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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say no to the 6th Harry Potter book...

536 replies

TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:20

DD is 5. She’s just finished the first five Harry Potter books and, obviously, now wants to move onto the 6th. However from what I and other DCs remember, this one has more mature themes (romance/more detailed deaths) and is generally more complex. AIBU to ask her to wait a year or so before reading it or should I let her try and see how she does?

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 26/04/2018 17:22

It's fine. if she gets bored or doesn't enjoy it, she can always put it down and select something else.

Crispbutty · 26/04/2018 17:23

I’m in awe that she can read those books at the age of 5!!

NotUmbongoUnchained · 26/04/2018 17:25

I would because at 5 that’s an amazing level to be reading at. Just be available to answer all of her questions about it. Have you read it yourself?

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:25

Crispbutty she’ll be 6 in July! She likes to copy my older DDs (12 and 14), who are both avid readers.

OP posts:
Dumbledoresgirl · 26/04/2018 17:25

5?! I would have thought that was too young for any of the HP books. There is more to a book than reading the words.

But, having said that, I admit my one of my youngest's first words was harrypotter. But that was because he was around when his older siblings were watching the first film on repeat.

Winchester13 · 26/04/2018 17:26

Does she read them by herself?! At 5?! Wow

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:27

I have read it myself but many years ago. 12yo DD read the first two in the summer between reception and year 1 (so she was 4 turning 5) but didn’t get to the 6th and 7th books until she was about 7 and I felt that was the right age. I’m just not sure if 5 is too young!

OP posts:
greenlynx · 26/04/2018 17:28

To be honest I'm surprised that she read first 5 at this age, so I would wait.

cloudtree · 26/04/2018 17:28

No. Mine were allowed to do the first four in infant school and then they had to wait. They actually enjoyed the later books a lot more once they could understand and relate a bit more to what was happening.

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:29

Winchester she’s been obsessed with wanted to read “chapter books” and “reading in my head” since before she started school Grin probably the curse of having a family who don’t stop reading.

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 26/04/2018 17:29

There is more to a book than reading the words

This

Does she understand them?

And is this just a not very stealthy stealth boast? You seemed to be able to make this exact decision with your older DC

cloudtree · 26/04/2018 17:29

There are hundreds of more suitable books for her to read

Dumbledoresgirl · 26/04/2018 17:30

Was also going to say: I think it is a shame when children come to books too young. I remember reading Watership Down when I was 9 (which makes me sound positively slow compared to your dd!) I was totally able to read the words, but I did not understand the concepts at all. My husband ruined a few books for my children by introducing them to them when they were too young.

Why not ask your older children to recommend some other books they enjoyed around the age of 6 to their sister? There is plenty of time for her to come to Harry Potter. I didn't read it until my 40s but still enjoyed it.

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:31

I had originally planned to read them with her - we read the first chapter before bed one night and then the next night I went to read the second chapter and she went “no mummy, I’m on chapter 8 now”. She’d read 6 chapters on her own in one day Shock I’ve just let her get on with it since then, but am thinking of enforcing a break here. I don’t know how much of the 5th she understood - she cried when Sirius died but picked up the book about 5 minhtes later.

OP posts:
Witchend · 26/04/2018 17:31

Dd1read the first 5 at that age. She then had to wait for the next two to come out, so got a natural break.
She read them when they came out, and it didn't effect her enjoyment of the series.

Mannix · 26/04/2018 17:33

I'm on the fence. I think that at that age the themes of romance etc would sail over her head so that wouldn't worry about that.

However, it seems a bit of a shame to 'waste' a great book on a child who won't really understand it. Maybe she'll get more out of it in a couple of years?

But if she really wants to I'd probably let her. I was reading The Secret Garden at her age (although the chapter on everyone dying from cholera gave me nightmares!).

AlonsoTigerHeart · 26/04/2018 17:33

There's no way a 5 year old understands the books

honestly😂👏😂

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:33

12yo DC was actually a slightly more advanced reader I’d say - she just wasn’t interested in continuing the series as rapidly. She read lots of other stuff in between, but DD3 just wants to read the next one as soon as she’s finished the previousz

OP posts:
roboticmom · 26/04/2018 17:33

I read them to my kids the first time at around age 5/6 because I love the books so much I wanted to share them with them :-) I stopped after the 4th which was a bit too intense with a child dying. I let my daughter read on age 9 because all her friends had read them. Depends how sensitive your kids are, I guess. I know a family that watched zombie movies with their 6 year old- everyone is different!

cloudtree · 26/04/2018 17:34

How can she possibly be enjoying them to their full potential though. Number Five is all about teenage angst.

I persoanlly think you're spoiling them for her by letting her read them and it's a shame.

adaline · 26/04/2018 17:35

No way does a five year old understand what's happening in those books.

Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:36

There's no way a 5 year old understands the books

It definitely depends on the child. She understood the first three for sure. She’s always asking what words mean though so she doesn’t just read without understanding.

OP posts:
Original poster
TabbyTigger · 26/04/2018 17:37

So it looks like I wouldn’t be unreasonable to withhold, which just confirms what I was thinking. I’ll hide 6 and 7 for another year Grin

OP posts:
AlonsoTigerHeart · 26/04/2018 17:38

The relationships, age experience, life choices of the characters are all things she has no Concepts of

cloudtree · 26/04/2018 17:39

we held back the later books until age 9/10