. My own experience of initial reluctance, followed by treading slowly and carefully into Harry Territory, and then not only allowing the series, but enjoying it along with my kids, is very similar to Nancy Brown's experience.
And, my overall take is the same as Nancy's, and it's simple:
Read ... Guide ... Discuss.
But, then, that's my take on everything with my kids. We read a lot of stuff together. Their dad and I guide them. There's discussion, often fun and lively, sometimes critical and dissecting. Isn't that what we parents are supposed to do?
I really enjoyed the opening of Nancy's book, because it all sounded so familiar. Like Nancy, I was initially reluctant to jump on the Harry bandwagon. Like Nancy, I'd read a number of critical reviews from writers I respected. Like Nancy, I'd concluded that there were good reasons to stay away. My kids weren't interested anyway, so there was no conflict. But then, my kids started to ask about the books. I began quizzing friends who were simultaneously HP fans and orthodox Catholics. Then I decided to do the most common-sensical thing:
It was time to read the books for myself. (Hmmm ... just like Nancy.)
I previewed Book One about four years ago. I found it delightful. Not perfect, but delightful. A "rattlin' good story," as C.S. Lewis liked to call such yarns. And by the time I reached the last page, I was surprised by the overarching themes: sacrificial love, friendship and doing "what is right over what is easy."
I decided to share the book with the kids as a read-aloud. From the get-go, we talked about the difference between "magic" as it is forbidden in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.
and "magic" as it is portrayed in Harry Potter:
the magic of an imaginary fantasy world. J.K. Rowling's creation is an imagined, alternate universe in which "wizards" and "witches" are people who are born with the ability to do magical things. They do not call upon Satan or demons and they do not try to tame occult powers. There are no "occult" powers, because there is not a "source" for their kind of magic. "Magical" in Harry's world, is simply the way some people are born. There's an entire alternate wizarding world, unseen by "Muggles" (that would be us -- non-magical people) in which the fantastic is normal: unicorns exist, giants dwell in the forest, invisible creatures pull carriages and folks fly on broomsticks for a fast-paced game called Quidditch. Wizards can travel through fireplaces and wave a wand to get dinner going or to knit a cap for an elf.
This is all quite different from the case of a Catholic child sitting in her bedroom and attempting to call upon spirits, summon the dead, read tarot cards, use a Ouija board or rely on a horoscope. We know and understand these differences and we take them seriously. (It would take more than one blog post to address all the reading I've done on the HP issue, both pro and con. Suffice to say for the time being that it's been extensive, and over the past few years I've read a great deal of the resources Nancy lists on her bibliography page at Our Sunday Visitor.)
Back to the HP books. We kept reading. I previewed, then we did them as read-alouds together. We made it through the first three and I was hooked. I quickly read Books 4 and 5 just before Book 6 came out two years ago. The kids and I were sharing the adventure, and we talked about everything: from Harry and his friends' mistakes, to their courageous choices, from the ways in which they were growing up to the ways in which they stayed the same, from the Christian symbolism and the theme of free will to the delightful imagination of the author.
And this is exactly the sort of thing that Nancy Brown recommends in The Mystery of Harry Potter, which is why I'm so grateful to have this book to share with friends. Nancy says, and I agree, that we need to know what our kids are reading. We need to talk to them, help them figure it out and, most importantly, place it in the context of their faith. My goal as a Catholic mother is to do this with everything my kids encounter. This is how we teach them to be in the world but not of it.
The Mystery of Harry Potter addresses the concerns that Catholic parents may have about J.K. Rowling's books. Nancy Brown answers the objections with clarity and common sense, as well as literary and theological support. She doesn't give the books her unconditional approval, and rightly so. She doesn't brush off concerns and counter that the books are harmless fun for all ages. No -- Nancy Brown is a responsible mom who gave the series a critical read and moved forward from there. She encourages other parents to do the same.
My only quibble with the book is a selfish one: I would have loved to see more explication of specific examples from the books that illustrate the Christian themes. But Nancy, an avid reader who is considerate of other readers, didn't want to create a book full of spoilers, and I have to admire that consideration and restraint.
The Mystery of Harry Potter doesn't try to convert anyone to Potterism. But, if you've wondered what all the fuss is about, if you've had doubts or concerns, if you've read things that convince you your children will be drawn into the occult as a result of reading the series, then Nancy Brown's book can help you. It offers a concise guide to the objections that have been floating around for years, as well as reassurance that not only is Harry not going to harm your well-guided children, but you and your family just might even find joy and unexpected delight in Harry's extraordinary, imaginary life.
