When did your kids read/listen to Harry Potter?

[GraciousPiglet]

Hello!

My DS is 6.5. He love love loves stories and books. We have been reading chapter books to him for a while now (he isn't able to read them himself yet). We've read the Enchanted Wood books and many of the Narnia Books. He's also really enjoyed other books but particularly enjoys the fantasy style books. He was absolutely desperate for us to read Harry Potter so we have read number 1 and 2. He has loved them. We've watched the films too.

He is pushing and pushing for me to read the third book to him. I originally said no and he had to wait until he was 7, but I'm interested to hear what others have done. I would certainly avoid the third film for a while even if we do read the book as he finds films a little overwhelming and scary. EG he wasn't keen on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe film as the white witch was too scary, but adored the book.

I sort of think book 3 is a little scary, but perhaps it's not? Is it actually that scary compared to some the scarier bits of Narnia?

Just wanted to know how others have approached it. He's a very verbal 6.5 year old with a fantastic vocabulary and amazing comprehension but equally he's emotionally quite immature so I'm really unsure.

DS read the first four at 6, but we then stopped as I felt the subject matter was too dark.

I read the first three when I was 9 and I found Chamber of Secrets really scary

I’m lucky though because when I was 9, there were only three books! This paced my reading and I grew up with the characters - I was 17 when the last book was released.

It must be hard for kids now because they’re all there for the taking but I honestly don’t think I would have fully understood or enjoyed books 4-7 before my teen years.

My dgs was 8 when he read the first two and 11 when he finished the series. I’m not sure he really enjoyed the last book though.

I've read the Philosopher's Stone with my 7yo. He's not ready for the rest yet, and is nowhere near reading them independently. He's a free reader at school in year 2, and is reading Roald Dahl and similar level chapter books independently but HP is far beyond those in length and complexity.
My now nearly 12 yo DD read the whole series from about age 8 to age 11. She wouldn't have managed the last couple of books at 8/9, and her reading is, and has been since starting school, way beyond average.

I’ve just finished book 4 with my 9 year old. Have loved reading them to him, but we’ve spaced them out. We did the first book in Y2, books 2&3 in Y3 and book 4 in Y4. Think I’ll wait til Y5 for book as the themes get more grown up.