His Dark Materials - what age to start?

[AmberLangslow]

My DS is 6 and I’m not sure if he’s ready for these books yet. I read them a long time ago and can’t really remember what they were like (stupidly gave to Oxfam rather than keeping). I’ve read the first three Harry Potter books with him and he enjoyed those, which I’d say are around about the right level for him.

Too young. They're much more complex than Harry Potter and would be wasted on a 6yo, even a bright one.

I think my dd first read them in about Year 4. She absolutely loved them at the time, but in hindsight, I think that was still too young. She got so much more out of them when she re-read them at secondary school. And she has always been a very mature reader for her age.

There are so many more appropriate books for a 6yo. Bide your time!

As a teacher I'd give these books to a Year 6 as a general rule, and even then there are some darker/upsetting scenes and themes in the last book in particular that I'd be mindful of! I've recommended Northern Lights to bright year 4/5 kids on occasion but rarely!
I haven't read them yet, but one of my Potter-mad Year 4 pupils was very into a series of books called The Uncommoners, maybe worth a look?

How about Narnia?

DS read them at 8, which was a bit too young. He's since read them again at 10 and got a lot more out of them.

Six is far too young. I think 12 is about right.

DD has just finished the first two (she's 8, nearly 9) and loved them, but on a very basic level (Armoured bears! Angels! Daemons!) She's a re-readers, so I imagine she'll re-read them again in a couple of years and get more out of them.

I'd recommend The Uncommoners as well though - DD loves them and they were suggested by a friend's DD who had moved onto them after HP.

Another excellent series that would work for aged 9/10 is Philip Reeves' Mortal Engines.

Right. I read them almost 20 years ago so couldn’t remember what they were like. A friend on FB mentioned reading them to her child who’s a year younger than mine so I thought I’d see what they were like - he wasn’t particularly interested in them apparently!

I’ve not heard of The Uncommoners before, I’ll have a look on Amazon. I don’t remember particularly liking the Narnia books when I read them but I’m willing to give them a go too!

DD1 is DD1 is 10, nearly 11 and I'm now reading them to her. She's very bright and I suspect could read them herself but we like sharing books and I think she'll get more out of them with me reading them and discussing them with her. I wouldn't have read them before now TBH considering what's to come (I was up till 1am reading The Book of Dust when it got towards the end because it was so exciting). They are fabulous books to read out loud as well, the language is so much better than HP.

Pottermad DD really enjoyed Wizards of Once and there are also the How to train your dragon books both by Cressida Cowell

I would say about twelve. Wasted otherwise.