With the release of J.K. Rowling’s new book for adults, The Casual Vacancy, conversations are undoubtedly occurring in homes everywhere between kids who want to read it and parents who may wonder if that’s such a good idea. I was recently quoted in an article on CNN.com on this topic, and here’s my general take on it.

If your teen wants to read it, it’s probably because she loves the Harry Potter series so much that she wants to read anything by the author who wrote it. I wouldn’t forbid my teen to read the book, but I would make sure she understands what it’s about and talk to her about why she wants to read it. You may want to sit with her and read a few online reviews at Amazon, Good Reads, or another source. If she still wants to read it, you may want to dive into it as well, so you can talk with her about the issues that come up.