Helping Children Deal with Death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Everyone is waiting excitedly for the new Harry Potter book, "The Deathly Hallows." Because of the title and websites that have leaked information, most people have a pretty good idea that someone dies in this book. Many people have even said that it is Harry that goes into the great witch heaven. This has brought up concerns around the nation among child psychologists and specialists. How can we deal with death in a literary character or a book that our child reads?

The first book in the series came out in 1997. My daughter was merely 4. She began reading the books in 2000, towards the end of her second grade. She and others in her generation have grown up with Harry Potter, Ron Weaselly, and Hermione . These characters have become like friends to them. Those younger than my daughter, are just being introduced to Harry Potter, but nonetheless feel as if they know him personally. Whichever major character dies, it will be difficult for many smaller children to cope with. .

At Purdue University, Psychologist Heather Servaty-Seib encourages parents to take advantage of their children's interest in "Harry Potter" to talk to them about death and loss. She states that this has given an opportunity for parents to discuss this issue with their children, where they have not before. She states that "We grieve for things that we are attached to, and children in particular, have gotten attached to these characters, Readers will grieve for characters who die and that this is the last book. Parents should realize the end of the series is an added factor in how their child might react." She suggests talking to your child about what they read, whether it is Harry Potter or something else. Keep the lines of communication open. This is foremost in dealing with your child's emotions.