From: Anne Swann <swann>
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 21:17:36 -0400

My own expirence of these books has been very good. Lately, we have been looking up various phrases and words in the OED. For instance, a muggle means a man with a tail. Or the Durmstrang ship must have been from the German, Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress; A literary movement in Germany). It is fun explaining to young adults and college students how even names are never random. These books can be a lovely introduction on roots of words. (Voldemort, Malfoy etc)

I am very curious about how to deal with Voldemorts parentage. My children are young, and they have already noticed that Voldemorts father was a muggle, and his mother a witch, yet everything he is 'preaching' is to get rid of muggle borns and mudbloods. Has anyone else had to deal with trying to explain this behavior?

On the subject of boys, as it was recently brought up, I had 7 brothers and they never settled things in the school yard if a friend was mad at them. My own sons, although still young, would be more apt to possibly fight an injustice that a Malfoy type of person might visit upon them, as opposed to fighting a friend. I think Rowling does portray boys very well. The money from the tournament and the pain which it caused Harry seemed so right on. At least I would hope that my son's would react in the same way.


Anne Swann Library/Media Specialist Thorndike Library College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Received on Wed 13 Sep 2000 08:17:36 PM CDT