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Original poster

To let DD read Goblet of Fire

157 replies

Karlkennedyslovechild · 18/06/2020 19:33

I don’t know so I’m throwing it out to the people in my phone to make my decision for me. DD turned 7 last month and has always been a reasonable reader but has really taken off since lockdown. She’s read all of Mallory Towers and can polish off a secret seven or Worst Witch in an evening. I’m running out of reading material and really miss the library.
We read the first 3 Harry Potters together probably around the end of last year and she loves it. A couple of months ago she asked if she could read them again to herself and I agreed. Now she’s pestering for book 4. Part of me thinks she’s too young but she has never been upset or scared by anything she’s read. Am I being too protective to say she has to wait? Realistically this will then lead on to books 5,6,etc.

So yes - I am a terrible negligent mother letting her read inappropriate material
No - go for it.

OP posts:
AlpacaGoodnight · 18/06/2020 19:55

I would let her. She enjoys the others and wants to find out what happens next, If you make her wait she might not have the enthusiasm she has now, she will also have to reread the others first or she will have forgotten major plot points. My daughter is the same age and is a real bookworm too. I think the later books do get quite dark but you will know what is right for your child

LouHotel · 18/06/2020 19:56

What about the younger Jacqueline Wilson books?

Double trouble, breakfast kid....

BiggerBoat1 · 18/06/2020 19:56

I'd definitely wait. There are plenty of good books for that age group.

How to Train Your Dragon series. Not very well written, but children seem to love them.
Holly Web - Snow Bear is particularly nice.
Charlotte's Web
Ottoline series
Pony Detectives by Belinda Ripley

Brandaris · 18/06/2020 19:57

Narnia definitely more age appropriate than goblet of fire! It’s not just the dark content but the more teenage perspectives that she will surely struggle with?

Does she like historical? Cynthia Harnetts Ring out bow bells and The load of unicorn are great (and not about unicorns, if you’re looking for unicorns try The Little White Horse).

Original poster
Karlkennedyslovechild · 18/06/2020 19:57

Ok some great suggestions here. I’m going to make a list of these authors. Yes to Clarice Bean, she’s read a few of those. I’ll also look at the Cressida Cowell and Dianna Wynn Jones ones, they sound good.

It seems like loads of kids around here have read them but I think I agree with those of you saying she’ll get much more out of them when she’s older.

OP posts:
GreyishDays · 18/06/2020 19:57

My 8 yr old is onto the fifth one. He’s quite easily scared but has been fine with them. He has needed to take a big break mid 4 and 5 as they are just so long!

The other problem is if they then want to watch the film, but also my DS has been fine with them. I think because they are not very realistic they don’t affect them as much as you might expect.

GreyishDays · 18/06/2020 19:59

I second the Worst Witch series though.

Disfordarkchocolate · 18/06/2020 19:59

I'm a believer in 'in they can actually read it, they can read it'. When she rereads it she will understand it differently but that's the joy of reading.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 18/06/2020 19:59

My Dc were/are voracious readers.

I would be inclined to let her and see-although there are so many fantastic books she could read if you are hesitant-
my dc loved www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=lloyd+alexander+books&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
and agree with PP-loved all the Noel Streatfield books.
There is also a huge fantasy series of OZ books by L. Frank Baum that my dc devoured.
It is a great problem to have IMO.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/06/2020 20:01

The main issue, IMO, with letting them race ahead is they miss out a lot of brilliant age appropriate stuff, as well as not fully understanding the older stuff. The other problem is that it can get very expensive with fast readers.

Personally I'd look at the stuff aimed at her group first, then if she's still keen, read it with her. I quite the Books2door website, lots of box sets of books at reasonable prices.

Purpleartichoke · 18/06/2020 20:02

Dd was an early reader and finished the first 3 when she was 5. We made her wait for 4 because 2 had scared her. We finally figured out she was freaked out by the largely comic bone disappearing scene, she loved the snake and the more intentionally scary scenes. So she finished the series while she was 6.

TLDR: 7 is plenty old enough for book 4

lrwe · 18/06/2020 20:03

I let my seven year old read goblet of fire. He is clamouring for the fifth but I've said he has to wait.

He reads the illustrated books which help slow him down, they're only up to the fourth the fifth isn't due to be released when he's 9 I think.

Lostthefairytale · 18/06/2020 20:03

The vote doesn't seem consistent with the comments unless I read the voting backwards. My 8 year old is Harry potter obsessed and is now on her second time listening to the full series on audible. She's also seen all the movies more times than I can count. We tend to judge what's appropriate or scary based on our adult perceptions. Both my kids are more scared by the 1st and 2nd movies than of the others despite them becoming progressively darker. The things that scare them most are voldemort on the back of quirell's head (1) and the giant spider (2). I am clearly a neglectful parent but I'm OK with my choices.

Crockodoodle · 18/06/2020 20:03

No because they need to grow with Harry to really appreciate the books. I made mine wait, there's a world of reading out there and I'm pleased I did.

BabyLlamaZen · 18/06/2020 20:07

Yes! If she can read it. I was perfectly fine reading it aged 10 (I know that's much older but I was a serious wuss.child! Couldnt read the goosebumps books either). I think the horror went over my head a bit and I LOVED all the magic of it all.
Book 5 is a different story...

Phalarope · 18/06/2020 20:08

DH borrowed a copy of Goblet of Fire to see if he thought it was appropriate for DD. She predictably found it on his bedside and read it before he’d started it. She says it wasn’t as scary as Chamber of Secrets.

There’ll be loads of things she won’t get, but she’ll read it again. And again. Just finished reading Swallows and Amazons to her which I loved as a child, and she said accusingly, “why has your voice gone funny, Mummy?” - it was at a bit at the end that I’d clearly never clocked as a kid, where Mrs Dixon says something about children thinking these summers will last for ever. Wah.

Original poster
Karlkennedyslovechild · 18/06/2020 20:08

Yes to the expense! She likes Worst Witch, has read 3 or 4 of them but can easily read a whole one in an evening (when she’s meant to be asleep but that’s another story) I begrudge buying them when they only last a few hours!
Love hearing other people’s reading experiences. I was also left to my own devices and read ‘older’ than I should have. I agree I think it’s probably a positive!

OP posts:
BabyLlamaZen · 18/06/2020 20:08

I agree with some pp that as an adult you take a lot more from it and it's really creepy!

I also love the idea of having to wait though 😳

Soonbechrimbo · 18/06/2020 20:08

My DD nagged to read the 4th one age 7. We already had a copy which was mine as a kid but I hid it and told DD no as I thought it would be too much for her (fairly sensitive kid) so said no. DD went behind my back and read it without telling me (probably a thread for another day... 🤦🏽‍♀️😂). She was actually absolutely fine with it and not traumatised at all by the ending like I had been when twice her age :/.

Findingapath · 18/06/2020 20:08

We have just started the first HP with my just turned 7yr old. She is loving it, halfway through in a few days. But we are having the same debate, on where do we let her go up to. My feeling is book 3. Book 4 would be quite upsetting, my DD is a very sensitive soul who wouldn’t be able to gloss over the darker parts. She would think into it and get upset. Soo to answer your question, I guess it depends on the child.

BabyLlamaZen · 18/06/2020 20:09

I found prisoner of azkaban scarier, looking back! The wolf that was Sirius freaked me out. And those dementors!

Dorris83 · 18/06/2020 20:09

Harry Potter is a series that can be read multiple times and you get different things each time. My son found the dementors in book three far scarier than anything else. I started reading them to him when he was five and we paused for a bit between books 3 and 4 but we finished the whole series when he was six. He’s seven now and we’ve started again 😂

He has also watched all of the films, it really helped him to not find them scary because he knew what was coming/ how it would pan out.

He’s not a sensitive kid so doesn’t frighten easily and he absolutely adores everything Harry Potter

BabyLlamaZen · 18/06/2020 20:10

@Soonbechrimbo honestly her writing is amazing as you pick up on completely different points depending on your age!

lanthanum · 18/06/2020 20:11

We completely refused to read any part of any of the later ones to our DD, because we thought she wouldn't enjoy them properly until she was a bit older. That did hold her up for about a year - either 4 or 5 took until her third attempt, because she got bogged down in the first section.

LemonadeAndDaisyChains · 18/06/2020 20:11

Hmmm, the first three I think are a bit different to 4 onwards as they get a lot darker.
The Goblet of Fire with the Triwizard tournament at the end for example and what happens there.
7 is still pretty young.
Not just from a "scary" perspective, from a comprehension level as well.
They get a lot more detailed.