Children's laureate: 'Harry Potter books are so boring, I wouldn't read them to my own kids'

The Harry Potter series is "boring" and inappropriate for young readers, the UK's children's laureate has said.

Michael Rosen, the London-born poet and author of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, said he feels no emotional attachment to the books, and that he would not read them to his own children.

Rosen - appointed as laureate by a panel of leading figures in the book world - added that the plots are too ambiguous and bear no relation to the real world.

He said that most young children would struggle to cope with the books' challenging and often sinister themes.

He said: "I am distant from them whereas I read some kids' books and I get quite drawn in emotionally to them.

"They don't grab me personally.

"Whereas authors like Enid Blyton are hand-holding narrators who lead children into safe environments, JK Rowling is more of an adult writer in that she leaves you hanging in the air at the end of chapters with no idea what's going to happen next.

"Figures appear and you don't know whether they are a goodie or a baddie.

"You would think, traditionally, 'That's for an older reader,' because young children more often than not can't cope with that.

"My seven-year-old daughter watches the films but they tend to spell it out a bit more.

"I haven't read the books to her, you don't want to bore your kids."

The Harry Potter books have earnt author JK Rowling an estimated £560million fortune and have proved a big hit with fans worldwide

Rosen, 62, succeeded Jacqueline Wilson as the fifth children's laureate in June 2007.

The post, which attracts a £10,000 bursary, involves championing reading and writing for children.

He began his two-year term by attacking testing and synthetic phonics, the hugely successful literacy programme that was pioneered in Scotland.

Speaking during a tour of Scotland to promote reading among school pupils last week, Rosen said that while the Harry Potter books deserved credit for encouraging a generation of children to read, he feared their success might prevent youngsters from discovering other authors.

The Harry Potter books have earned Scots author JK Rowling an estimated £560million fortune, and have spawned a £7billion film and merchandising industry.

The seven books have sold over 375million copies since the first installment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was published in June 1997.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty and chairman of the panel of judges that chose Rosen as children's laureate, said the books encompassed universal themes, making them ideal reading for all age groups.

She said: "I agree that children shouldn't end their reading with JK Rowling, but the proof of the pudding is that so many have begun with her work.

"The stories are laced with contemporary themes that have resonated with readers of all ages in the last decade.

"Racism, the challenges of diversity and the dilemmas of the war on terror are all to be found lurking within the magical world of Harry Potter."

Randall Stevenson, professor of English Literature at Edinburgh University, added: "They are not exactly Lord of the Rings but I think they deserve their success."