Will You Let Your Kids Read Harry Potter After J.K. Rowling's Statements?

Too late, they're old enough to have kids of their own. I haven't read what lousy stuff JKR said recently, but if it was more anti-trans stuff, I've listened to one of my favorite trans YouTubers, jammidodger Dr. JamieRaines. He's not only a trans man with 10 years of transition, but he also has a PhD in Gender Studies. He tackles and nicely dissects JKR's statements before I hear about them. So, I have a source I trust if I do have to hear about JKR again.

The Conflict of Recommending Harry Potter

Would I recommend Harry Potter to someone? I really enjoy reading Harry Potter fanfic in all its messy splendor. I couldn't have understood the conflict underpinnings of Drarry fanfic if I hadn't read the original. Or the joy of finding a well-written Severitus fic. I would, however, have to warn a child that this was a work of its time, namely the 1990s and early 2000s, and since then, the gay rights movement and the trans rights movement have made significant progress in educating society.

Guiding Children Through the Text

If I recommended it, I would have to warn them to take Dumbledore, the conniving schemer, with a lot of salt. But it is hugely entertaining if one keeps reality in mind. I can read 'rescued-abused' Harry fics a lot because he was, and his creator was blind to those effects. I'm not open to discussions about 'Harry wasnt really abused because he wasnt beaten like in many fics.' I'm a pediatrician, and withholding any affection, making one child do all the chores, and not allowing one child to eat what the other does—Harry didn't have to be a black and blue skeleton; he was emotionally abused and neglected and probably physically abused to some degree.

Look, Vernon on-screen whacks Dudley on the back of the head when they're running away from all the letters and he's frustrated—Dudley is their pride and joy. So you know Harry would have come in for more than that.

Discussing the Background and Themes

I think I would have to read it with them and talk about the neglected orphan/hero/blamed/praised background Harry had. Scholastic says the reading level is for age 9 and for grades 4–7. I think 9 is a bit young. Maybe 10 or 11. However, as a pediatrician, I've known parents who would take elementary-aged children to R-rated movies. One of the questions I recently answered on Quora was about whether Harry Potter was okay for 10-year-olds, and I answered by summarizing Books 3–7 and listing the death toll in the later books.