Harry Potter

Re “Harry Potter, Evil? Oh, Hogwarts,” by Mike Downey, Oct. 24: Hear, hear for Harry Potter, wizardry, witchcraft, Hogwarts and all! Isn’t it wonderful that our children and grandchildren have discovered a new hero and want to read? How can we even consider denying them the pleasure that we once enjoyed while reading fantasy stories with witches and wizards such as “The Chronicles of Narnia” (including “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”) or “The Wizard of Oz,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Cinderella,” etc.

These stories all have heroes who rise from danger, poverty or impossible situations, who use their resources and intelligence (not unlike our Harry) to resolve their problems. Harry Potter is a hero for the ‘90s, and we can’t deny him a place on our children’s bookshelves.

SANDRA BERNHAGEN

Dana Point

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I agree, Harry Potter--that wicked, dark and evil child of author J.K. Rowlings’ imagination--is a menace to civilized society (“Despite Sales, Some Not Wild About Harry,” Oct. 22). By the same token, I also agree that the Cat in the Hat is a sociopath who preys on small children while their mothers are away; Huckleberry Finn is a racist; and the Bunny in “Goodnight Moon” in an insomniac who is more in need of immediate medical attention than homemade remedies consisting of bowls “full of mush” and old women whispering “Hush!”

To Potter’s critics I say: Get real--or, better yet, get unreal! Stories like the Potter series spark kids’ imagination, entertain and, most importantly, get them to read. The medium is the message.

MICHAEL BRUCE ABELSON

Pasadena

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As George Lucas has taught us, nothing succeeds like success. I’ve only read the first volume of Rowlings’ series, which I would describe as a pretty good book. But to me the Harry Potter phenomenon is most interesting as another example of how marketing now runs the world. With magazine and TV stories, movies in the works and several pieces in The Times, it has been obvious from the beginning that the fix is in on this cash cow.

As for the misgivings of some, a Scholastic spokeswoman says parents “should make their own decisions,” but “not for your children,” about what they should read. (Presumably we should let those shilling the goods make those decisions.) It is almost enough to put one off reading any more of them, at least until all the hype has blown over.

ALAN BOATMAN

Rancho Cucamonga