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Original poster

Deathly hallows suitable for a 6 yr old?

23 replies

nowayback · 17/10/2016 15:48

Dd2 6 has started reading Harry Potter deathly hallows. Shes always been an excellent reader. Today she took in for quiet reading and her teacher has questioned the suitability of it saying it was rather dark. She has seen the first 3 films and been fine with these. She loves mythical creatures!
I've not read any of the books myself, only watched the films with the Dds.

Anyone read the last book? Would you think it's ok? Teacher recommended reading them in order but as she's already seen the films I don't think she will go for that.

OP posts:

PatriciaHolm · 17/10/2016 15:49

If she's only seen the first 3 movies, and not read any of the books, it's not going to make any sense.

The movies and books get a lot darker after the first 3.

FeckinCrutches · 17/10/2016 15:50

Not suitable at all. Deathly Hallows tie up all the lose ends from the other books so it will make no sense at all. It's very dark as well.

atticusclaw2 · 17/10/2016 15:55

I agree with pp. They are not stand alone books, they have to be read in order. Being able to read the words does not mean a book is appropriate.

DS1 was able to read The Deathly Hallows at age 6. He wasn't allowed to read it until age 10. Last week aged just under 12, he was allowed to watch the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and he hasn't yet seen part 2.

TealGiraffe · 17/10/2016 15:56

Not at all suitable imo.

she wont understand it anyway if she hasnt read all the previous books
it has people being tortured and killed. Deals with the afterlife, war, battle scenes, people being hunted, etc.

The books are designed to grow with the reader, the last 2 are a lot darker and have a lot of death and deeper meanings.

And, as a lover of potter, it's basically a waste. She should read them at an age where she can actually emotionally understand them.

PrincessHairyMclary · 17/10/2016 15:57

Not suitable, lots of death and violence. The first 3 books and films are fairly comical but the others are aimed at a much older age group.

Whilst she may be able to read the words on the page, understanding the meaning and her emotional maturity won't be there yet. Seems silly to read such a great series and not get the most from it.

Lots of other books suitable for good readers of her age are available. Or read some classics to stretch her vocabulary, traditional Alice in Wonderland etc.

FeckinCrutches · 17/10/2016 15:57

Exactly atticus being able to 'read' something is totally different to understanding it.

atticusclaw2 · 17/10/2016 16:01

If nothing else its a tragedy that someone who clearly likes Harry Potter has just had the ending of the Half Blood Prince ruined by reading the start of the Deathly Hallows first. We've had to swear DS1 to secrecy because DS2 hasn't yet finished it.

BaDumShh · 17/10/2016 16:02

As PP said, the books mature with the characters. First 3 are quite "kiddish" as the characters are 11-13 years old. From then, they get considerably darker book by book.

Deathly Hallows would make no sense whatsoever as a standalone book for an adult, let alone for a 6 YO. It deals with a lot of emotional and adult themes.

Why on earth has she started on book 6? People reading/watching things out of order makes my brain itch! These books are in a specific order for a reason.

Original poster

nowayback · 17/10/2016 16:13

Ahh ok. I've never paid much interest in Harry Potter untill the girls 6 &8 took a liking. Thanks for your opinions.

She only has this book as she bought it at the school bookshop last week.I was a little surprised as it's such a chunky book. Dd1 has the first few books so I will try and get her to read them instead if she really wants to read HP.

OP posts:

MermaidofZennor · 17/10/2016 17:51

I used to go into school to hear children reading. One child, a good reader at 7, brought Goblet of Fire to me to read. Yes she could read the words but, when asked what was happening in the story, could she summarise the plot so far, she didn't have a clue. A complete waste of a good story imo. Saw her reading it again a couple of years later and thought she was probably mature enough then to follow the story.

I would definitely get your DD to wait, and begin slowly with Philosopher's Stone and even that might need a reread to get all the points of the story.

DownWithThisSortaThing · 17/10/2016 17:56

No, like everyone else has said. It might be ok for a child double her age but tbh even the third book is a bit dark and scary for a 6 year old.

Creatureofthenight · 17/10/2016 18:03

As everyone else has said, no it's not suitable. You do have to watch with advanced readers, a book that is "hard enough" for them may not be suitable content-wise. Even if she is an excellent reader there will be stuff in there that she won't understand.

IAmAPaleontologist · 17/10/2016 18:03

Def needs to read them in order! As for it being suitable it will very much depend on the child but you can only really tell by reading it yourself.

Pigleychez · 17/10/2016 18:34

Thanks everyone. I guess I just presumed it was more of the same as the first two books. Stupid me!

The teacher was abit miffed actually that the PTA had sold her the book in the first place ( Lunch time bookshop fund raiser)

WhoKnewSeamus · 17/10/2016 18:41

Regardless of anything they really must be read in order

WhoKnewSeamus · 17/10/2016 18:44

The teacher was abit miffed actually that the PTA had sold her the book in the first place
That's a bit of an over reaction though. Unless she knows DD hasn't read books 4 and 5 yet of course

SatsukiKusakabe · 18/10/2016 10:56

Agree they must be read in order. The plot plays out over the entire series.

My niece, who is a very capable reader, and aged 9, is not the third book now. I think although your dd could read them now, she would gets lots more out of them in a couple of years.

One of the great things about the HP series is that the characters age with the books, so they will be 16/17 in the final book and the themes are accordingly darker. The first three are much more suitable for younger readers as they deal with characters that are aged 11-13, if that helps.

BertrandRussell · 18/10/2016 10:58

No, of course it's not-don't be silly!

good stealth boast, though!

2014newme · 18/10/2016 11:00

No it isn't! Have you read it? 😱

EsmeCordelia · 18/10/2016 11:05

The books are a million times better than the films. The detail in them is excellent. Let her read the first 3. There is a lot in them that's not in the films.

TheEternalForever · 20/10/2016 20:35

Agree with others who say the series has to be read in order. It's a proper series, unlike ones that just have the same characters but are basically separate books, and none of it will make sense if you don't read them in order. I also think that if you're going to let her read them, perhaps consider reading them with her and actually discussing them. They deal with some topics that a young child won't understand by themselves, but if you read them together then you can explain things to her in a child friendly way and enhance the experience for her, rather than her just being confused and not enjoying it as much as she could. Definitely start at the beginning though!!

SueTrinder · 01/11/2016 16:24

Yes, agree they should be read in order.

But I'm not too worried about a 6 year old reading Harry Potter too early, DD1's teacher read 'The Philosopher's Stone' to the class in year 3 (so 7/8 year olds) and they all loved it, DD1 is now working her way through the books aged 8. I think to a certain extent the death in the later books doesn't really have the same impact for children that it does for adults, the characters are still present in the books via their photos and paintings. However, I wouldn't let DD1 see the films yet (beyond the first three) because they are more in your face than the books with the danger (and they are all 12s). Children do re-read and re-read these books and will get more from them as they get older, at 6 she'll still enjoy the school story and the humour. TBH I'm more concerned about suggesting a 15 year old boy reads War and Peace (as suggested on another thread here), that's a book that shouldn't be read until middle age IMHO so you can appreciate Tolstoy's genius.

babybythesea · 11/11/2016 22:17

I'm reading The Goblet of Fire to DD who is 7, nearly 8. We did the first three and I was going to stop there but she begged and begged and wore me down.
Because I'm reading it to her, she can ask me about words she doesn't understand but we can also discuss the finer points of the plot, or I can emphasise things that are important that she might have missed. And even then, although she's loving it, she doesn't find it as easy as the others.
I'm definitely stopping here for a bit though. She does however love Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so if your DD reads the first three and wants more, maybe have a look at some of the spin-offs?

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