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Original poster

Harry Potter for seven year old

29 replies

Laura0608 · 31/03/2014 13:07

My son is a very good reader and is utterly obsessed with Harry Potter. He has been reading my old copies and he has now finished the third and wants to start the fourth (Goblet of Fire). I'm just worried that it may be too mature for him. It is 600 odd pages, there is death and it's a lot darker than the previous three books. He is very mature for his age and has seen all the films so knows what to expect but I was hoping for some opinions?

OP posts:
ThisFenceIsComfy · 31/03/2014 13:08

My DSS is the same age and I felt uncomfortable with how dark it was from Azkaban onwards. I'm going to leave it til he's about 9/10 but maybe I'm too cautious!

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 31/03/2014 13:12

Personally I wouldn't let DS1 (7) watch all the films, but if yours has then I'm not sure why the book would be any different? Admittedly it's a long time since I have read the book. DS1 and DH are currently reading the second Harry Potter book - I think we felt the first 3 were tamer? I'd have to look at the other ones again when we get to that point. Generally though, I think films tend to be more graphic\scary than the book.

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 31/03/2014 13:13

I don't think you are too cautious fence. DS1 hasn't sen any of the films at all yet.

InflatableBrick · 31/03/2014 13:13

My elder child read them all at 7 and didn't seem to be affected in any way by them.

Original poster
Laura0608 · 31/03/2014 13:22

He was fine with the films. Didn't see a problem with him watching them and he wasn't scared at all. My problem is, from what I remember, the start of the book is really quite scary. Maybe read the first couple chapters with him and see how he goes...

OP posts:
lostintoys · 01/04/2014 15:34

My DS, also 7, read the first three Harry Potters last summer, but stopped at number 4, which I was quite relieved about. I think he felt it was a bit much for him now. That said, several of his seven-year-old friends have read the entire series.

bruffin · 01/04/2014 15:43

The books were originally meant for year 6 (10 year olds) and above and have grown with the characters.

DeWe · 01/04/2014 21:26

Dd1 read up to HP 5 or 6 when she was year 1, and loved them. Dd2 aged 10 still won't touch them because they're too scary.

Raxacoricofallapatorius · 01/04/2014 21:29

6yo dd has read 1-3 and I was hesitant about 4, so she's re-read 1-3!

LizzieMint · 01/04/2014 21:32

My 7 yr old has just read the first, we're not giving her any more yet! She gets quite scared though. Go with your instinct, if you think it's too mature for him, put him off for a while.

Yardarm · 01/04/2014 21:33

I wouldn't give it to a 7 yo but I'm quite cautious with subject matter for books and films.

pancakesfortea · 01/04/2014 21:36

My 7-8 year old stopped at book 5 which I think was about right.

BaconAndAvocado · 03/04/2014 22:21

I'm currently reading the first one to DS aged 7 and he's really enjoying it as there's so much more than the film.

He did try to read it himself but found it a bit too challenging.

hawthornknitter · 04/04/2014 10:18

DS will be 8 in May, he has read the first four in the last few months or so but has stalled on no.5. He has read a normal book's worth of pages and they still haven't even got to school, he says, so I think he has lost interest a bit. He says he's giving Harry a break for a while :) I'm happy enough with that. It's not that I think he'd be scared, particularly, but it might just be a bit complicated more than anything else, challenging in concept rather than just language.

WillowJoinInOurCrufae · 15/04/2014 18:40

DS discovered Harry Potter in the October of year 2 and by the end of year 2 he had read all of them and gone onto The Hobbit.

He had started the year as a reluctant reader and there was no way we were going to stop him when he finally latched onto them. He has never been traumatised by them.

Nocomet · 15/04/2014 18:44

DD1 hated the bit in the first film where Harry's parents are killed. Not bothered in the least by anything else.

CalamitouslyWrong · 15/04/2014 18:46

If he's seen all the films, I don't really understand why you're worried about him reading the books.

Hulababy · 15/04/2014 18:50

The main problem, other than the dark nature, would be the comprehension of the books, especially the later ones.

In films it is easier to pick up storylines or even fudge over bits your don't fully understand. But large parts of the books are discussing concepts that most, if not all, 7yos would really grasp or understand.

Currently in the car listening to the audio book of the half blood prince. A 7yo is unlikely to be fully comprehending all the explanations of horcruxes and then the discussions of what they all mean etc. there is a lot of explanation going on over last couple of CDs.

I guess if they just want to read and get bits of it then it's fine - death and violence aside. But I'm not sure I really see much point unless they are going to read them again when older to make sense of all the stuff they missed first time.

dayshiftdoris · 15/04/2014 18:52

I insisted mine read the book first before the film but was similarly worried

But then his reading level wasn't high enough at that age to read HP on his own so I read it to him (yes all 600 pages) and Order of The Pheonix and most of Half Blood Prince when he finally took over reading them....

Despite my worries he was fine though I cried like a baby when Cedric died in book 4 - however my son is autistic and quite frankly he just found my emotional response 'weird' and was just interested in the how's of the storyline.

soontobeslendergirl · 15/04/2014 18:55

My eldest read the first 3 himself at age 7 - he started the 4th but we both decided that he should wait until he was a little older to read the rest. I know that friends children have had them read to them at 7ish. I also didn't let him see the movies until he'd read the books....

dayshiftdoris · 15/04/2014 18:56

And what Hulababy said is spot on - my son has them on audio and has picked up so much more on listening to them again and on reading the early ones again... He still has missed some of the under-tones that I haven't shared and needed lots of discussion around what he read in the last 2... In fact I read the last 100 pages of book 7 to him.

If you haven't read them then I would definitely do so...

I credit my son's reading development to his love of these books Smile

WillowJoinInOurCrufae · 15/04/2014 19:26

Same here dayshiftdoris. I cannot thank JK Rowling enough.

With DS he was not allowed to watch the films before reading the books. We looked at the BFI guidance for the films and it is the peril that gives them a 12 rating and we figured if he had already read the books and knew the outcome then the peril would be diminished. The only one he actually saw in the cinema was the final one where he went fully clothed in his cloak and with his wand ;)

mummy1973 · 15/04/2014 20:58

My dd read the third aged 7 then stopped. She was a bit spooked with the third one. She picked them up again at 9 and read the lot. There is no rush.

JoyceDivision · 15/04/2014 21:04

DD is 7 and I think we are on the 2nd to last book Blush

I read a chapter and then DD reads a chapter in bed, she really enjoys them, and remembers the characters quite well. Credirics death was very sad, however DD was crying when she recounted to me how, at the end of The Order of The Phoenx, all the order were waiting at londonto greet harry when he got off the train, even I was a bit teary!

She hasn't watched the films yet, I've said she can watch them after she has finished the books, but I think she will prob not want to watch the darker /scarier ones.

I we need a bit of light relief, we always dig out a Mr Gum book!

JoyceDivision · 15/04/2014 21:04

Blush was as I can't remember the books name!!