AIBU to not let DD6 finish Harry Potter series?

[WhattodoSue]

My DD has been immersed in the Harry Potter books for 3 weeks. She is a very good reader, and when she finds a series she loves, she will read for hours. I initially planned to limit her to books 1-3. But she begged to read 4, and then following more strong assertions that they weren't scary I have let her read 5. I am a bit regretting it bcause Umbridge is so evil. She evidently doesn't get the same level of understanding a 12 year old does, but at the same time she is utterly enthralled and is getting a lot of pleasure from reading them.

I am not sure if I should stop her reading 6 & 7 if she is desperate to, or let her go with what she feels interested in. She re-reads her favourite books, so I'm sure these will get re-read over the years. BUT, i don't want her traumatised. Anyone else have young Harry potter readers? Thoughts? Thanks!!

Just to clarify - she is age 6 not 6th DD

she's a bit young, imo, there are plenty of other books out there. Give it another year or two.

I've said no to my daughter, also 6, after the first two. They get too dark and there's plenty of other stuff to read.

One thing to remember is that the swearing ups in book 7 alongside the violence.

I made all of mine wait until the end of year 4 before they began the series, so they were year 5 before they finished them. I just think they are quite adult themes, and quite scary. The first one is pretty OK, school boarding school type thing, but they quickly get much darker.

I also only let them watch the films once they have read the book, and they can't watch the 12s until they are 12.

There is loads of good stuff around, and loads of threads on mn suggesting different books.

I had a reading age above my actual age from before starting school, I was a voracious reader (still am) and while my father vaguely guided me he never prevented me reading any book I wanted. Many of them were not age appropriate, but they were reading age appropriate and I had no I'll effects because I stopped if I didn't understand the book or it made me uncomfortable. I had far more problems with books I had to read at school, there was no avoiding or escaping them and I had some lousy nightmares because the scenes kept repeating.

I'd make sure she knows she can stop at any time if the books make her feel uncomfortable/get scary, and that you are concerned that she might be a bit young to fully appreciate and understand them. Then I'd leave the choice to her...but that is because advice and guidance without banning is what stopped me reading really unsuitable material. You know your DD best.

Our DD's head teacher recommended Harry Potter for upwards of 10yo, even though DD is an advanced reader. She's read the first four and seen all the films now, but we didn't let her watch the last couple until a couple of months ago (she was 11 in September).

At six she may be capable of reading them but will lack the comprehension to make sense of them fully which could make them even scarier, and it's much easier to rationalise any resulting anxiety at 9/10 than it is at 6.

I would let her.

Ds was that age and I had the same concerns. I did let him though and he was fine. He just wouldn't read the later ones at night!

I would let her.

Sounds like she is interested and not afraid, so it seems a bit mean to let her read most of the series then not get to the end.

I remember HP6 having a lot of (to me) really boring teenage angsty stuff about Harry dating Ginny (oh no, my best friend's sister!) and Ron and Hermione (what Hermione sees in Ron was completely beyond me). I guess at six you'd probably just skip over most of it, but I'd still suspect there is more of a risk of boredom than trauma.

Dumbledore dying I know upset some people a lot - personally I found him very irritating! Sirius's death is I think much sadder, and Umbridge's obvious sadism more disturbing than much of the Voldemort stuff as he feels like more of an ordinary 'baddie' to me.

My children didn't really like HP (watched the films but gave up on the books) but I was a precocious reader. I don't remember getting nightmares from anything I read as a child except for Robert Cormier's I am the Cheese. I think in general real life books are much more scary than fantasy.

I'd just let her. Most of it will sail right over her head. Its not a series i would have introduced my 6 year old to, but i know other families who did and the kids didnt seem remotely affected. I think reading allows a reader to 'self select' info, unlike a film

Yabu. It's Harry Potter not playboy.

I too would let her read on. I was reading adult books at age 7 which were far more graphic than HP. I'm glad my parents never restricted me as I still love to read.

Dd read them all between 8 and 9.

I think it's less the fear and sheer length of them that will be daunting, as the snoggy stuff.

If she wants to continue let her, but I reckon she'll get a big bogged down and probably abandon them herself once she gets to OOtP.

What Andro said.

I read some fairly adult stuff when I was young, not as young as 6 but I had certainly read a couple or George Orwell's before I was 12.

Make sure there are other oprins and that she knows she can stop at any tine. And frankly the last book was more about camping than anything else.

She's too young.

I'd let her read if she wants to read. My DS was reading so called age inappropriate books in primary school and was always being looked at by teachers but I truly believe in never stopping someone from reading if they want to read (obviously I wouldn't have let him read The Exorcist or that type of thing but we don't have that in the house). I think it's served him well. He's just about to embark on his PhD and is still a great reader.

At the risk of quoting Ron - bloody hell! Being able to read HP5 aged 6 is very impressive.

I agree with PPs that the best thing would be to say she can read the final two, but that she can stop at any time / come talk to you if she feels scared or confused by anything.

I read well above my reading age and mostly my parents just let me get on with it. This resulted in a few strange moments (book I picked up in a charity shop aged 9 or 10 turned out to be quite steamy...) but I turned out ok! In fact, the books that bothered me most were those I wasn't allowed to read if that makes sense.

Also, as a young kid I found the basilisk in book 2 so much more terrifying than anything else. I was scared to look at plugholes for weeks! The scary stuff in the last 2 books is a bit more abstract (evil taking over the world...) and night actually be less scary to a younger kid...?

My 6 year old dgs is another HP fan. He has read the first two and is currently reading Prisoner of Azkaban. He loves all the David Walliams books which seem more age appropriate. His mum says that book 4 of HP is as far as she wants him to go atm however the books are all in the house. I think the sheer size of the later ones will be off putting.
If asked he says that his very favourite books are the Captain Underpants series which I find reassuringly normal

My 7yo has almost finished the 4th and I intend to let her keep going.

I wouldn't. It's not just about scariness or swearing, the plots become a lot more complicated and its not a straightforward black and white, good vs bad story. Harry goes into a bit of a downward spiral. There is simply no way that a 6 yo, however sophisticated or precocious, will understand it all and they certainly wouldn't get as much out of them as an older child.

None if the books are aimed at a 6 yo, but certainly not anything after book 2. And I say all that as a huge HP fan.

But I know I'm a bit of a lone voice on MN when it comes to young children reading and watching stuff that they are far too young for.

I'd just let her keep going. As someone said up thread I always found Umbridge to be far far more twisted and evil than voldermort. The scenes with harry in detention with her are the most disturbing in the entire series imo.