Harry Potter

[RainInTheSky]

My 6 year old is upstairs (she is off school ill) avidly consuming the third Harry Potter book. She understands the stories well, can explain to me what is happening etc and is loving them. So no problems with comprehension. However a friend has told me that the later Harry Potter books are too adult for her age group and it would be better if she didn't read them. I assume they are too scary and there is too much violence. When should I get her to stop reading the series? Is this the last book she should be reading. And when can she start again? Are the later books really only suitable for teenagers. Thanks for your help. I am a rather busy mum of three (she is my eldest) so I am hoping to find this out without actually having to read the books myself!

It really does depend on you and your child, but personally I feel that the 4th book onwards are more suitable for older dc - say 9 years up.

In book 4 (HP & the Goblet of Fire) one of the more significant characters is killed, and I would say it would be quite shocking and possibly upsetting for a 6 y/o. Having said that, lots of people on here do have dc who've read the books at 6 / 7 years old, so it is hard to give an absolute answer.

If you're looking for a similar style of book but less dark, your dd might like the Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo - again adventures, magic, set in a school, but much more similar in tone to the 1st 3 HP books. The Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones is also a good lighter alternative to HP.

Why not read them first yourself and then decide?

DD1 discovered the Harry Potter series over Christmas in year 1. She read all up to whichever had been written. I remember the tears later that year when I wouldn't let her collect (I think book number 6) the new one at midnight...

For her, she had no problems. She likes the adventurous stories, and can totally distinguish reality and fiction. I wouldn't let her watch beyond #2 of the DVDs though.

Dd2 got half way through HP#1 and decided they were too scary and still refuses to touch them at age 10yo. But she doesn't like scary stories, and finds reality and fiction blur together.

Thanks for the tips Takver of the other books she might also enjoy.

Jilted, I am trying to get away without reading them myself due to limited time. I have about six books of my own on a shelf waiting to be read and I am only managing about a chapter a night by the time my kids are in bed and the dishwasher etc has been dealt with. Though I guess a flip through in a bookshop would be a good idea.

I am in two minds as to whether she is likely to be bothered or not if a character dies. I mean I was in floods of tears as grandma died in Gangsta Granny and she just told be not to be silly.

How are the later books on sex, swearing and graphic descriptions of violence? I read the Lord of the Rings myself at 7 and while bits of it are a bit scary there definitely isn't any of the above and so I would consider it suitable for young children.

My Ds read them all by teh age of 9/10, but likes that type of book. DD read the first 4 I think by 8 and tehn stopped - aminly because she was a bit fed up with them.
I have read them all - thought I should. THere is no swearing beyond Ron's 'bloody hell' as far as I can remember. Sex doesn't get beyond the occassional kiss.
As far as violence is concerned, I don't think its particularly graphic, more inferred, so a younger child might not pick up on it. I think they are quite scary - but again I think it is the dark atmosphere conjured up rahter than specific detail, so again might not be picked up.

Thanks Seeline. They don't sound too bad then.

I think I will probably decide to distract her on to some other books for a while. Charlie Bone and Chrestomanci are now sitting on my Amazon wish list, so thanks Takver.

However if in the future she is really desperate to read book 4 I might let her have a go.

Also bear in mind that book 4 is substantially longer than books 1-3. (it may well be much longer than anything else she's read). My DCs read through books 1-3 quite quickly, but were then put off by the size of book 4 and had a "natural" break for a year or so before feeling they wanted to come back to them.