Resources - Children's Pages

September 2001

Kids’ Page
 

The new library book
 

Anne Groenenboom

When Mum came into the library, holding Joel by one hand and carrying a loaded shopping bag in the other, she saw Amy and Carla standing in line to get their books entered on the computer. She looked around for Chris and saw him sitting in a quiet corner, engrossed in the book he was reading. The girls waved to her, but Chris didn’t even notice his mother as she went past him toward the beginner book section to find some books for Joel, while the little boy played happily with the library toys.

Mum found some books with thick pages and bright colours and took them to the librarian, then she sent Amy to collect Joel and tell Chris it was time to go. Chris looked up in surprise as Amy called him, then put his book into his bag and hurried over to meet them. They all headed for the car with their loaded book bags, Chris carrying Joel’s as well as his own. As they reached the car park it began to rain, so Mum picked up Joel and they all made a frantic dash for the car. When everyone was safely out of the rain, Chris commented, “I’m glad I’ve got plenty to read because it looks as if it’s going to be a wet day tomorrow.” Amy agreed as she watched the raindrops pelting down.

As they drove home, Mum asked Chris what he had been reading in the library.
“It’s the new Harry Potter book, the fourth one. My name has been on the list for ages and I can only have it for a fortnight because lots of other people want it too, so I thought I’d start it straight away. I’d hate to have to take it back before I finished it,” Chris explained. Amy listened with interest because Mum had read one of the Harry Potter books to them and she had really enjoyed listening to it, also the discussions they’d all had about it.

“Will you read it to us each night, please Mum?” she asked hopefully.

“Well, Amy, there probably won’t be enough time to finish it before it has to go back to the library, but we’ll see what we can do,” Mum replied.

When they arrived home, the children stacked their books on the bookshelf where the library books were kept and gave Mum their book lists, to be safely kept until the books had to be returned. The girls had just tidied all their books away and Chris was already reading his book, when Mrs Jackson came in with some magazines for Mum to read. As she glanced at the book Chris was reading, Mrs Jackson looked rather surprised.

“I didn’t think you’d let Chris read that book,” she commented. “There’s an article in one of these magazines about the Harry Potter books and it says it’s wrong for kids to read them, because they’re about magic and wizards and witchcraft. Perhaps you don’t realise how bad they are...!”

Chris kept on reading quietly, at the same time listening to Mrs Jackson with one ear and hoping that she wouldn’t be able to persuade Mum that he shouldn’t be reading Harry Potter after all.

“Well, actually, I don’t think they’re so bad,” Mum stated, much to Chris’s relief. “I’ve read several reports in Christian magazines that are very positive and we’ve read one of the Harry Potter books together as a family. Have you ever read any of them?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t. I usually don’t read books for older kids, I only read stories to Robbie, because he’s so little... and of course, I hear Sharni reading her reader each night... but I never read the books that Chloe brings home.” Mrs Jackson replied.

“Well, you’d probably be surprised if you did, because so many of the books written for older children... and younger ones as well, contain themes of magic and mystical things that happen,” Mum commented.

“You can’t be serious!” Mrs Jackson argued. “I’m sure none of the books that Chloe brings home would be like that. She only reads books recommended by her teacher or the librarian, or what her friends are reading!”

“Exactly!” Mum exclaimed. “Her friends read these books too, because they’re on all the classroom bookshelves and in all the libraries. They’re very popular with kids, even those who don’t like reading much, because they have such interesting and unusual things happening in them.”

“Surely there aren’t so many books like that!’ Mrs Jackson sounded very doubtful.

“Most popular authors today write books like that, because that’s what the children want,” Mum continued. “I’ve even heard of a very well-known children’s author, whose books have always been on the best-seller lists and whose latest book was rejected by the publishers because it was ‘too ordinary’ for today’s readers.”

“I think I’d better go home and check what my girls are reading!” Mrs Jackson remarked and hurried off home.

When Dad arrived home, Chris and Mum were telling him what had happened when there was a knock on the door and their neighbour was back again, looking rather flustered.

“You’re absolutely right! I had no idea so many books were like that!” Mrs Jackson apologised to Mum. “Chloe tells me that everyone reads those books and I even found a book about witches in Sharni’s reading folder for her to read to me tonight!”

“When our kids started bringing those books home, we were a bit concerned, but then we decided that we’d read the books with them and teach them the difference between what’s right and wrong and also what could be real and what’s imaginary,” Dad explained to Mrs Jackson. “We’ve found it very interesting and we’ve had some great discussions. The kids love it if we read with them and they soon learn to discern what couldn’t be real.”

“When you go home, talk to Chloe about these stories and I’m sure you’ll find that she knows what’s real and what isn’t,” Mum suggested. “And when Sharni reads her story to you tonight, talk it over with her. You’ll probably find that she’s starting to understand the difference too. I’ve been in Carla’s class when the teacher reads a new book and she always talks about the stories, whether they’re things that could really happen or not. I’m sure they do the same in every class, so you don’t have to worry,” Mum reassured her neighbour.

After Mrs Jackson left, the children had lots of questions to ask.
“One of the boys in my class isn’t allowed to read the Harry Potter books either,” Chris said. “Why are people so uptight about them?” he asked.
“Well, Chris, don’t forget that parents have every right to choose what their children read, you know,” Dad reminded him. “We’d complain if you had to read something that we thought was unsuitable.”

“But what’s wrong with Harry Potter?” Chris asked.
“Well, I think it’s because the books are written specifically about wizards and spells and so on, so people think they must be evil. Most other books just have “odd” things that happen in them, often far stranger things than happen in the Harry Potter stories, but there’s no mention of witches or wizards, so people think they’re OK,” Mum replied.

“Some things that happen in other stories I’ve read are much more awful than anything in the Harry Potter books,” Chris commented and Mum nodded.

“There are lots of books about witches and magic in our reading boxes at school,” Amy stated. ”There wouldn’t be much left for me to read, if I didn’t read them.”

“Well, the Bible tells us not to get involved in using witchcraft, whatever the reason. Some people think that if you read those books it you will be involving yourself in witchcraft,” Dad explained. Amy still looked puzzled as she thought about this.
“But if you don’t believe it and know it’s not true, you’re not really getting involved are you?” she asked anxiously.

“No, I don’t think you have to worry,” Mum answered. “As long as you just enjoy them as adventure stories and remember what the Bible says about never putting your trust in any kind of magic or witchcraft.”

“Lots of people get really uptight about things like this,” Dad commented. “They think reading these books will give Satan opportunities to turn you away from living your lives for Jesus. They forget that Satan is always working hard to take their minds away from what they should be doing and that’s telling people about Jesus. They don’t realise that you can find opportunities to talk to your schoolmates about Jesus, even when you’re discussing the stories you’ve read, just the same as we do when we read them as a family.”

A MESSAGE FOR PARENTS.

1. Please be aware of what your kids are reading and take time to discuss various situations and themes with them. Discuss the heroes of stories (especially the apparently invincible ones) and the way they achieve their goals. Compare their attempts with the way God wants us to live our lives.
2. Encourage your kids to speak to their friends in the same way.

 

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