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Harry Potter started out as children's book. But now it's defiinitely not for kids. Dark themes, dead students, dead relatives, rotting corpses, blood rituals, looming war, and a protagonist who's probably gonna bite the dirt in the end. Definitely not for the average 11-year old. I think the book is gradually growing into a teenage/adult book. Most of the people who read the books in my area are high school students and college students. Anyone else have any thoughts?

your 11 years old, you read philosophers stone
you read CoS, your 12
PoA-13
GoF-14


The books are made for an older audience because your growing up

I didn't read the philosopher's stone until I was 14. The year the 1st Harry Potter came out it was not very popular at first. It took about two years for it to become a worldwide phenomenon. Not everyone read the books in proportion to their age. There are some kids just starting the series and there are adults who are just starting the series. The chronological age argument is debatable and largely inaccurate. But if this was J.K. Rowling's purpose, then it didn't work very well since it takes so long for her books to come out.

it can't remain a little kids book forever! harry's growing up and it's clear that this isn't going to be some "sunny happily ever after" story. otherwise, it would be some boring book series. and i wouldn't continue to read it.

Exactly! The Goblet of Fire movie will probably be PG-13 too.

The same thing is happening with the Star Wars movie but for one who knows the material it should not be that big of a problem of and

Goblet of Fire will most likley score PG-13

didn't JKR say something bout the HP books never were intended for kids but for adults?

That....is the gayest thing I have ever heard of.

jkr said that it was for adults as well as children.

i say who cares if it's going to be pg-13? yes, maybe the little kids care but for GoF, it would have been hard to keep it PG and to stay true to the book.

exactly. if cedrics death is going to be grousome as rumored, it would make kids faint!!

i dont think it should b gruesome...it wasnt in the books y should it b in the movie?? besides the avada-kedavra curse isnt supposed to b gruesome its supposed b quick....painless is still questionable....but it is supposed to b quick.

now as far as the first book goes i thought the ending was pritty gay.....i mean c'mon.....a dude w/ another dude's face on the back of head???? plllleeezz......& the 2nd book wasnt even that much of a threat either.......everything that was happening was under the control of a memory......A MEMORY!!!.....C'MON PPL!! & then voldemort wasnt even in the 3rd book......but i do hav to say the 3rd book WAS when the series started gettin good!

Definitely isn't grusome. And why couldn't it be for kids. It not like the books talk about chopping people's heads off and torching them...etc.. the death's maybe are detailed, but are not gorry!!!

JKR has said that the harry potter books were intended for adults, not children.

i'm not saying it will be gruesome. lilsis is right; the curse is quick. i'm saying that in GoF, there might be a few other things that may be a little intense for little kids.

It is for all ages no matter the ages.It is for kids and older people!If you have good taste you would read harry potter!JM

^ well said

I've heard this both ways. Some say that Harry books are jus for the kids and then on the flip side, other say it's just for adults.

Now, as someone whose studying to be a writer myself, let's get a few details straight. When an author submits their book to the agent and book publisher, it is true that they have to have the "intended" age group for the book. JK might have said young adult, probably which is like 11-13 or she might have said teens. This is just so the publishing company has an idea of where the book should be focused on, and where it should be placed in book stores (with other Young Adult Books, or Teens, etc.)

Now, that might have been the "intended" age group, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that any author who has published a book, is more than glad when their book not only reaches sucess from the "intended" age group, but among other's as well. Harry Potter books are so good that my aunt whose 45 years old has ALL of the books! So all of that jazz about the books being "just" for kids or something = rubbish.

Anyoone who enjoys the story and love the books = that's who the HP books are for.

^ i second that.

plus, it's hard to please everyone (that includes age groups). a writer isn't going to change the content because it's getting a bit darker.

as for the movies, people are going to complain anyways. if the movie tries to keep it appropiate for kids, people are going to complain that it isn't true to the book and if it stays true to the book and does get a bit of a higher rating, then people (or in this case, parents) are going to complain that younger kids won't be able to see it even though they are faithful fans.

I also agree w/ rogue.

But it does annoy me when ppl say that HP is a childrens book. I didn't start reading them until I was 16. And I absolutely love them. Yes, the first one seemed to be geared a little more towards a younger set, but as Harry grows, so does the scope of the books. I certainly would not have tackled some of the recent HP books as an 11 year old, in fact, I don't know if my parents would have allowed it! But yes, I agree that the books are being geared more and more towards an older generation.

well think about it u've got this architype character called a dementor (& for those of u who dont know wat demented means look it up) & it sucks all the happiness out of u until u hav nothing else to live on...uve got a 3 headed dog that represents the guardian of the Underworld (see Greek Mythology) called Cerberus...u run into all this talk about mysterious dark marks, death eaters, killing/tormenting curses, murderous giants, & flying brains...&.....OYEAH....now i remember!......strange flesh-eating drangonish, horse-like creatures w/ milky pupilless eyes, fur dangling from their bones, & can only b seen by those who've witnessed death itself..............................................do u guys REALLY think that this is for children...........i know i wouldnt want my child reading this sort of stuff.............at least not until they reach a reasonable age.

She's right you know.

My cousin who is 9 years old is in the middle of the 5th one. I do think that that is too young for it. He is always asking me questions about it that he wouldnt be asking if he were older (he doesnt understand a lot of the stuff thats going on). My aunts are 50 years old, and they both read Harry Potter...I think my grandma (76) even reads them. So it is no really a childrens book. There are a lot of dark things going on. They may have started out for kids, but not anymore.

Thats bcoz the books were made for adults 2 read..JK neva designed them 4 childrens books....Its just happened that kids liked em

Sorry if this has been said I just can't b stuffed reading the rest of the thread

y thank u