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Primary education

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Original poster

Harry Potter books

21 replies

voldemort05 · 15/10/2013 23:05

Are the later Harry Potter books suitable for an 8 year old to read to himself? I know the later films are a 15 rating and am looking for thoughts about the books. I had hoped to wait until he was older to read the whole set but he has read the first 4 non stop over the last 10 days and is desperate to continue? Many thanks.

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Schmedz · 15/10/2013 23:29

Depends how you view suitable. Obviously the themes are as they are in the movies and the main characters are teens. Language wise they are the same as the others but lots of children at our school read the series in Year 2 and Year 3 and went back to read them again in year 5 and 6 because, in their own words, they didn't really appreciate the story properly when they were 7 and 8 years old!

NicknameIncomplete · 15/10/2013 23:52

My 9 yr old has been reading them over & over for about a year now. Cant seem to put them down.

Ps never knew the films were 15 rated. We watch them all the time.

juniper9 · 16/10/2013 00:48

I purposefully didn't have 5,6 or 7 in my classroom as I didn't feel they were suitable for year 3. My class used to dip in and out of them rather than read the series, so they didn't really miss them.

I think they're really dark, but then I see them through an adult's eyes. I don't know how much of it an 8 year old would get.

HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 16/10/2013 00:56

I think a lot if the darker stuff would go over their heads at that age.
But can you try and stagger giving them to your DS so as to build up some excitement? I miss the days when new books were being brought out, and going to queue at midnight for them!

VodIsGod · 16/10/2013 01:00

My 8yo DS has read the first 4 books and is taking a break now. He's happy to reread them and watch the first 4 films (Goblet of Fire is a 12). I think that's enough for now. Give him something to look forward to in a couple of years. The only thing is, they find out key future HP plot lines from their friends...

Rosencrantz · 16/10/2013 01:02

Films were all 12A and under, no 15s!

They'd lose a big chunk of audience and profits if they rated them 15!

Bakingtins · 16/10/2013 07:25

My about-to-be 7 yr old has read the first three books. I've been guided by the film ratings, and I'll re-read the later books myself before setting him loose, though I don't think he'll need to be 12 to cope.
I agree with Homeis that the anticipation of a new one was half the fun when they came out.

AChickenCalledKorma · 16/10/2013 08:36

I didn't think so ... but my 8yo has just finished the whole series and absolutely loved it. Some of the darker stuff did go over her head and she struggled a bit with the length of Deathly Hallows - but we got there and she was desperate to find out what happened.

And I really enjoyed reading Harry's last battle out loud and let her stay up far too late so we could finish it

AChickenCalledKorma · 16/10/2013 08:38

(Also, there are some quite rude words in the last few books. I did blip over the moment when Mrs Weasley calls Bellatrix a bitch ... but her older sister remembered and yelled out "I know what you missed out mummy" )

ICanTotallyDance · 16/10/2013 09:01

I would say 1-3 are fine for all age groups. Book 4 is okay for about 7+, IMO. Book 5 and 6 can probably wait until the child is about 10 and book 7 a bit later than that. However, someone will probably spoil the plot if they're not read by secondary school, so maybe the summer between year 6 and year 7 for the last book?

If the child is mature, they can probably read them all at about 8 or 9, but they are long books and the themes do get noticeably darker from book 4 onwards (e.g., deaths of teenagers, mentions of torture, abuse of authoritative power, discrimination based on bloodline etc). There is a little bit of language in the last book, but not anything that a child won't have heard in the playground!

ICanTotallyDance · 16/10/2013 09:03

Rethinking, if he wasn't phased by the Cedric Diggory/Rise of Voldemort part of Book 4 he should be okay with books 5 and 6. But book 7 is dark!

UC · 16/10/2013 09:16

My 10 yr old DSS read all of them last year. DS (9) is reading book 7 at the moment. I am just glad they are enjoying reading, and reading these has led DSS into lots of other books he's enjoyed too - Alex Rider, Michael Morpurgo and others. I would say let him read.

Periwinkle007 · 16/10/2013 09:21

I think it depends on the child. If a child has a very vivid imagination then the books can be scary and more so than the films. If your child isn't as overimaginative then the books will probably be less scary than the films.

Going by MY children (who are still too young IMO) then I would leave them until they are older but my 2 are very overimaginative and oversensitive. Majority of the boys we know wouldn't bat an eyelid I don't think.

simpson · 16/10/2013 09:32

DS (yr4) is reading book 4 but will not be allowed to read any more for a bit.

DD (yr1) is reading the first one and I am not sure how far I will let her go.

Tbh I am a bit sick of HP atm what with both kids (DS in particular) going on about it, I welcome a break

devilinside · 16/10/2013 09:38

My DD has been reading them obsessively since she was 7.

42notTrendy · 16/10/2013 09:46

Ds (7) has just started the first one. I am so pleased he's enjoying it as I love the books. I had thought that I'll stick with the first 3 for now. I sob every time when Cedric's dad sees his body so not sure I'm up to reading that bit . I do think it depends on their imagination, maturity and sensitivity. I think book 4 could be read and enjoyed by under 10s, but the others need very careful thought.

redskyatnight · 16/10/2013 09:51

Most of DS's class (well the better readers) read the latter books in Year 4. I suspect a lot of the plot went over DS's head at that point though and he will read them again at some point.

(also worth noting that most children will have seen the films by 8/9 even though they are a 12A - 9 year old DS is in a very small minority who has mean parents who won't let him watch!)

Norudeshitrequired · 16/10/2013 10:16

My son read them all when he was 8 and loved them.

crocodileshavenoears · 16/10/2013 19:40

I read them to DSs at six month intervals, e.g. read 1 to DS1 when he was 6, 2 at 6.5, etc. We just finished 5, and he is desperate for the six months to pass so we can start 6. I think 6 months between books lets him mature between each one, and recreates the excitement Homeiswheretheheartis mentions. Also because I'm reading them to him I can spot if something is likely to scare him (nothing so far though). Only problem is we have nothing but HP chat from both - DS1 about book 5 and DS2 about book 1 which I've just read to him - just as well I love it too!

PastSellByDate · 17/10/2013 14:34

Hi Voldermort5

Try this: www.commonsensemedia.org/search/Harry%20Potter?filters=ss_nr_csm_review2field_entertainment_product_type%3Acsm_book

This is what common sense media have to say on the books (if you click the individual book) you can see what parents/ kids say about age (often varies from what Common Sense Media rate it).

My 8 year old DD2 also can't put these down - but has older sister and really hasn't been able to avoid seeing some DVDs. Our policy is no watching movie (DVD) without reading the book first - this has spurred her on to read the book (I fear our cunning plan rather backfired). I think if it had been DD1, we probably would have more concerns - but DD2 is growing up much faster and seems much more aware of things than DD1.

HTH

cornflakegirl · 17/10/2013 14:46

DS read them when he was 7. I did want to try to do the spacing thing, but he really wanted to keep reading, so I just gave him lots of warnings about stopping if he didn't like what he was reading. He was fine with them. He also really wants to watch the films, but he has to wait until his little brother isn't around and there's an adult to watch them with him (hard to arrange, so I think he's watched about half of them). I'm much more cautious about films than books.

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