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

[TabbyTigger]

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?

I'm not convinced there are all these mad jealous bitter mothers of underachieving children around. Never experienced it at all with my four. Yes a couple of mums have apparently quizzed my kids and checked through book bags on play dates, but that was more down to anxiety and insecurity about their own kids, no nastiness at all towards mine.

Mine are mostly grown up now, and it seems that how well they are doing in reception, Y6, or even A level, often has little effect on how well they do as adults. My DS1 was at a fabled Russell group and his gang became good friends with a very engaging lad at the local ex Poly who ended up with a 2.2. Two years after Uni he's doing better than any of the Russell group boys.

I've come to the conclusion that raising happy, resilient children gives them much more chance of being a success than fretting over the academics.

Mine are mostly grown up now, and it seems that how well they are doing in reception, Y6, or even A level, often has little effect on how well they do as adults.

Exactly! I don’t see why everyone is so bothered by a few 5/6 year olds reading Harry Potter...

By the way, in HP there are definitely a few instances of Harry and Ginny going off for a "quiet hour" down by the lake. Paraphrasing here, but I think there is a very subtle insinuation they are up to teenagery no good.

My daughter read them all at the age of 6 and was fine with them.

Exactly! I don’t see why everyone is so bothered by a few 5/6 year olds reading Harry Potter..

People just find it a bit ridiculous. As I said before I don't doubt that some 5/6 year olds could technically "read" HP but I highly doubt they'd understand much of the story.

I have a high ability child in yr2 and a couple of her friends are also very bright. But none of them are reading HP yet - they're more at the stage of the worst witch, Enid Blyton, roald dahl etc and a fair few books about fairies Which they can properly enjoy because they fully understand the story. These children I believe are more representative of bright kids of their age group - there aren't hordes of children reading and actually comprehending Shakespeare or HP so please don't make out there are!

If I gave DD HP she would be able to read the words but a lot of it would go over her head. So what's the point? Keep it she appropriate and they'll get a lot more out of reading.

I want to say let your DD read everything her heart disires since my kids have always struggled with reading but I think waiting a few years isn't a bad idea

I'm a parent so am just as aware of how school age ranges work as you, thanks

Clearly not

Also, @wurlie - the only people who seem to find it ridiculous are those that don't seem to understand that children develop at different levels. Your claim that children of that age wouldn't understand Harry Potter is simply not true. Your claim that there aren't hordes of children of that age is unfounded. It's really not that rare for 5 year olds to be reading Harry Potter and more advanced literature.

userinfinityplus1

My children are doing wonderfully at school thank you very much. I’m just not pathetic enough to boast about it on Mumsnet and make up ever more ridiculous tales of five year old prodigies to impress who exactly?

@jacqueshammer

And you’re the type of parent that is the reason I refuse to talk about my daughter to other parents at school. I’ve had parents go through her bag on play dates and then complain to the school about what she’s allowed to read etc.

Parents complaining because their kid isn’t off the reading scheme. The accusations of “pushy mother”. Why on earth would we invent that our kid could read whatever at 5 years old?

Surely you accept kids develop differently. Mine was a late walker and always a touch behind physically. I’d never assume people whose kids walked at 9 months were lying though. Bizarre stance!

I am with you jaques

I also have a daughter who was an early reader, and was advanced academically, and yes, along with a few others here, I experienced a few of the other mums being very bitchy and spiteful, and actually quite angry, because my daughter was more advanced than their children..

If people who have children who are advanced for their age have never received bitchy comments and trouble from other mums, they have been very lucky.

I also find it bizarre that anyone would think people are making it up. Kids are great at a particular sport at a young age? No worries. They start walking at 10 months? No worries. But if they are advanced with reading, writing, or maths, and can read at the level of a 7-8 year old, at just 4 years old; the hate and vitriol starts getting spouted from the mums of those who can't.

My daughter was reading Harry Potter at 5 years old too, and she was also playing a few video games quite well at 3-4 years old, completing levels on her own, and beating her dad! Much to his dismay!

I suppose I will be accused of lying too huh?

As has been said, some people seem to be projecting their insecurities about their own children, (and their own parenting,) onto others on here.

@icantcopeanymore

the only people who seem to find it ridiculous are those that don't seem to understand that children develop at different levels. Your claim that children of that age wouldn't understand Harry Potter is simply not true. Your claim that there aren't hordes of children of that age is unfounded. It's really not that rare for 5 year olds to be reading Harry Potter and more advanced literature.

Agree with this totally, and think it's a bit daft that people are denying a 5 year old could read (and understand) Harry Potter, just because their child couldn't!

I find it ridiculous, Cope, despite fully understanding that children develop at different rates. There are so many lovely age-appropriate books that the DC could be enjoying. There's no need to read HP at 5 or Game of Thrones at 9 or whatever. Yes, they will be able to read the words, but some of the themes are highly unsuitable.

I also agree with PP who say that the children will be missing out on a whole phase of books (which they probably won't come back to until they're reading to their own children).

I thought they were originally written as books for primary age and then after their popularity Rowling made the later books more dark.

They were originally released annually, so the level of the books aged as the readers did.

Clever!

Wow, DD is 6 and loves to read but couldn't read them on her own. She has seen all the films (including deathly hallows) by age 5 and was fine with them.

If she could read them I would let her. Maybe I should encourage her to try.

I read watership down at 7 dumbledore it was my first proper book. Loved it and have reread it many times. I still have that original one ready to pass on to DD as soon as she is ready

I also agree with PP who say that the children will be missing out on a whole phase of books

This doesn’t have to happen though if you ensure your child has a wide range of books available. Anyone who only reads one type of book is surely going to miss out whatever level it is!

I don't think that not fully understanding everything in a book is a reason not to read it

I often reread books and notice something i had previously missed.

Rereading a book as a parent makes me notice things I had missed when I was young and childless.

That is the joy of rereading a book!

There are so many lovely age-appropriate books that the DC could be enjoying. There's no need to read HP at 5 or Game of Thrones at 9 or whatever

Harry Potter books were written for children, especially the first three.

If someone let their child read Game of Thrones at 9, that's completely different.

It's really not that rare for 5 year olds to be reading Harry Potter and more advanced literature.

No, I'm sure it's not, but I maintain they do not fully understand what they are reading. Being placid enough to sit and mindlessly decode a string of words is not the same as appreciating the language, the themes, the character's intentions and so on.

It's bonkers to think a book has been "spoiled" or "wasted" if it has been read without understanding every single concept within it.

I am totally boggled that so many PPs have said that

Everybody's mind continues to grow and learn throughout their life. We all understand things we didn't when we were younger.

Such a strange attitude, like 'you mustn't do it unless you can do it perfectly first time'.

What utter bollocks.

I work with children and meet many smart 5 year olds, none of them would understand Harry Potter to its full potential

I don't think that matters. My son read Animal Farm aged 8 and liked it as a story about animals who run a farm. He can read it again later in life if he wants to understand it's full potential. He must have been understanding enough to enjoy himself or he would have stopped reading.

I would only stop my child reading a book if I thought there was content that would upset them or was inappropriate. My 5 yr old would be upset by thinking that Harry would have to die to save everyone else. He's a bit freaked out by death just now. So I would stop after book 5 for a while.
But you know your child best op.

Of course at 5 she wont understand the themes like the teen angst or the sex references etc. But shes still learning and enjoying it and she can read it again when shes older.

I maintain they do not fully understand what they are reading

That completely depends on the child.

Being placid enough to sit and mindlessly decode a string of words is not the same as appreciating the language, the themes, the character's intentions and so on

If a five year old is reading Harry Potter, its highly unlikely they are mindlessly decoding words. They'd never make it through a whole novel if so.

They don't have to appreciate every part. If they enjoy the story, which is highly likely as the stories are fantastic even for little ones, then they are doing what reading is for.

Also not understanding now means she will use her own imagination to fill in the gaps.

Do you have experience of teaching children to read @wurlie?

No I don't but I don't see how that's relevant. This isn't about teaching children to read.

DD definitely isn’t just decoding the words, her attention span isn’t that good. When we were on holiday she ran out of books so declared she was going to borrow her sister’s copy of Gone With the Wind. I thought it would be funny to see how far she got - she read about 3 pages before giving up. She doesn’t understand everything in Harry Potter. But she understands enough to enjoy a story about defeating a bad guy, going to school and making friends, and training unusual creatures.

When she re-reads it again in 5 years she’ll understand a lot more, which exactly what her sister did. Reading them aged 5-7 didn’t spoil it!

I’ve only just let my 14yo start the Game of Thrones books... definitely not the same ball park as Harry Potter.

And Harry Potter isn’t the only stuff DD reads. As I’ve said a few times - she started “That’s Me, Clarice Bean” yesterday. She’s read plenty of Ronald Dahl, Enid Blyton, all of The Worst Witch, My Naughty Little Sister, The Penderwicks, Pippi Longstocking, The Sophie Stories, Molly Moon, Mrs Pepperpot. Lined up next we’ve got more Ronald Dahl, more Lauren Child, Thora, The Roman Mysteries, Narnia etc. She’s not been exclusively forced to read Harry Potter, she just wanted to read them.

Exactly, MissWilmott. And I doubt that anybody reads a book and understands it completely the first time anyway. Unless they are close reading everything. There’s almost always more that you pick up when you read a good book the second/third/fourth time.

I’m not sure the relationships stuff in the later books is actually well enough written to bother understand anyway. The themes perhaps worth considering at some point but if she’s an avid reader she’ll probably read and reread them anyway and it won’t spoil her enjoyment in any way.

*Roald! autocorrect is not my friend.