I know I love them and so does my four year old and sometimes I can even get my two year old to listen (even though I am sure he has no idea what is going on, it is nice family time)

i think adults can appreciate them on a deeper level than children.

EVERYONE loves Harry Potter.

CLEARLY the right answer. And there's nothing wrong with a kid's book, some of the best books are aimed at kids! The Narnia books! the Amber Spyglass collection! Asterix! LOL

The best books are those written for children with undertones adults can respect, just like Harry Potter, and (as mentioned above), Narnia and His Dark Materials.

I'll admit that it starts out as a nice innocent children's book but by the time you reach Goblet of Fire it's not. The series is now darker then ever. Half Blood Prince is filled with snogging and murder, clearly not children subjects. I think having the books in the children's section limits its potential to reach other age groups. The sterotype that its a children's book scares off older reader because they think its just for kids. At the very least i think the books should be in an young adult section.

Yes, I 100% agree Phoneix.I mean people are being tortured and killed in these books!Putting the hp books as childrens area limits its potential.Even the media pushes making it a kids book by showing little 6 year olds in witch costumes when talking about the books!they werent even born when the 1st book came out they dont understand harry potter at all! presenting it as a childrens book scares away everyone else!!!

Listen, I think everyone can enjoy Harry potter at any age. If you are a physco religious Harry potter freak and you hate the series, I ask you why?

the first ones would definitely fall under that category.. but after the third one I think they are a bit too mature for kids.. but still for the most part they can be appreciated by people of all ages..

i didnt like them as a child but they are better now that i am older

I dunno..really, all ages read it (which i think is one of the best things about the books) but from GOF onwards, they don't really seem like children's books anymore..

I think the most recent books would scare kids, but the first ones are great for kids. What I like is that the kids who started reading the books are now grown up enough to enjoy the newer books too!

Well, its not an insult, but the last few books were NOT children's books, much too mature. But people of almost all ages (Maybe 12+) can appreciate the 4th book and forward. The first 3 or so can be appreciated by all ages.

They started as more children books loved by all ages, but as they went on I think they were geared twords an older audience, and I don't think it's an insult for the to be on children's shelves, they're amazing books and I think J.K. Rowling would want them enjoyed by everyone, young and old.

JK explained it ad nauseum...

By the time the kids reach the 7th book, they are themselves 7 years older than when they started reading them.

And honestly, some of you are acting like the books are in the 5 yr old section. They are in the YA section, and that age group is perfectly fine for these books. Nobody is being scared away from them except idiotic sheep who listen to lunatic xtian ravings.

some are not for children, but harry potter and the PS is ok

There might be some parts that are maybe a little mature for the children. Like the whole love triangle thing with all those hormones and stuff! But the Harry Potter Books and J.K. Rowling actually inspired many children to read more!

the first books are more for children but i doubt if little kids could appreciate and understand the latest... (imagine a 9-year-old child reading the King's Cross in hp7!)

Maybe primarily for children. I think that's definitely credit to JK Rowling that it appeals to all ages.

little kids cant handle or understand love and revenge. i mean seriously how would you feel if your 2 year old sibling was reading HPB

The serie may have begun as a children's book serie but already the Prisoner of Azkaban gets rather too dark to be placed next to just any kid's books in stores. Not to mention the rest of the parts, especially the last two. I wouldn't say it's downright an insult to JKR because the books have all along some childlike touch but it's misleading and does unjustice to the books to sell them off as children's books, when they are so much more and primarily anything but, that.

They are books for almost any age groups except that I wouldn't read the later books to a child or let them read them at too young age. But since the books have to be categorized somewhere in book stores, they'd rather belong amongst those for young people but not children. Or rather to generally Fantasy, where the age isn't the essential question.

To put it simply - no, it's not fair. But not downright an insult either.

The great thing about the books is that a child could understand the basic plot. They might not be able to take in every subplot, relationship and detail, but they can still understand the magical world, good and evil and what's basically happening. As the reader gets older, they can comprehend the complexities, the symbolism, the different languages within spells, the depth of the characters, etc, and enjoy the books even more. Every time I read Harry Potter, I uncover something which I've either forgotten, or never realised before because I was younger. Harry Potter is marketed at children, but a true fan will still love Harry Potter when they're older than Dumbledore.

Harry Potter is a childrens book series. And it will always BE a childrens book series. JKR is a childrens author and she knows that. Perhaps not for really young children, but IT IS A CHILDRENS SERIES, OK? It's not an insult to Rowling! How is being a childrens author an insult?!

Harry Potter was created for Children. I see Harry Potter as a book for children, because it can help children get into reading, and because it involves many different good morals. I think, like ToyletGnome said, that many children could take in the basic plot. The books are good for young children, and always will be. I think that Harry Potter is good for any age group though.

I think the book is written for all ages.

if anything, its a good thing

I find it insulting that HP books are in the children's section while Twilight isn't though...

they sort of started out as childrens books, but they got darker, so... i don't know they're suitable for people of all ages.

They're for all ages I think :)

agreeing with Phoenix315 i wouldent let too young of a kid read it

I think the greatest thing about them is that people of all ages truly can enjoy them. As a kid, they seem like a satisfyingly simple story of good conquering evil. Then, as you get older and your perspective on life changes, you can re-read them and truly understand the depths of the love and sacrifice within them. Even though nothing in the books change, they seem to grow with you. It's genius, really.

Why does there have to be 'yes' 'no' answers (in a non-literal sense)?
There should be a "There is no age limit and nor should people suggest one" because she wrote them because she saw a gap in the adult literature market for something magical such as this.
And was it a success?... do I really have to answer that?

Children can't fully understand the emotion behind the Harry Potter series. I first read them when I was nine, and reading them now, it makes so much more sense.

^ that maybe true but HP teaches children even if you do not now that it is

Many of my grown up cousins, My mom and my Grandma are big fans of the series. :)

I actually know of a lot of children's media that's better written than adult media tbh.

It started off as a children's book series, that's for sure. The idea is that a child grows up with the series, grows up along with the characters. But I guess that was more possible for those who were children when the series was published and had no choice but to wait for each book - people these days might be too impatient.