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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:
grandplans · 27/04/2018 12:50

I don't understand this idea of spoiling them by reading them early - it's not as if there aren't zillions of brilliant books out there she can read when she's older!

grandplans · 27/04/2018 12:51

Tabby Tiger, have you come across these books yet? So well written, great fun, and a female protagonist:

The Accidental Pirate Series

KatherinaMinola · 27/04/2018 12:58

They were written for children, Cope, but they were aimed at the middle-grade or YA (complete misnomer) market, rather than 5yos.

These days it's unlikely that a book for 5yos would contain deaths, unless it was specifically about introducing those issues (bereavement etc). And these days I can't imagine a book containing murders or violent deaths being marketed at the early years or infant age groups. (It was different 100 years ago or even 30 years ago.)

ICantCopeAnymore · 27/04/2018 13:14

The first three don't contain deaths as such, unless you count Quirrell and mentions of people who have died, like Lily and James. Certainly no graphic deaths.

DD read Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets very early. She loved everything about it and very much understood the majority of what was going on. Plus, as someone who has read each book probably over 100 times by now, there are bits that you miss the first few times. It really doesn't matter.

What is very disheartening as a teacher who is also very passionate about promoting a love for reading, is that people on this thread don't understand how children learn to read, don't understand that very young children can have inference skills, not just decoding skills and that people want to stop children from reading certain texts that they might enjoy, even if they don't understand every aspect of it.

That's very concerning.

wurlie · 27/04/2018 13:25

Quite frankly I can't take too much notice of what a teacher who has read each HP book over 100 times thinks. There is an entire world's worth of literature out there, talk about a lack of imagination

JacquesHammer · 27/04/2018 13:33

Quite frankly I can't take too much notice of what a teacher who has read each HP book over 100 times thinks. There is an entire world's worth of literature out there, talk about a lack of imagination

Wow what an unimaginative attitude (ironic huh, when you’re suggesting just that).

I read on average about 500 books a year. Many are new, some are re-reads. I love reading YA fiction from the 90s. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation.

Don’t you have favourites you read over and over again?

ICantCopeAnymore · 27/04/2018 13:35

Oh, right. I didn't realise that my reading of books many times because I love them so much shows a lack of imagination. I read over ten books a week at present, I've been reading the Harry Potter books since 1997, so over 20 years.

You do realise that leaves plenty of time in my almost 40 years on this planet, 37 of which I have been reading for, to read other books?

Dear me.

LoveInTokyo · 27/04/2018 13:37

When I was ten I loved to read Enid Blyton and any books set in boarding schools. My teacher told me that I should read something else. Unfortunately my teacher had very poor English herself, and my mum (not known for her diplomacy) told me teacher that when she could spell as well as I could, she could have an opinion on what I read. Didn’t go down too well, to be honest, but my mum had a point.

Let kids read whatever they like, as long as it’s not something like 50 Shades or Grey or Game of Thrones. Encouraging a love of reading is the most important thing.

waterrat · 27/04/2018 13:39

can't be bothered trtft but - 5 year olds reading harry potter - normal???? er no. I have a 6 year old - he is bright and normal - I do not know any of his friends reading books like this on their own .
wtf? mumsnet is such weird place.

thegreylady · 27/04/2018 13:39

My 9 year old dgs read the last ones last year. He is an advanced reader but, though he was reading fluently at 4 he didn’t start Harry Potter until he was in Year2.

KatherinaMinola · 27/04/2018 13:40

I think the third book contains some very dark themes. The OP's DD has read the first five books though. I'm completely Confused that so many posters on this thread think that's fine. But we all parent differently, as this thread shows!

wurlie · 27/04/2018 14:42

You do realise that leaves plenty of time in my almost 40 years on this planet, 37 of which I have been reading for, to read other books?

Love how you shoehorned in that you have been reading since you were 3 Grin

BitOutOfPractice · 27/04/2018 14:50

I think theses a lot of skewed perceptions on this thread. About what is usual about reading and what isn't. Somebody who normally reads 10 books a week (which must be highly unusual) will have different ideas about this than your average adult reader. Someone whose kid read Tolstoy at 3 will have different perceptions than someone whose 7yo is struggling to read at all. None of them are wrong as such but it's unwise to base answers on anecdotally dodgy data.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 27/04/2018 15:21

It doesn't really help that poster are assuming precocious reader = genius either. It's just that some children with good working memories pick it up very easily. Some of those children will also have SEN and need support and many children that go on to achieve highly aren't precocious readers.

It's a bit unfair for the OP to try and have to explain herself only to end up in the firing line for claiming her child isn't a genius.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 27/04/2018 15:34

I hope the posters making fun of the OP for having a good reader don’t pass those attitudes into their kids. I was bullied at school when I was small for being a good reader and at secondary anyone who was top set would get sneered at and called a “boffin”. It made other kids not want to put their hand up in class and answer questions which is really sad.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/04/2018 15:35

I don't think posters are making fun of OP for having a good reader.

They are making fun of her stealth boasts.

TheKimJongUnofFeminism · 27/04/2018 15:46

I am not making fun of the OP for having a good reader. I am making fun of her attempts to tell us that she doesn’t!

AB89 · 27/04/2018 15:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 27/04/2018 15:53

Why is it a stealth boast to talk about her kid? Of course you’re making fun. Most normal people would go, wow that’s awesome and leave it at that.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/04/2018 16:03

So saying a 5 year old has read 5 Harry Potter books is not boasting?

I certainly think so and will make fun of it.

TheKimJongUnofFeminism · 27/04/2018 16:07

"Most normal people would go, wow that’s awesome and leave it at that."
Yes I agree. If the OP has insisted that there was nothing awesome at all-nothing to see here. But that's what she did. Which was a bit silly of her. :)

ICantCopeAnymore · 27/04/2018 16:08

Wurlie - already said I could read since I was 3. Already said I was in the paper for it, which was embarrassing. Definitely not a shoehorn.

And it's attitudes like that of the above poster making fun of someone because their child is an excellent reader that makes me despair.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 27/04/2018 16:09

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

JacquesHammer · 27/04/2018 16:12

I certainly think so and will make fun of it

Yes. I’ve met people like you before. Rather tiresome really 🙄

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 27/04/2018 16:14

But of course Umbongo.

I’m sure she will be able to write personal insults in three languages under your wise instructions.