No Harry Potter Aloud In CV Classes

Thu., Jan. 27, 2000

By Marny Lombard marnyl@spokesman.com (509) 927-2166

The wildly popular Harry Potter books may not be read aloud in Central Valley school classrooms.

Individuals students, however, may read the novels by J.K.

Rowling during in-class reading time.

This decision was made last month by the Central Valley instructional materials committee, after a handful parents contacted the district, arguing that their students shouldn’t be forced to hear the stories, which are based around an imaginary world of wizards.

“But we had talk (among educators) everywhere,” said Teri von Marbod, director of curriculum for the district.

“No one is arging that the Harry Potter books aren’t wonderful literature. Look at the sentence structure, the vocabulary.”

The emphasis on witches and wizards, as well as the violent scenes make the books inappropriate to read to a “captive audience,” von Marbod said.

Teachers and others say they have rarely found books that are so apt to turn nonreaders into readers, as the Harry Potter books.

Neither East Valley nor West Valley has discussed any limitations on the books, say officials there.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.