ayayashreichem: Fair point… got sidetracked. With OOM’s agreement, I think this thread should be diverted back on course. (We weren’t talking about anything that important, anyway :). )
As far as Harry Potter is concerned, I think that anyone could read 1-3. 4-7 you can use your discretion for.
Though it’s funny, I was at a Pesach hotel and a couple of kids were talking to a caretaker there. They were mentioning how their parents said that if they behaved for some thing, they would be able to watch the first movie. The guy immediately began to tell them all about how Harry Potter is full of witchcraft and dark magic and how he doesn’t let his kids read it. The kids were all “wow! Dark magic?!?! Cool!” Then the guy started laughing and said, “Wow, and all this time I’m stricter than the Orthodox Jews about something!”
Okay, so it didn’t REALLY make sense, but he thought it was hysterical, especially after working at a hotel full of people in weird clothes who go completely anal about the weirdest things… to think he’s stricter than them. The whole scene was quite funny.