What age for Harry Potter?

[Brioelephant]

Basically that! Lots of children have watched the film's in DCs class so don't want to leave it too late, but want them to be excited for it. What age would you read the books to your DC?

I am reading through them now to my Year 1 DS and he adores them - about the only time he is listening and still!

I wouldn't rush it. The first one is ok for young kids, but the Order of the Phoenix goes - on - for- evvveeeer.
It very much depends on your child. One of mine read them all at 7/8 and I think she'd have got more out of the later ones if she had waited a few years.

I've just started reading the first one to my son who's just turned 7. He will probably read it himself afterwards. I've told him we can read the first two. I think there are so many other great books out there I want him to read a broad range of stuff.

I tried the series with my child when aged maybe 7 or 8. Disaster. No interest. But tbf he is a more mathsy child and wasn't massively into reading.

Then, age 10, he got into them and read them voraciously. BTW, I noticed (during the 11+ procedure!) that a number of top independent schools listed them on their reading lists, and the books are categorised in the 'challenging'/more advanced box for y6.

So, they are not quite as babyish as some adults imagine (me, previously, included!). They get quite deep as the books progress--deal with Big Subjects. To truly grasp these subjects, you need to be a little older, I hazard (even if you can get the gist as a younger child!).

One more thing: age 10, I didn't read them--my DC read them independently.

Currently on the last chapter of Book 1 with my 7yo. She loves it. Even just a few months ago, she wanted books that could be read in less than a week... This has taken a couple of months (10minutes in the car between school drop offs in the morning). We might watch the film this weekend.

I read them as they were published when I was in Secondary school/university. They were considered to be for our age group then- we grew with the books.

The original book was aimed at 10 year old and they books grew with the reader

Both my DD 5 and DS 11 have watched all the films, the later ones with me present, hey who am I kidding, I love them and will watch time and time again

they are really different.

book 1 is fine for most ages, but by book 3. not only ar ethey extremely long to read, some if it is really nasty/scary and not something you want your 7 year odl to read.

The films are PG, PG and then all a 12, which I think says it all really.

I told mine they needed to read first then watch the films, and anyway they couldn't watch the 12s at age 8 or 9.
They basiclaly read them through year 5 and 6. That is a good age. Don;t be in a rush, plenty of other stuff around

Yes, I was 11 when the first book came out and grew up as Harry 'grew up'. Book one is relatively tame, but as others say they get increasingly darker with some underlying themes that reflect issues like 'racism' (between wizards/muggles) torture, death, etc. I found book 3 in particular quite scary at around age 13, so definitely leave the later ones until a bit older

I deliberately waited to share them with my eldest. Some of his friends seemed to start reading them at around age 7-8, but one of the friend’s mothers admitted to me that although he could read the vocabulary, when she questioned him about the intricacies of the storylines afterwards, he hadn’t fully understood. Not saying this is the case for all 8 year olds.

My son is 9.5 and we have recently read the first(I read aloud to him), and are half way through the second. I feel that any younger, and he wouldn’t have got enough out of them. I still think some of it goes over his head, but he understands and enjoys the main storyline.

After this, we will read other books for a while, and then perhaps he will want to re-read books 1 and 2 before moving on. I do think a pause is needed now, as I feel he is too young to fully enjoy the next few books. I only let him watch the films after we have read the book, as I personally did it that way and felt that watching the films first would have spoilt the books for me.

Not too early.
About 8?
My y1 child is way too young. She would miss quite a lot of the crucial context.

Worth reading the first one so they understand all the references in popular culture (World Book Day usually provides a Quidditch team per class), but then I'd tell them to read them themselves. Ds was nearly 9 when he started the first book and just kept reading until the end of book 7. Dd hasn't read any (ds has read half the first one to her and she's been dragged round the Studios twice) but has watched the first 6 films, the first three repeatedly. Half an hour into film 7 she said this is depressing and boring (I agreed!), so she and I haven't seen them (she's 8 and likes scary stuff).

Should add: don't confuse watching the films with reading the books. Different ball games completely. My DC enjoyed the films from a younger age - - maybe he was in year 4 or so, can't quite remember. But reading? Not until 10 (summer between Y5 and Y6). And like I said, this series was categorised as 'challenging' for Y6.

PS that wasn't aimed at @Shake! Just a general observation.

I'm reading book 2 with my DD, she's six, in year two. I wont go past this one, which I said to her before I started reading book 1 with her. They need to age with Harry I think.

I really should have waited another year to be honest, as while she is enjoying it and following the main points quite well (guessed Dobby sealed the entrance to platform 9 3/4 to stop Harry getting to school) I know a lot, lot more is going over her head (didn't get Diagon Alley / diagonally, for example). But I figure she'll be able to go back and read them on her own in a couple of years and enjoy doing that too.

Might not be relevant (I’m 30 now).. but when I read the second book, age 11 it really scared me... the disembodied voice that only Harry could here hissing “kill, rip flesh”

Thank you! I'll hold off for now, I forgot how scary the books got...

By Y3 every single child in DD1 class read at least one book of HP. The playground chat, according to my DD, was generally about where everyone was in which book. During the lockdown they did class quizzes on HP at form time although it wasn’t a book they read at school. My DD stopped at HP5 though as a few of her friends said 6 is too scary.

It’s full on HP mania in my DC year 6 class. They compare the films to the books

My child is in Y3 and has read the first three books. DC was really getting unnerved/scared by that book and I have said thats it. DH thought the books would be fine but I had my reservations. It depends on the child but I think that for younger children like my own DC, a lot of the story is lost on them. I also think they are books that ought to be read by the child rather to the child as there are many parts of the story that need to be revised during the plot. IMO they are more suited to ten/eleven years.

We are almost finished Azkaban book with dc (Y1 and Y4). We don't watch the movie til the book is done.

We likely won't start Goblet until well into next year as we have Christmas books for December and then will work through any Christmas gift books the first few months of 2021.

depends on whether they like reading or not. If they do I'd say maybe as young as seven or eight, if they aren't I'd say on 9 or 10. Also if they're averse to dark themes steer clear for a bit, a LOT of the main characters die from books 5-7.

The films are PG, PG and then all a 12, which I think says it all really.

The above was mentioned upthread, but I have checked, and the third film is also a PG. I stand by my earlier comments though about it being best to start the books around 9-10 years of age, as I think the complexity of the stories and emotional challenges for the characters will be most on younger children.