6 yr old - too young for Harry Potter?

[dadwithadaughter]

My 6 yr DD wants to read the Harry Potter books. She is a good reader and can probably manage the language. Is the content too frightening for your kids at this age?

If she's not sensitive, probably not.

I'd say wait just based on the fact that she'll get more from them in a year or 2. There are lots of more age appropriate books that she'll enjoy in the meantime.

How about The Worst Witch?

She loved the Worst Witch. Thanks for the advice and suggestion. I am a bit worried about the content because she is sensitive about films.

My six year old LOVED them and read them continuously for about three months. Heidi, on the other hand, she found too upsetting. It very much depends on the child. They will be fine for some and not for others.

There will be people who will claim their children read and comprehended the HP books while still in utero. Every HP thread is the same.

My Dd is quite a forward reader and I only gave them to her at 10 and she's lived them. A 6 year old might enjoy the first 3 books but after that they have no chance of understanding any of the important bits of the story and they're such brilliant reads I think it's worth waiting until they're old enough to really get it.

My son is 6 and enjoying the first. I don't plan on letting him read beyond book three at this age.

Every MN thread on Harry Potter is the same. "Oh they can't possibly comprehend them". A child is only interested in a book they can understand to some level, so if she wants to read HP then why not?

There are parents who claime the their children read and LOVED them, and just as many others who will argue that it is utterly impossible for a six year old to love them so they were pointlessly reading them, goodness knows why. Whether a child understands a book on the same level as an adult (which of course, they don't) is irrelevant if they are loving them so much they won't read anything else for months.

Sorry - should have checked or phone typos before I posted!

can't remember how old dd was when she started on HP, but probably 6-7
we then enforced a hiatus after the first three books, and she's finishing the last one now at just turned nine. IMO there's a jump between 3 and 4, both in terms of vocab and complexity, and in how emotionally/intellectually demanding they are.

I was a school librarian in a former life. Ime 6 is too young for most kids. The first 2 or 3 are generally fine, but the trouble is they can't stop there and eant to read the whole set! The later books can be scary for young kids and they don't get the most out of them . Better to give it a year or even 3.

The first two or even three books would be fine for a six year old. The later books are completely unsuitable due to content. I agree that worst witch is more appropriate or possibly mr magieka or Winnie the Witch.

DS1 is 6 and has read, loved and comprehended the first three HP books. We're holding off on the rest for a bit longer... As other posters have said, there's a bit of a leap from 3-4. He's only watched the first film however as I think they are scarier...

I would like to thank everyone for some really helpful guidance. It's my first day on MN and it's been very informative.

I've just read this on another HP post and couldn't agree more...

"A very wise teacher once said to me that by reading a book which you are too young for, a child loses out twice over. The first time when they read it and are too young to access the full meaning of it and the second time when they are old enough to understand it but having read it before it has lost its magic."

My dd is also a very able reader and started reading them in Y3, aged 8. It has been a total and utter joy to see her enjoy them. I am absolutely passionate about children reading for enjoyment but I honestly believe that children of 6 are better off waiting. There are loads of fab books for that age!

I speak as a teacher of 6 and 7 year old, btw.

I read the first three at 6 and loved them. Then followed the others as they came out :) I certainly wouldn't say it's ever lost its magic - I can reread them all now at 21 and still love it every bit as much as the first time.

Ds read the first two at 5 and has just reread the first one again. He has been fine with them, but he has two older sisters. He hasn't got his hands on the later ones, will spread them out over the next 3-4 yrs as we have for his sisters. It is similar to the original release, where he has to wait until he is a little older. Builds the anticipation. He is also eagerly awaiting the fifth land of stories which he is growing up with.

I don't think it matters if they reread stories. Dd1 has read the first one 7 times. Dd2 has listened to the audio book so much that she knows some of the songs by heart. It keeps them happy.

We have just started with HP and DD is 8.
She enjoyed Gobblino and has been reading some of the Cosmo books and loves those.
I don't think she would have got a lot out of HP much younger as there are a few things I had to explain.
I actually agree with what Paddypaws posted, we have started a few books that have just been a bit out of her grasp and it put her off a bit.

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to respond. I think I have a good sense of what to do now. If she really wants to read HP we will have to listen to her read the whole book and support her with the more complicated language / themes; however, I will not encourage her her to do so for a few years.

I read the first one to dd when she was 6.
We took it very slowly and I stopped to explain when necessary.

This was as they were coming out and she /I had to wait for GoF

Yes I'd wait until she was older.

What about something like the Rascal books? My ds loved those (we read them to him though) - no magic or anything just a lovely story about a dog having adventures. I did shed a tear at the final book I have to say!

How about the Charlie Bone series? It's similar with magic, etc but doesn't become as dark.