To let DD read Goblet of Fire

[Karlkennedyslovechild]

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.

I am torn. I was a precocious reader in an era where there weren't many YA books . I also chose for myself what I wanted to read from the school and town libraries. At 7 it was Arthur Ransome, Enid blyton and Noel Streitfield. Later in the juniors it was Mrs. Nesbit, Laura Ingalls Wilder and a Jump onto Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer. My parents didn't interfere.Because I was choosing for myself it wasn't artificial.i didn't always understand fully what I was reading but I don't believe that that was harmful exactly just that I could have got more out of the book with more worldly knowledge. On the other hand my DD grew up with HP and a book a year aged 7, 8, 9 etc. She enjoyed them and matured into the next one as it was published. Having started these books young I would probably let my cold read what they wanted but feel slightly wistful about the fact that they wold have go more pleasure by waiting. No matter , there is Ltd to be gained by retreading.

My 7 year old twins have been read the Goblet of Fire by their Dad. I just asked him and he said they didn't find it scary at all but it did have some more grown up themes going on (Harry kisses a girl, for example) so he's stopped there for now. In the mean time they are rereading the first 3 books themselves. The problem for you might be if it opens a can of worms and you feel pressure to let her read the 5, 6 & 7 (sorry, I don't know the names).

You know your child best. Some children won't understand it at that age some will. Some will be scared others won't. You need to trust your own judgement.

DC1 I held off a while but I'm not sure I needed to, DC2 read them when older anyway (their choice), DC3 I just let read them when they wanted to. I think they were finished before they turned 7 at the end of y2. Read them again in y3 and again in y4. Has watched all the films several times. Has bored me to tears with the minutiae of differences between the films and the books. Had long in-depth discussions with older siblings about the meanings of the various things that happen, and the whole ownership of the Elder Wand thing. I'm confident they got a lot from it and had a good understanding of it all so no regrets here! Also really enjoyed a family trip to the studio tour

Oh, and he did find the battle of Hogwarts scary, and told me he was too scared to read it (at 7). I asked if he wanted me to put the book away or to read it (aloud) for him. He choose the latter, and we had more snuggly reading time.

I have a precocious reader too. It’s hard. We have a routine with the HP books of getting a new one each year for her birthday. She ready the first at 6, the second at 7, third at 8. She’s turning 9 at Christmas and can’t wait to be allowed book 4!

My DD is 9, and has just read the whole Harry Potter set. She will sit and read for hours. And we’ve watched all the films. I haven’t read the books myself but do watch the films with her. The first films are PG and then go to 12 ratings , but they are fine I think.

I read all the Harry Potters to my daughter when she was that age. Even the first book has child abuse, torture, and murder described or discussed, so I don't think there is as much of a jump as people are implying, even if it's more detailed later.

One of the other children's series I've read to her is Roman Mysteries, which contains child abuse, torture, murder, kidnap, slavery, natural disasters etc. Many good children's books contain dark themes, because they are part of real life.

I read all kinds of adult books when I was a child, including LOTR and Agatha Christie at 7. I don't feel scarred by it.

There isn't anything actually inappropriate unless she's a child who gets fearful. Generally I let kids read whatever they can and want to unless it's really adult oriented content, but I will tell them if I think they are better off waiting or something might scare them or put them off. I'll suggest something else if I do that too.

It's true that she might not enjoy it as much as later, but there are many many books in the world and some we read and the right moment, and some we don't.

I would suggest the Narnia books too. I loved them so much and was so sad when I finished them.
Have never read HP, so can't comment.

I would. I was reading books for many years above me. Young books bored me.
Still love reading now.

I read a lot of books well above my age. (The one various family members remember is Biggles at 5.) I don't think it does any harm on the whole, but there were occasions when my parents put a stop to a particular book or series because I was having nightmares, and that was probably the right thing to do too. So I would say let her start it, as long as she'll stop if it's scaring her.

Other suggestions for books - has anyone mentioned Series of Unfortunate Events yet? I don't think it's too scary - although a lot of bad things do happen. Roger Lancelyn Green wrote retellings of pretty much every major mythology for children, which I think are excellent. I saw someone had mentioned The Hobbit, but Tolkien also wrote a book for younger children called Roverandom.

Currently reading Azkaban to 6 yo dd. She has been clamouring for them - largely because 9 yo ds is obsessed with the series and he is a walking, talking spoiler machine We will move onto GOF when we're done and she will be 7 by then.

@hels71

My DD read the first three HP books at 8. She tried number 4, but did not get in with it. She then read the Charlie Bone books by Jenny Nimmo and was hooked. She was also.hooked on the Crestomanci books already mentioned.b

Ahhh I remember reading these books and I've been trying to remember the name so I could recommend them. Life save you are 😉 nothing worse than trying to remember something that's on the tip of your tongue the whole time!

Depends on the kid - mine hate any kind of scary film but books always remain fiction in their head so doesn’t bother them. I’m firmly age appropriate about tv, film, games and careful about books but they wanted to read so we started.

Goblet of Fire was my test as to whether they could carry on due to what happens at the end of the book. 8 year old didn’t, 6 year old was desperate to so I let them. The confidence reading the books has given DC2 is amazing.

I read all the HP books to DS, with the latter ones being when he was 7. I figured that I could gauge if he was getting scared, but he’s a bloodthirsty little bugger so the violent deaths didn’t faze him at all (worrying!).

I don’t think they get as much out of the books at that age, but I explained some of the subtext as we went along and there’s some great opportunities to discuss eg discrimination.

I do think you can happily reread too. I got so much out of reading the books aloud, even though it was only 3-4 yrs since I first read them. So many levels on which they can be enjoyed. I’m a big fan!

And yes, it did lead into us watching all the films (together as a family though) and I am normally v strict about age-appropriate ratings. Again, no issues at all, but it would depend on the sensitivity of your child...

Some great recommendations on here thanks!

I would let her read it, and make sure you regularly ask her how she’s getting on with it, if there’s anything she wants to ask you about what she’s read. I don’t subscribe personally to the idea that reading ahead is bad for you. Precocious readers will develop to meet the complex understanding required of texts and in my experience have great empathy.

You say you’re really familiar with the text so you should know which bits might affect your child in certain ways. There is death and cruelty, also lots of teenage romance. But she may come to read and reread these books and develop different ideas and appreciations for them. That’s the beauty of a passion for reading. Denying kids books isn’t helpful, I think.

Charity shops are starting to open & they'll be rammed with books.

If you're worried about CV, hand gel before & after buying them & quarantine them for a few days.

Personally I'd 'let' her read it, but I'm not a fan of policing what they read.

I wouldn't stop her if she wants to. She can stop of she gets scared she she can reread later.

I recently reread Narnia and the language is much harder than HP even if the themes are less serious (and that's debatable).

If you can get your DD an ereader you can borrow books from the library on it. Big initial outlay but worth it in the long run.

I haven't read it but one of the children I work likes the Morrigan Crow series which I think is similar to Harry Potter.

I think it depends on the child really! The fact she loves reading is great! I adored Malory Towers/St Clares as a child too (what about Famous five as well?)I would let her read the book ,if she wants to .The film is slightly different ,maybe not until shes older with that one .She sounds very bright ,and maybe quite mature for her years? Also if she has chums in the same range may they be reading it and telling her all about it?Can you go on E Bay for a good price SH one and see if you can "quarantine" the book when it arrives under a tree in the garden for a few days?

HP is primarily about relationship dynamics. Its multilevelled and nuanced, there is no way a 7 year old has the theory of mind or emotional maturity to decode the complex relationships in these books.

It’s not about just reading the story and getting the broad jist, that’s not truly reading. Reading (a good book, or most particularly a chronological series like HP) should be immersive, emotional, provocative, challenge your perceptions and thinking.

PinkyU Do you have any recommendations for these types of books for adults ?Genuine question!

Ooh Pinky U I completely disagree with you! I think children learn how to decode their own complex relationships and begin to acquire the theory of mind you're talking about by reading them. There's nothing stopping people rereading again and again and in fact I remember some of my favourite childhood books as a developing picture of meaning as I grew up.

@ThePlantsitter

Ooh Pinky U I completely disagree with you! I think children learn how to decode their own complex relationships and begin to acquire the theory of mind you're talking about by reading them. There's nothing stopping people rereading again and again and in fact I remember some of my favourite childhood books as a developing picture of meaning as I grew up.

I agree. I think people of different ages and experience get different things out of every book. It doesn't mean there's more value for some reading it than others. Also, Harry Potter is fundamentally a children's book series. Although it may be aimed at a slightly higher age than the reader it's not going to be a million miles out of their grasp.

Surely the whole point of reading widely is to broaden the mind and open you up to experiences you haven't had yourself. It would be very boring if you could only read books that matched your own experiences in life.

Also, having just done a course on this, children should be encouraged to read beyond their comfort zone. That's where the learning happens. It's how their vocabulary and understanding gets stretched.