Emotionally powerful volume book mines Voldemort's past.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Teens drink Butterbeer (very mildly alcoholic) at the Hogsmeade pub and what sounds like slightly more robust cocktails at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party; Professor Slughorn serves Harry and Ron mead on a separate occasion. A handful of adults drink and get drunk: Professor Trelawney, the head of an orphanage, Hagrid, and Professor Slughorn. Even the Fat Lady portrait overindulges over the holidays, then changes the Gryffindor tower password to "abstinence." A potion is used by Harry and friends that makes the drinker have good luck for a few hours. The Weasley family drinks eggnog at Christmas, and warlocks are seen smoking pipes in a bar.
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There's the death and heartbreaking funeral of a major character. Reanimated dead creatures called inferi attack in a frightening scene in a cave. A student is cursed and almost dies, others are attacked and injured in a battle with wands and magic, another is nearly poisoned to death, and when students fight each other there's a broken nose and cuts that are magically healed. House elves also fight and knock out teeth. An adult is disfigured in an attack. Another adult is nearly poisoned and hallucinates, screaming out in fear. News is always bad in the wizarding world with Voldemort back. A student is pulled out of class, told that her parents have been killed. Much talk about others killed or who have disappeared, some were minor characters in past books. News that a 5-year-old was attacked and killed by a werewolf, of a bridge collapse that killed many. Plus they mine disturbing memories of when Voldemort was younger, how he killed many, including his own father, and hanged a rabbit and tortured other children at the orphanage.
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Lots of kissing among teens, or "snogging" as they call it in the U.K. Details are more funny than romantic with talk a pair is "kissing fiercely" or that it "looks like he's eating her face."
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The whole series is full of positive messages about the power of love, friendship, and self-sacrifice. In this book, there's even more about loyalty and dealing with difficult feelings such as loss, jealousy, and the anger of a betrayal. Dumbledore explores why tyrants fear the people they oppress. "All of them realize that, one day, among their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!"
Positive Role Models
a lot
In Book 5 Harry is pretty angry and shows his temper -- not anymore. He seems to have a lot more acceptance of what he needs to do to fight his enemy and shows special loyalty to Professor Dumbledore, who is a wonderful mentor to him in this book. Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, are caught up in much more pettiness -- jealousy abounds between them. Professor Slughorn values his connections to the talented and famous above all else, and Harry and friends see him for who he is.
Educational Value
a little
J.K. Rowling borrows from many established stories and myths to piece together her magical world. Kids can look up more about centaurs, elves, giants, hippogriffs, boggarts, vampires, werewolves, acromantulas (giant spiders), inferi (reanimated dead), magic wands, flying brooms, etc., compare the author's take with other interpretations, and think about how and why she weaves these magical elements and beings into her stories.
Diverse Representations
a little
There's a little diversity at Hogwarts. A Slytherin named Blaise Zabini is Black. So is Kingsley Shacklebolt in the Order of the Phoenix. Cho Chang and the Patil twins are more minor characters in this book, but still around. Characters in the wizarding world face lots of discrimination, especially for not being "pure-blood," or in Hagrid's case, for being part-giant. Some diverse family structures are described: Harry lives with his aunt and uncle, Neville with his grandmother, and memories of Tom Riddle show him in an orphanage. Women have prominent roles at Hogwarts: Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout are both heads of houses, plus there are plenty of girls on the Quidditch house teams. Some negative language around the size of Dudley and his father, Malfoy's Slytherin friends Crabbe and Goyle, plus Professor Slughorn is described as "enormously fat," and a witch named Hepzibah Smith is described as an "immensely fat old lady."
Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series about an orphan boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Like Books 4 and 5, a major character dies at the end. This time there's a funeral for the adult in question and many characters experience a deep sense of loss (you will definitely cry, too!). With Voldemort's return, things at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world are pretty grim. News reaches students daily about attacks, killings, and disappearances. Near Hogwarts, a student is cursed and almost dies, others are attacked and injured in a battle with wands and magic, another is nearly poisoned to death, and when students fight each other there's a broken nose and cuts that are magically healed. There are some scares as well when reanimated dead (inferi) attack in a cave and an adult is poisoned and hallucinates, screaming out in fear. Plus Harry is tasked with mining disturbing memories of when Voldemort was younger, how he killed many, including his own father, and hanged a rabbit and tortured other children at the orphanage. Things aren't all grim, however. Love is in the air and there's a fair amount of kissing that's not shown in a terribly romantic light. There's also a Christmas party where the students get to drink something a little stronger than Butterbeer. There's some drunkenness, but only among adult characters. In Book 5 Harry is pretty angry and shows his temper -- not anymore. He seems to have a lot more acceptance of what he needs to do to fight his enemy and shows special loyalty to Professor Dumbledore, who's a wonderful mentor to him in this book. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter by Age and Stage article.
Please read this book! I love it so much (I am a teen writing this)
This is one of my favorite books in the series! The plot significantly develops but there are also some things you should look out for for younger kids. (This contains spoilers so read at your own risk) Violence: There is a lot of this, but not needlessly. It adds to the story. Some examples include a werewolf attack, an attack on a school (no, it’s not what you’re thinking. Every student is ok and it’s all magical fighting. It’s more of a fight than an attack), a house burned down (everyone is fine, even the dog), a scary and intense scene involving dead people attacking two beloved characters in a creepy cave, scary stories of past murders and attempted murders (one by a little kid, but it’s honestly not as bad as it sounds. I’m pretty sensitive and I read this when I was twelve), a teen almost being forced to kill someone, and an unintentional pretty bloody attack by one student on another student (both are completely fine), and a girl who is possessed (?? For lack of a better word) by an amulet and floats into the air (she’s fine), and a beloved character poisoned and almost dies, an important character dramatically dies. I know it sounds pretty bad, but trust me it’s not and it’s better than it sounds and DEFINITELY worth it. Sexy stuff: Not much. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
Two teens make out, Harry and Ginny start dating (and kiss), Ron starts dating a girl and they kiss a bunch. Now for the good stuff: An amazing story that Potterheads will appreciate, exciting adventure, a very well written plot and characters that you will easily love and not be able to put down. I love this book so much, yes there is a big death in it which is sad, but it all ties together in the end. There are no boring parts of the book, and it is SO GOOD. Please read it now. Yes there are scary parts, but they really are to the book and make it exciting and mysterious. An amazing book, just maybe not for kids under 12. Kids who have read/watched the other Harry Potters will love this book
What's the Story?
In HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, Harry is set to return to Hogwarts for his sixth year at a very grim time. Voldemort is out of hiding, and he and his followers are terrorizing wizard and muggle alike. Almost every day Harry opens the Daily Prophet expecting another tragedy. Still, he looks forward to leaving the house of his cruel aunt and uncle and returning to the school he considers home. He even gets an early escape, thanks to Professor Dumbledore, who has agreed to accompany him to his friend Ron's house. But first he takes Harry on an errand, seeking out retired Professor Slughorn to persuade him to teach again. It's an easy sell when Slughorn, a superfan of the famous and well-connected, meets Harry, the most famous wizard of all. Harry's not a fan of that kind of attention, but he's happy that Dumbledore has found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and even happier when Dumbledore asks Harry to attend private lessons with the Headmaster during the school year. Ron and Hermione wonder what exactly he will teach Harry. Complicated defensive spells to ward off dark magic? When they arrive at Hogwarts, they find they are wrong on two counts. Slughorn is not the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He's the new Potions master, and the nasty Professor Snape will be teaching Harry's former favorite subject. Also, Harry will not be learning complicated spells in Dumbledore's lessons. He will be mining through memories to piece together the enigma that is Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore hopes that if they uncover enough of Voldemort's deepest secrets, they may be able to defeat him.
This dark and brooding Potter volume unearths unsettling truths and even more unsettling speculation about Snape, Draco Malfoy, and, especially, Voldemort as a young man. Dumbledore offers Harry private lessons focused on mining every memory of Voldemort he could gather and examining it (with the help of a pensieve that plays thoughts like a movie) for clues on how to defeat him. The earliest memory of Tom Riddle in his orphanage is fascinating and creepy enough that Harry asks Dumbledore, "Did you know then?" The profile of a sociopath slowly emerges throughout Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and then the bombshell. Readers finally know how Voldemort came back to life and much, much more.
In between these revelatory meetings with Dumbledore, Harry still has a school year to complete along with his regular enemies at Hogwarts to contend with. It's a big blow when Snape takes over his favorite class, and now most of his detentions are spent in Snape's rude company. At least there are no lines with Umbridge's blood-sucking quill. And Draco Malfoy is definitely up to something, but nobody will believe Harry. It's obvious Malfoy's not just your everyday bully anymore when he catches Harry eavesdropping on the Hogwarts Express and resorts to violence. This is a jarring moment and a reminder that much more is at stake now than who's winning the House Quidditch Cup. Harry put Malfoy's dad in prison, after all. Even more obvious is that both Snape and Dumbledore are letting Malfoy carry on with his nefarious plans, Snape because of his binding promise to Draco's mother. But what was that promise? The answer will be devastating to readers and will propel Harry and friends to a grim resolution to fight Voldemort with everything they have. Onward to the epic finale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Dumbledore's private lessons were so important in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Have you heard the phrase "Know thy enemy"? By looking at Voldemort's past, what did Harry learn that will help him fight against him?
The scene in the cave is one of the most frightening of the whole Harry Potter series, both in this book and the movie. What made it so spooky? Dumbledore wasn't as frightened as Harry, why not?
It's on to the last book in the series! How did the ending of this book set up the finale? What is Harry's task? What must he do first? Who stands to get in his way?
Available on:
Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated:
July 7, 2022
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Harry Potter, Book 6
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