Lying to Dumbledore: On Moral Consequentialism in Children’s Literature

Contemporary children’s literature often celebrates children lying or worse to accomplish “good” ends. As parents of avid readers, we must be aware. Joe Breslin and Tom Cox take on perennial favorite, Harry Potter, which offers, as one of its many strengths, gripping portrayals of flawed heroes.

Joe Breslin

About the guest:

Joe Breslin


Joseph is a fifth grade homeroom teacher at The Heights School. He graduated from the Heights in 2001, and attended Franciscan University of Steubenville. He and his lovely wife Elizabeth have three sons, Julian Reuel, Ignatius James, and Benedict Lawrence. Joseph has been the Heights' head varsity wrestling coach since 2013. His original stories and reflections can be found at joeybreslinwrites.com.

Tom Cox

About the guest:

Tom Cox


Born and raised in Southern California, Tom Cox attended Hillsdale College in Michigan. After majoring in Latin and Greek, he went on an 18,000-mile road-trip exploring America and, while touring the country with his barbershop quartet, was offered this job at The Heights. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Nicole, and five children. In the summer of 2019, he completed a Master's Degree in Liberal Arts at St. John's College in Annapolis. The experience of being a Johnnie helped sharpen his pedagogy while expanding the tools he uses in the classroom, from seminars to oral exams. He blogs on all topics educational at his personal blog grammaticus.co. When he isn’t speaking or reading Greek and Latin, he enjoys reading, hiking, singing, and spending time with family and friends.

Table of Contents


A Map to Help You Make the Most of The Forum

Explore