When to let kids read Harry Potter

amother

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 1:50 pm

Anon because I had this discussion at the Shabbos table.
When would you feel comfortable letting your kids read Harry Potter? Personally, I think a kid as young as 8 could handle the first 3 books as they're not any more scary than a lot of other classic children's literature. But things start to get a lot darker, more violent, and more zexual from book 4 and on. So do you let an 8 or 9 year old read the first 3 and then say sorry, you have to wait a few years to go on? Do you just wait until they're ready for the whole thing? And when do you think that is?

Personally, I read the first book when I was 11, because that's how old I was in 1998 when it first came out in the States. I always had to wait for the next book to come out, and it was so thrilling and crazy-making at the same time. I was always about the same age as Harry and really feel like I grew up with him. I can't wait to share the magic with my kids (who right now are definitely too young by anyone's definition) and was wondering when I can start looking forward to it Very Happy

amother

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:03 pm

My first dd ended up reading them around age 11-12.
same with ds.
then dd#3 complained that "everyone" in her class had read them already.
So I let her read the first one at age 9. Then she read the next 2 at age 10.
Then she bothered me about the next ones until I let her.(she is 10.5)
She just finished them recently, but I do not let my kids (or myself) see the movies. I feel that they are more scary & violent than just reading it.
Does that make any sense?

part of me wishes I could have waited longer for her to read them, but it's just like teaching kids about puberty earlier, these days you have to...

BTW she goes to a BY school, if she was in an MO school I think she would have read them all by age 8!

Rubber Ducky

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:13 pm

We asked our boys to wait until they were Harry's age before reading each book. And I did some censoring in the later books. Our sons aged faster than JK Rowling could write, so I think my younger son was already 18 when the final book came out.

rachel91

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:25 pm

Ahh, it was so different, when we were kids! How we were waiting for the new books to come out!

And later we had the movies to look forward to.

Now you can just read them all at once.

Am I the only one who misses Harry Potter?

As for Op's question, hmm I think I started reading Harry Potter at age 9 or 10 and just continued from then on.

But, I wasn't in a Jewish School then and had heard/ seen worse things than that.
So I really don't know.

Scrabble123

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:27 pm

I personally don't believe that Harry Potter is something kids should be reading after age 8 or 9. Of course, some adults even enjoy Harry Potter, but I believe that they are few and far between.

chocolate chips

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:33 pm

I honestly cannot remember how old I was when I first read Harry Potter.
I remember book 4 came out, my father spoke about it so my mother ordered it on amazon and then she ordered 1,2 and 3 and each one after when it came out.

I must have been around 11.

I would say 10/11 is a decent age to read it because then as they read each one they get older.
Perhaps you can even tell your child he can read 1, then make him wait a couple months for an event such as his birthday or report card etc to read 2 so he will have the excitement of waiting to see what happens. And he wont be up to book 4 a week after he starts book 1.

amother

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:35 pm

I'm with Rubber Ducky. I let mine read it not before they are 11 and try scheduling them as one a year. Am I freaky? Smile

I love HP and don't want to spoil it for them. They should read it as it was growing.

Scrabble123

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:38 pm

The thing is that there is so much reading out there of much more value to give a 3rd-5th grade such as The Black Stallion, A Wrinkle in Time, Lord of the Rings, Marry Poppins, Stuart Little, John Tremain, Matilda, etc. etc. If you kid wants to read Harry Potter, I would say 3rd-5th is the appropriate time. That is when it is recommended on school's recommended reading list.

If you are not comfortable with the content, then when they are older just give them other reading material.

I enjoyed the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings much more than Harry Potter, which I never liked although I did read all of the books. Neither happen to be "my genre," but Lord of the Rings is just written much better than Harry Potter both technically as well as imaginatively.

rachel91

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:42 pm

Scrabble123 wrote:

Many teens and adults enjoy Harry Potter, I sometimes even enjoy re-reading kid's books I loved as a kid and am not embarassed by that.
If something is 'recommended' for a certain age group, doesn't mean people older than that age group won't enjoy reading it anymore.

Scrabble123

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:43 pm

rachel91 wrote:

Please read my previous post.

BTW, just out of curiosity: which children's books do you enjoy rereading?

rachel91

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:48 pm

Scrabble123 wrote:

Please read my previous post.

BTW, just out of curiosity: which children's books do you enjoy rereading?

Books you propably never read, what difference does it make? You may think I'm weird Very Happy

sequoia

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:55 pm

I enjoy re-reading many, many children's books, including The Neverending Story, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Emil and the Detectives, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Winnie-the-Pooh, Karlsson on the Roof, The Jungle Book, and all the Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder books.

I also like Harry Potter, for a fun one-time read.

Scrabble123

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:55 pm

rachel91 wrote:

Books you propably never read, what difference does it make? You may think I'm weird Very Happy

It makes no difference at all.
I was just asking because you brought it up.
I wouldn't think you're weird, but you do not have to share either.
Have a great day!

rachel91

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 2:59 pm

Scrabble123 wrote:

It makes no difference at all.
I was just asking because you brought it up.
I wouldn't think you're weird, but you do not have to share either.
Have a great day!

Thanks, you too! Eventhough it's almost night by us.

Mommy3.5

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 7:58 pm

my 12, almost 11 and 9.5 year old read all 7 books last summer. they were all fine. there is a little kissing in them,but I felt it was pretty kosher (I had read all the books myself). it took the two older boys a week, the younger one took 2-3 weeks. they have read the books multple times.

mommy3b2c

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 8:55 pm

My son is 7.5 and just finished first grade. Cant imagine he would be capable of reading harry potter next year, he doesnt yet read chapter books. Maybe he'll advance alot in the next year? Regardless, my kids LOVE harry potter, (they are five and seven). I think its genetic. They have no clue what its about but they are big fans. They have harry potter tee shirts, blankets. I started the harry potters at 12 and finished after my son was born. I feel bad that my kids will never experience the joy of waiting for the next book to come out. They will never appreciate them the way we did.Back on topic, an eight year old might understand the first few books, but honestly, the last four are written more for teens and adults.

gp2.0

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 8:58 pm

rachel91 wrote:

Hear hear! I just started a Harry Potter marathon and I'm rereading all the books. JK Rowling is just a genius. She is so awesome. I know exactly what's going to happen, I can recite some parts by heart, and still she captivates me. (LeakyCon is still going strong, wizard rock bands are still touring, those weird crazy adults just can't let go of that stupid kids series. Wink

)

Some other books I read again and again are anything by Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. I still love reading new YA books and will reread my faves by John Green, Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot and many many more anytime.

I also read Harry Potter when I was his age, I was 11 when I discovered the first 3 books, and then I had to wait awhile for the 4th book, so I grew up with Harry. The problem with later books is not so much the romance, which there isn't that much of, but the violence - Voldemort gets scarier and scarier.

Sherri

Mon, Jul 07 2014, 9:46 pm

Scrabble123 wrote:

I personally don't believe that Harry Potter is something kids should be reading after age 8 or 9. Of course, some adults even enjoy Harry Potter, but I believe that they are few and far between.

Have you ever looked into Harry Potter and literacy rise in youth, and HP adult fandom?