In response to the debate about Harry Potter, I would like to stick in my two-sickles' worth.

They are a series of books and nothing more than that. It seems opinions in print either gushingly praise them as the best books ever written or say they are the biggest lot of drivel ever put to paper.

Is there no middle ground?

Harry Potter is being used as another way for people to complain about something that is now popular.

As Mick Snowden said in his latest letter, perhaps it is the "in thing" to be seen buying the books, as much as it is the in thing to write letters to newspapers to say the books are rubbish.

If everyone had the same taste in novels the world would be a very boring place.

Although I wouldn't class JK Rowling's novels as the best books ever written, they are full of humour, adventure and morals and I encourage anyone to read them, as I would any book.

I suggest Mick Snowden gets back to reading his Conan Doyle, Edgar Wallace, James Thurber and Damon Runyon and leave Harry Potter to the age group it's meant for - children.

Philip Lickley,

Wheatlands Grove, York

Updated: 10:39 Friday, August 05, 2005