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novel study

16 years ago

is harry potter a good novel for novel study?

Comments (7)

cinderalla
16 years ago
A good question, indeed. In fact, there are so many mixed reviews regarding the books regarding the illusionary world of wizards and witches and their magic.

Though, overall, it has been among the most popular books, but to have it for studies is something else? I mean like Archie comics and digest are famous but are not exactly study material.

We need more views.
barneyrubble
16 years ago
I agree that for a novel study you would hope that your choice of books would embody enough of the "right stuff" to make it worthwhile. When you consider what has been in vogue, or not, over the past 4-5 decades, it makes it even more challenging to be objective. As a newly retired teacher I would have no issues with using a Harry Potter book, or at least a portion of, because they certainly possess an enormous quantity of stylistic elements. As far as objections to wizardry, witchcraft, magic, etc. have we forgotten the original works of the Brothers Grimm? They certainly served my generation well! What do others think??
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cinderalla
16 years ago
Sincere thanks barneyrubble for your views, I agree fully. Though, there is a question, the fairy tales stories of Brothers Grimm were simple and clean. I mean that they did not have gory details of the killings or violence (children have told me the story portions).

An idea can be obtained by comparing the cartoons of "Power Rangers" and "Pokeman" with "Perman" or "Ninja Hajori". Both depict good over evil, but the way of depiction.

What do you say?
cinderalla
16 years ago
Sincere thanks barneyrubble for your views, I agree fully. Though, there is a question, the fairy tales stories of Brothers Grimm were simple and clean. I mean that they did not have gory details of the killings or violence (children have told me the story portions).

An idea can be obtained by comparing the cartoons of "Power Rangers" and "Pokeman" with "Perman" or "Ninja Hajori". Both depict good over evil, but the way of depiction is different.

What do you say?
jcrowley99
16 years ago
Cinderella, I can't help wondering if you have ever read any of the true Grimm's Brothers tales or only the sugar coated modern versions. I think you might be surprised by what you consider to be clean and simple tales if you read the original, unrevised tales. Personally I would not mind if my son had to read Harry Potter as a novel study, It would be way more enjoyable and a lot less graphic than some of the books he has read for school. I should mention he is a senior in AP and honors classes. But he has read books that left adult book groups disgusted.
donnar57
16 years ago
If you had been sitting in my house about 3 or 4 weeks ago, when the 7th HP book was released, you'd have been amazed at the literary discussion that went on between my husband, our 20 year old, and her boyfriend. My thoughts were, "My gosh, this would be a fantastic series for a novel study....in High School!"

DonnaR/CA
snickerdoodle564
16 years ago
I think the Harry Potter novels make for excellent studies. The books are already introduced in college classes, and I think they're appropriate for even a middle school classroom. They address a breadth of issues (racism/classism, good vs. evil, friendship and loyalty) that teachers discuss in more traditionally accepted novels. If a child is going to be more interested in reading Harry Potter over what's already on the syllabus, and he can get the same level of academic instruction from Harry Potter, why not?

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