Heather,
What I have to say is not so much full of wisdom as it is common sense. I have not read either Narnia or Harry Potter, although we are planning to read Narnia in a few years. All I know of Harry Potter is what I have seen advertised in movie trailers, and based on that, my children won’t be seeing the movies or reading the books any time soon, for sure.
Having said that, my dcs are little–6.5 and 5. I don’t believe their reading abilities or comprehension is at the level of Narnia or HP at present. I really admire what Linda had to say about her 18yo girls reading both and choosing on their own what was well-written and what wasn’t. As of today and since my children are so young, I don’t want to put anything into their innocent minds that might cause them to doubt or question our Christian faith for a minute. But I also cannot say that I’ll never, ever, ever allow them to read Harry Potter. There comes a time when we have to have confidence in what we have taught our children, that they have chosen the ways of the Lord for themselves (and not us choosing for them), and then allow them to explore and form their own judgments and opinions about literature and such. If Linda and her dh had not done such an amazing job of teaching their daughters the truth, the girls wouldn’t have been so prepared to spot the lies.
We have a very good friend who works at a bank. When he was training for his position, he handled thousands of real bills, from 20s on up. His trainers didn’t show him counterfeit bills; instead they made him familiar with the real thing. So now, if he happens to receive a counterfeit bill, he automatically recognizes the difference because it’s not the real thing he’s so familiar with. The same is true for our faith and beliefs. If we raise our children on Truth, rather than pointing out lies and false truths every time we have a chance, then they will be able to easily recognize a lie when they encounter one, be it through entertainment, literature, or in a social situation. They have to be old enough to bear the weight of the lie, which is why we shelter them early on and gradually allow them more freedom, exposure, etc.
In my very inexperienced opinion on this particular subject, I would say that what you allow your children to read depends just as much on your own personal beliefs as it does on their ages. Only you know each child’s level of maturity, so only you can say what is and is not appropriate or allowed.
Reading books of this type, especially if you’re reading them together (like separately, but then coming together for a discussion) can give you great opportunities for conversation, discussing likes and dislikes, comparing the events in the books to Scripture, discerning fantasy from reality, and so on.
Remember, this is coming from someone who has yet to read either series, but I always like to feel prepared for when my children are older.
Blessings,
Lindsey