Is Roald Dahl too scary for a 5yo?

[BertieBotts]

Just got back into reading more to DS and we've started to read longer books. I got some of my old books out for him and thought he'd be alright with George's Marvellous Medicine and Esio Trot. (I think he might be a bit bemused by Esio Trot though)

I haven't read George's Marvellous Medicine for years though and I forgot that Grandma is quite scary and mean in the first chapter! I ended up reading the second one as well hoping that would cancel out any scariness and he didn't seem particularly shaken up but up until now all of our reading has been pretty tame - am I worrying/overthinking? I can't remember how old I was when I read that book.

We have read Esio Trot, The Twits and Fantastic Mr. Fox to DS (4.5) and we will probably read a lot more to him soon. He loves them!

My ds4 loves Roald Dahl, he is just six, fantastic Mr Fox and revolting rhymes and beastly tales and James and the giant peach are firm favorites. He also loves Georges marvellous medicine.

Depends on the child but mine have all loved roald dahl from a young age.

The twits, magic finger. All of them contain some dark bits so think it depends on the individual child.

How about The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me? My two loved it when they were that age.

I started with Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, The Twits and Fantastic Mr Fox at the ages of 4 and 6. The 6 year old really didn't enjoy them. Didn't find the 'nasty' characters funny at all. And was generally rather horrified by all the grisly goings on. The 4 year old was hooked straightaway (and is usually the more sensitive one). Try it and see....

I've hidden The Witches (it terrified me as a child) but have given her free reign on the rest. They did Esio Trot and The Enormous Crocodile at school (Y1), so those must be ok. The language in Matilda is hard, I'd leave that for a bit and maybe start with The Enormous Crocodile.

We are reading the collection with dd age 5 now. George was the only one that made her 'scared'. But she was fine with bfg(her favourite) Charlie, the giraffe, the twits( which I remember scared me at 7) the magic finger and mr fox. I am hiding the witches for the next few years though.

we did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was VERY popular with our then 4 and 6 year olds. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator was accepted by them but not with an enormous amount of excitement. the 6 year old has been listening to Matilda at school. We tried Fantastic Mr Fox but they weren't in the slightest bit interested and I felt the BFG, James and the Giant Peach and The Witches are too much for them. Not sure if we have The Twits, can't remember the story to be honest. Esio Trot, Magic Finger and Enormous Crocodile would probably be fine but mine have no interest in them.

I've just this week read Revolting Rhymes to DS (age 4). It's my old copy. I had a look and it's from when I was 4 as well. I loved it at that age, and Charlie, the Magic Finger and the Enormous Crocodile.

Mine are now mostly grown up, but they go white if I mention Crocky wock the crocodile.

Well, he apparently looked through the entire book, told me the story from the pictures and now he doesn't want to read it any more

I have to do this with his reading books - confiscate them so he doesn't spoil the story by reading ahead At least he's enthusiastic I suppose. I was forever having torches and whatever light form I could get hold of confiscated because I used to read under the covers!

We bought the "boxed set" from Book People when my daughter was 5.

We started to read The Witches, but DD asked us to stop because it was too scary. 2 years' later, there is still no persuading her. I assumed that BFG would get a big "thumbs down" but she has to have read it/been read it at least 4 times.

Charlie, George's Marvellous Medicine, Matilda are also well-thumbed.