How old is old enough for the first Harry Potter book?

[MrsWembley]

A boy in DD's class (Yr2) has just finished the second and she is asking if she can read them too.

Now, I don't want to do the competitive parent thing but she is just as good a reader as he is (both got the pass to take books from the library at about the same time). However, I seem to remember something about them having been written for the age group that Harry was in each book (obviously with a year or two either side), so I'm not sure if she's really ready emotionally. It's been a while since I read them and they're all in store atm, so if anyone can tell me what they did, before I go searching for them, that would be fantastic.

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

we allowed 1 and 2 for DD in yr3 but I think beyond that is too much for her at the moment, not in terms of reading ability but in terms of how dark they get.

[SnakeWitch]

Aww, so many of your DC about to experience the magic for the first time, I'm jealous! I'm going to start them again now

[G1raffe]

Oh I wonder if. I've done the wrong thing. My just turned 7 girl is in yr 2 and has been asking me for a year if she could read harry Potter.

I've made her wait and said she could read the first one. We ordered it in the library and she's about 5 or 6 pages in as she's not had a chance to sit and read properly.

I jeep telling her she can't read tracy beaker etc etc I thought I was doing OK rationing her.

[NellyTheElephant]

I would be a little careful about letting your DD start them as even the first one is a bit scary. My DD1 started them just after she'd turned 7 (half way through yr 2), she quickly read the first 3, I wasn't really happy about her moving onto the rest, but it was kind of too late by then as she was determined. She'd read them all within a couple of months, but I'm not sure exactly how much she assimilated of the later ones. She read them all through again about a year later and I think got a lot more out of them then. Now 11, I think she has probably read them through at least 4 times over the years.

DD2 did the same and read the first one when she was about half way through yr 2. She had nightmares for WEEKS over Voldemort drinking the unicorn's blood. I didn't let her read any more until another year or so (I gave her a complete set of Michael Morpurgho instead, and only later realised just how sad and difficult some of those are, so really you can't win).

Who knows what's best, maybe just let your DD try and see how she goes.

[gingercat12]

DS is nearly 8, and we have just finished The Order of the Phoenix. He read the earlier some of the books to himself, but he wants to discuss the story with me, so I read the longer books to him. I wonder if he misses out on some of the more difficult plotlines, but during our discussions he has a real insight into characters' motivations, so maybe not.

Please, let us know how you get on.

[LBOCS2]

DSS has just started on book 1 - he's a young y4, so he's 8.

We were watching tv earlier and we vetoed him watching the last two films as they're very dark - when he's read the book, which I suspect will be in about 18 months, then he can watch them. They definitely do get more adult in theme.

[WinterWinnie]

Forgot to say, you all have some very talented DC! :)

[WinterWinnie]

I would probably wait until 9? So, Yr 4/5

[PerspicaciaTick]

My Y1 understood and enjoyed the books. He wouldn't have persisted reading them (on his own, in his head) if they made no sense or had no meaning. TBH the only long term impact seems to have been a tendency to cast spells...and a request for a Latin dictionary so he could invent his own spells. But I did slow him down and he finished the last book in the summer holiday before starting Y3.

[vestandknickers]

Year 1 is definitely too young. Couldn't possibly understand it or get anything from it.

[DownstairsMixUp]

Im doing a book a year till he wants to read it alone. He is im year 1 and we are reading the first one together.

[Wanderingwondering]

Oh I'm worried I've done the wrong thing now. although I guess if we limited it to one a year from now on she'd be in secondary school (scary thought) by time she read the last couple.

[WinterWinnie]

I'd get your DC to read a couple of pages to you, then you'll know! :)

[MrsWembley]

Thank-you for all your speedy responses!

Soapy, your comment makes sense and I think voices what I've been worried about.

I honestly feel my hackles rise when I hear about what this other child is reading, and I really like his mum and get on very well with her and he's a lovely little boy, but it does make me wonder if I should be letting my DD read it too, just to keep up! And I don't want her to just yet!!

And as many have said, if I let her read the first two or three now, I will still make her wait a good few years for the last lot, so it doesn't seem to make sense. They are far too mature for a KS2 child! And I read some fairly mature books when I was her age, so I know of what I speak...

[steppemum]

I asked mine to wait until year 4. Then they read the whole series front to back without stopping.

I think having read one, it is a bit mean to stop them reading the others, but the later ones are quite scary.

I don't think year 2 are old enough for them.

[RueDeWakening]

DD read the first at the end of year 2. She could have read it before, but we restricted it.

She's now reading one a year, at the start of the school summer holidays. It's definitely worked quite well for us - she's maturing in between reading each book, so is more able to cope with the content as it gets progressively darker.

We will let her finish the series before she starts high school though.

[ClaraBorne]

later storylines that is.

[vestandknickers]

I'd wait. There are plenty of lovely books for year 2-3s. I'd wait until they can really appreciate Harry Potter and work their way through all the books. I'd say year 4-5 is the perfect age.

[ClaraBorne]

A girl in DDs year who is 7 told DD she has finished the whole series! I was a bit as the storylines are quite grown up.

[Wanderingwondering]

That makes a lot of sense soapy!
Nevertheless I have started reading he first one with my year 2 DD mainly because I couldn't wait much longer . We are taking it slowly-one chapter each Saturday and Sunday and it's really nice. I wouldn't want her reading it alone though

[Jamarama]

Yes they defiantly get scarier as Harry grows up. I love harry potter and hoping my Dcs get the Harry potter bug.

[EnolaAlone]

Me and my DS are just reading the first book together now and really enjoying it. He's in year 3 and is a good reader. I'm wondering if we'll have to pace the books out a bit as I'm guessing they get more mature as Harry grows up.

[Eigg]

It depends on the child.

My two are pretty strong stomached but we read them together at bedtime a chapter a night and then you can discuss as necessary.

We read the first one at 5 yo and have stopped for now at book 4 at 8yo.

We're going to hold off on book 5 until next year I think.

[PerspicaciaTick]

My 6yo read the first book, which was fine but he then wanted to read the rest and it was a real battle to ration them out so he had a chance to mature a bit.

[Jamarama]

Well not we'll