Good- There have been a lot of religious debates over Harry Potter, and that has brought fantasy in general under fire. I have not chosen to read the Harry Potter books. Since the debate rages on about Harry Potter, and people keep comparing it to some fantasy series I really love namely Narnia and Lord of the Rings this book by Richard Abanes seemed an obvious choice to read.

The book really makes several good points about fantasy. That parents need to be aware of the content of what their children read as well as what they watch. That just because kids are reading doesn't mean what they are reading is good for them. That some kids are more likely to be influenced by fantasy, and some kids are more likely to be influenced by mysticism. That helping your kids pick books that are appropriate for them is not censoring them. (Would you let your 6 year old watch 300?) And that fantasy can be a very effective story telling tool and we shouldn't write it off as being all bad.

Then he goes on to talk specifically about about occultist books, and each of the books mentioned in his title. He points to several series that spell out specific ways in which to preform wiccan or pagan rituals that are aimed at the young adult readership. He also points out Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy which was written from an atheists standpoint, and is written to lead children in that direction. He talks about the history of the writing of Narnia and LOTR and how they were made with a distinctly Christian viewpoint.

An interesting side note "Pullman has expressed surprise over what he perceives as a low level of criticism for His Dark Materials on religious grounds, saying "I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak... Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God"." from wiki

The real meat of the book though is about Harry Potter. Remember I haven't read the books (or watched the movies), so my comments are merely what I remember from Abanes' book. I must say he does point out the there are some good things in the books, and doesn't advocate for book burning or banning or anything like that. But he makes a good argument for the books being based on more real occultic traditions than on fantasy magic, and for the adult characters being bad examples. He also points out that the kids are not really good examples themselves; cheating, cussing, breaking the rules, etc.

I could go on, but really I should let you read the book for yourself. ( )

we have to read this book for my JANUARY SHORT-COURSE on Christianity and Literature...

While this book tries to be fair and impartial, it fails miserably by taking on too many topics for its short length. Abanes published his book before the final volume of the Harry Potter series was released, and so misses much of what Rowling was trying to do with the series, where she reveals herself to be highly literate in Christianity. He also glosses over many of the critical aspects that parents could find objectionable in the Narnia series - like the scene with Bacchus and the dancing naked in the streets with him.

The whole second half of the book makes absolutely no connection with the first half, in that none of the LotR, Narnia, or HP movies were really discussed. Instead, Abanes focused more upon how the rating system in America sucks - since he doesn't even mention the UK ratings system, which is a further bias that mars the work. He makes allegations about the violence of the "society" that watches/reads/listens to works where violence is glorified. What Abanes fails to take into consideration is that this is a mainly American phenomenon. This violence is just not present in other countries that have access to the exact same material. Which begs the question - what really is the cause of all the violence here in America? Obviously not what Abanes is trying to pin it on. By placing the blame too much on the works rather than the parents that should be guiding their children in what they read/watch/listen to, Abanes is taking away the responsibility that is every parent's duty in raising their children in the model that they want them raised. ( )

This is one of the better responses to Harry Potter. Much better than his response to the Da Vinci code, I found Abanes reasonable and wise. He doesn't suggest that all children will respond to the dangers in the same way, or that the books should be banned for all Christian readers; rather, he discusses the need for discernment and wisdom as parents guide their children. Enough to make me cheer!

Pastors must have a ready answer when their people want to know about the materials their children want to read. this book helps the pastor to prepare for the inevitable questions to come. ( )