Yes, LOTR is better because there aren't any icky girls. Book one is among the few stories I've ever read where not one character has a father, mother, brother, sister, wife or husband. Real adult stuff.
Actually, I read LOTR it when I was in 5th grade and loved it. Harry Potter I would have thought as meaningless garbage. The characters are much stronger in LOTR than in Potter.
not one character has a father, mother, brother, sister, wife or husband
Actually in Book one: Sam has a father, Tom Bombadil has a wife, Arwen has a father...should I go on? Guess your reading skills need improvement.
Bilbo is Frodo's uncle, and has adopted him. (Frodo's parents drown before the story starts.) Merry's parents are mentioned. Sam has a father.
Its the only book I have every read where lineage is so important it has family trees for everyone printed in the back of it.