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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:
RoseWhiteTips · 28/04/2018 20:55

I don’t buy this. Five year olds cannot read Harry Potter. The end.

RoseWhiteTips · 28/04/2018 20:56

Rowling is a writer whose work is derivative. Awful stuff.

RoseWhiteTips · 28/04/2018 20:57

Or are the books abridged versions? 🙂

ICantCopeAnymore · 28/04/2018 21:13

Rose, are you drunk? Or being sarcastic? It's hard to tell.

wurlie · 28/04/2018 21:34

I'm sure I have a video somewhere of my 4 year old DS reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Why would you bother to video that if it's such a non event?

user1471426142 · 28/04/2018 21:40

I can well believe she can read them as I was an advanced reader and I think I would have been able to read the books but not necessarily comprehend them. What amazes me though is she had the patience to get through book 5. That was super long. Personally at that age I’d have done up to book 3 and no more. The darker themes do ramp up and there is such a richness in backstory etc, it’d be a shame to plough though the books without the full understanding. I almost think it is a shame that the full series is accessible now. Part of the fun was waiting in anticipation for the next book, the theorising about plot points etc.

As an aside, I always find it baffling when people criticise JKR as a writer. She’s brought joy and entertainment to millions of people and has become hugely rich in the process. I’d love to be as much of a failure as she is!

JacquesHammer · 28/04/2018 21:43

Why would you bother to video that if it's such a non event?

Well people tend to video their kids eating, playing etc etc. Both pretty much non-events no?

lavendargreen · 28/04/2018 21:56

@Rosewhitetips

Rowling is a writer whose work is derivative. Awful stuff.

Sounding a bit jealous there........ Are you a failed writer by any chance?

rosewhitetips

I don’t buy this. No five year old I know can read Harry Potter, and . The end.

Fixed that for you

ICantCopeAnymore · 28/04/2018 21:59

Why would you bother to video that if it's such a non event?

Because I'm a massive Harry Potter fan, it holds many personal precious memories for me and my son reading it for the first time was an incredibly special moment as I didn't think I'd ever see the day.

Also, I have videos of my DS mashing a banana into his face, snoring, sneezing for the first time and falling over during an egg and spoon race. All non-events to most people, but special to me.

lavendargreen · 28/04/2018 22:21

@Icantcopeanymore

I have video footage of my daughter playing video games at 3 & 4, and also reading Harry Potter too, at 5.

There a a few naysayers and poo-pooers in my life too, and when they scoff and disbelieve (just coz THEIR kids could not read so well at that age, or play video games at that age,) I show them the footage.

Soon shuts them up. Wink

I also have footage of my daughter singing a song she wrote at 9, and playing guitar whilst performing it. i suppose I am making that up too huh? Wink

Bit sad really, that people refuse to believe other kids are so talented and smart, just because theirs aren't........

ICantCopeAnymore · 28/04/2018 22:35

Lavendar - that's great! I have a photo of DS the first time he held an Xbox controller at 3 too 😁 He completed Portal when he was 4. I can't even do that now! He's also a guitarist at 10. They sound really similar - I'm certain gaming has developed his hand eye coordination, dexterity and responses. He does guitar things that I can't even comprehend!

He's utterly useless at anything to do with common sense or most sport though.

It is sad that there are odd people out there who genuinely disbelieve that different children have different interests and talents and also develop at different rates. What's even sadder is that they put them down for it.

As a teacher, I celebrate children's different talents, discuss their interests with gusto and stand for an ethos where diversity is wonderful. The children are great at it. It's the adults who aren't.

lavendargreen · 28/04/2018 22:38

@icantcopeanymore

Great post, ^ And I agree totally. with your last 2 paragraphs. Smile

lavendargreen · 28/04/2018 22:40

It is sad that there are odd people out there who genuinely disbelieve that different children have different interests and talents and also develop at different rates. What's even sadder is that they put them down for it.

I think we must move in different social circles to some on here. Wink

Because, like you, I know quite a few children who are gifted and talented and were early readers, and read harry potter and similar level books at 4-6 y.o.

RoseWhiteTips · 29/04/2018 00:33

ICantCopeAnymore

Rose, are you drunk? Or being sarcastic? It's hard to tell

Tut. Poor debating skills.

RoseWhiteTips · 29/04/2018 00:37

A failed writer? Good grief, it gets worse.

wurlie · 29/04/2018 01:13

Different social circles?! Jesus.

A video of a child reading words does not in any way prove that they are fully comprehending what they are reading.

I'm starting to think that you parents of geniuses and teachers are actually a little bit hard of thinking as you really don't seem able to grasp this point.

RoseWhiteTips · 29/04/2018 01:31

Different social circles? Cringeworthy. Just stop; you are embarrassing yourself.

farangatang · 29/04/2018 03:45

*It is sad that there are odd people out there who genuinely disbelieve that different children have different interests and talents and also develop at different rates. What's even sadder is that they put them down for it.

As a teacher, I celebrate children's different talents, discuss their interests with gusto and stand for an ethos where diversity is wonderful. The children are great at it. It's the adults who aren't*

^This, exactly.

But the competitive parents who live vicariously through their children and constantly compare their kids with others (either positively or negatively) exist. They are the sort to judge the intelligence of other children based on what their own child is doing or attribute differing opinions on a topic to the fact that the other person or their children are not as well-educated/intelligent/wealthy/friendly/whatever-attribute-is-under-discussion as they or their children are and are often the ones at parent-teacher conferences who want to know more about the other children in their child's class and how their own compares rather then focus on celebrating and supporting their own child's particular skills. Cringeworthy! Teaching in highly-selective independent schools means you meet quite a few of them. I genuinely don't think many are self-aware enough to recognise they're doing it, either.

I think it's also sad that, due to this competitive spirit of some parents (and the ethos of certain schools or personal insecurities etc...), there seems to be a stigma against people rightly being proud of the things their children are actually GREAT at. No-one should feel they have to apologise for or minimise advanced skills and/or achievements, just because there are some who might be jealous or feel inferior for some reason. I wish I'd known this for myself going through school!!

extrastrongmint · 29/04/2018 07:38

DS is 5. He was an early reader and in fact taught himself in utero. He has just finished reading Lolita and was charmed by this heartwarming tale of friendship across the generations. He has always enjoyed playing with his train set but I have now moved that out of reach and have got him a copy of Trainspotting to read next - I just know that is going to be a hit. He may not understand quite everything but he will learn some interesting new vocabulary. Sometimes he wakes screaming in the night and says he's scared and really didn't like a book. I say "rubbish darling - you're a very good reader, and I have the videos to prove it". Sometimes advanced kids need that kind of reassurance. His teacher tried to make some strange point to me about there being a difference between "can" and "should". I'm not sure what she was getting at. I mean, of course they're different - they're not even the same length. Clearly she doesn't do crosswords. Thank god he has me to supply him with books with much longer words, eh? She recommended some writer called Dahl - I had a look to humour her and most of his work seemed rubbish, though there was one called "Kiss, Kiss" which seemed more suitable.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 29/04/2018 07:55

I don't think it's the OP or Icant that's missing the point.

As long as she understands enough to gain enjoyment of it at her level it doesn't matter whether she comprehends it at the same level as a 9yr old or a 13 yr old or an adult.

And she'll probably gain much more from it than artificially restricting her to books people think are suitable for her age range.

ICantCopeAnymore · 29/04/2018 08:27

Wurlie - it's you who can't grasp the point. Children of that age are capable of comprehending things. I really don't know what is so difficult to understand about that. It's not me who is hard of thinking.

Extra - Grin
I teach a Lolita. At parents' evening I asked if they'd read the book. They hadn't as they weren't keen on books. Perhaps they should have Smile

BrashCandicoot · 29/04/2018 08:38

If the Harry Potter reading 5 year olds aren’t that remarkable I’ll just sell 5yo p1 DS to the circus now then, he’s clearly a lost cause.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 29/04/2018 08:53

The 5 year old doesn’t have to understand the adult concepts of the book to enjoy it. At 5, there is so much they will get out of it.
It’s set in a magic school, with witches and wizards and giants, there’s magical monsters and cool spells to learn. That’s the beauty of those books, every time you read them you get more from them. I haven’t read them since I was 6-7, considering re-reading them now to see how different they seem.

Nailsshinelikejustice · 29/04/2018 08:58

To me, whether a reception year child can read HP is not the point. The books are simply not appropriate for that age group.

Your child's wondering, innocent outlook is a precious, precious thing - once lost, never recovered. The graphic portrayal of death, resurrection, dark spiritual forces - do you really think this is suitable for a 4/5 year old? Really?

There are thousands of other books aimed at older readers which will challenge these prodigies, but which contain far more appropriate themes.

TheKimJongUnofFeminism · 29/04/2018 09:00

“The 5 year old doesn’t have to understand the adult concepts of the book to enjoy it. At 5, there is so much they will get out of it.
It’s set in a magic school, with witches and wizards and giants, there’s magical monsters and cool spells to learn. That’s the beauty of those books, every time you read them you get more from them. I haven’t read them since I was 6-7, considering re-reading them now to see how different they seem.”

There are plenty of books I could list for you that have all that- but not the inappropriate “adult” themes.