Book Review: MuggleNet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this book of "unauthorized
predictions" was compiled and researched by the crew at
MuggleNet.com and is meant for those who have read the six
previous
Harry Potter books. Kids and adults can use it to jog
their memories with plot points and details they've forgotten,
spark debates among fellow readers, and get excited about the
much-anticipated release of
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But for Potter
fans worried about spoiling some of J.K. Rowling's surprises,
it may not be a good choice. Also, some of the content is
already out of date (for example, the first chapter speculates
on the title and release date, which are now confirmed).
Families can talk about all of the book's theories. Do you think they're right about the Horcruxes? What about Harry's connection to them? Who do you think has the locket? Is Snape good or evil? Who will die? You can also examine how the authors compiled their information and came up with their predictions, since they do a good job of presenting their evidence. Do you think they're right to examine every quote from Rowling from interviews and Web chats, or is it a little extreme? Why do you think publishers are putting this book out? Who profits from Harry's popularity?
Common Sense Media Review
Where's the question mark after the title? That's the first
question prompted by this book. Never mind; these Potterphiles
do know their stuff. And this is their Prior Incantatem --
pulling past books and
J.K.
Rowling quotes out of their wands and breaking them down
one theme at a time.
But like the spell, the book's magic is fleeting -- pick it up before the hype is over, or don't bother. Perhaps that's why this book didn't come from a big publishing house or get a polished treatment. The chapter headers are grainy-looking, a few typos are noticeable, and the array of fonts on the cover is a little tacky. But that's not all that important.
The nice thing here is that the authors' evidence is presented clearly -- even the stuff they don't agree with. (For example, there are still some fans out there who think Dumbledore is alive and well, so the authors humor these fans with a few clues that they could be right.) That said, for casual fans, some things will seem like they're coming from left field (like the Lily-Snape connection) -- until MuggleNet states their case.
This book pushes kids to think critically about the Harry Potter books, a lesson that can be extended into everything they read. Remind kids of that when they realize there's life after the last page of Deathly Hallows.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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