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!!

I'd let her read all of the Harry Potter books before she's old enough to realise how badly written they are.

We read them aloud to both DSs at their request. They were 6 and 4 when we started, and we got up to Book 5. They then asked to stop Book 6 as it was too scary, and came back to it a year later. Similar pause before we read Book 7.

They now have them on a loop in the car and listen repeatedly.

I am slightly obsessed myself, though....

I agree with Squirrelled, JK Rowling's prose is plodding and lazy. There is far far better stuff out there. Chronicles of Narnia for a start.

I've said 1-3 with dd (5 nearly 6) at the mo. She can have the others when's she's older.

She likes the films but again told her it was only the first 3.

Honestly this is so baffling. Why introduce small children to these dull sagas? 5 year olds now!

We didn't let DS read the later books when he was 6 even though he was enjoying them. He moved on to other series and came back to it when he was older :)

Ahem!
I see there's been a bit of a spat since I last looked in on this thread.

In the spirit of the OP's first post:
I've been reading the HP aloud to DD (9.5) since she was 6 but with quite long gaps between each book. She's loved every one, especially as I did voices for each character (my Hagrid is broad Manchester FWIW). By book 3 she'd realised that JKR has an annoying habit of alliterating names and actions (Harry hurtles and Snape snarls) but still loved the world of Hogwarts. We now have three chapters left of Book 5 and then I'm going to leave it for at least another year. There are so many other great books waiting to be read!

This Summer she read the first four non-stop in her second language to herself, which I think was age appropriate (9yo). She's seen the films straight after we finished the books and freely ever since.

In Book 5 we've had girlfriends, excessive anger and disappointing parents as well as sadistic punishments and wanton cruelty. All themes which DD isn't quite up to yet. Best to leave it for now.

So I agree with some posters who say it goes over their heads at 6, but I'd rather spend my precious bedtime storytelling on something she can fully appreciate.

I started reading HP to my two during our precious bedtime reading time (and it was quite precious too) because I realised they weren't written very well and I wasn't enjoying it very much. After that I just read them all my favourites instead :)

I haven't been able to read the whole thread but has anyone mentioned the website pottermore? If not sign up after you finish the current read and play on that for a while there are games to play house points to collect (after she is sorted into a house of course!) loads of extra new content to read.

I told my 6 year old no because although the words might go into his eyes and his brain and he'd reach the end of the books, the understanding wouldn't be there. You only get to read them the first time once, and I don't want him to be on his fourth or fifth re-reading when he finally GETS it.

I've read him books 1-3 with a few minor edits and omissions, and he enjoys the school and the jokes and the adventure, but from 4 onwards it's basically a potted history of WW2, the Holocaust, Civil Rights and a smattering of the darkest parts of our own history, and he can cover it when he covers those topics in his learning.

Basically, it stops being about wizards and hijinks. Even book 3 has given us loads to talk about in terms of Lupin's place in society, Sirius's innocence but also his recklessness and Snape's bitterness and grudge.