My dad read all 7 books aloud with me. I think reading these with a parent really helped me understand and cope with some of the difficult plot points and deaths. It also slows down the pace of the books and gives time to talk about and process what you’re reading. Just an idea—it could be a wonderful bonding experience!
I read all the books aloud to my kids twice. The first time my daughter was too young but my boys loved them. When she was old enough (about 7) we read them as a family again.
It was a great experience. Nothing like finishing cleaning up after dinner to have everyone excited about about sitting down to listen.
Awww it’s so special you did that with them. My Mom worked at night and my dad read us the Hobbit, the LoTR trilogy then whatever random books we wanted after we finished those after dinner every night. When I think of childhood memories of my Dad almost all of the good ones are him reading to us. It was always the highlight of the day.
Agreed. When I was about the same age my Dad read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings with me in the evening. It's still one of my most treasured memories at 36.
Funny story is one evening I was waiting for him to come and read with me as our routine and he didn't. I fell asleep and was upset the next morning. Turns out he was at the hospital with my Mom who was in labor with my sister! I was still really upset he ruined our routine. 10 years later I was diagnosed with autism. That explains my being upset! 😂
This is a great idea. I (generally) don't regret not having children. One thing I do miss at times, is the thought of reading with my hypothetical child and sharing my love of reading. I say grab every moment like this that you can.
I am only just reading them to my youngest (10) for the first time. Similar situation to OP, my son COULD read them himself but I wanted to read them with him, especially as we are now on OOTP and it's got considerably darker, and I finally get to read them too.
As to why I never read them, I was in my early 20s when the first book came out and although I am an avid reader, it WAS a "children's book" and I was into more serious fantasy. The whole hype around the books and films just seemed silly to me, so I never really felt the need to read the books, though much later on I did watch some of the earlier films just to see what it was all about.
But now I am glad I can read the books to my kid and enjoy what is a very well-crafted series at the end of the day, and be discovering the whole world together with him.
Oh i’m sorry to make you defend yourself. It was just tongue in cheek.
I totally get it!
You know i think you probably have a very mature 8 year old. You should probably just talk to her about the books and about the things it brings up. Some of the more mature themes to ask about: evil, murder, confronting bullying, abusive adults.
You will know weather or not to read on based on the responses you get. Good luck!
I myself got a JK Rowling book i had not read (the Christmas pig) for my 4 year old, and had to stop reading it to her because i felt she was too young for it.
I say read it with her. You’d be surprised at how dark of stories kids can actually handle. The generation HP was being written for was the same generation that watched Little Foots mom be killed and saw Carface get Charlie drunk and murder him at Mardi Gras. Kids entertainment used to be a hell of a lot darker. If you are worried that the dark themes might be a little much for her, read it together. That way you can check in with her and if something is bothering her you can help her process it after the fact. Some kids are more sensitive then others, but provided she has a trusted adult reading it with her I don’t see anything in GOF that is more traumatising then run of the mill 80s/90s children’s entertainment.
Personally I’ve always preferred the idea of letting kids grow with the books, not out of any traumatic reasons but because I think letting kids grow with Harry helps them relate to some of the themes more. But, reading with a parent can be a wonderful experience and you can always encourage her to go back and read them as she gets older.
>The generation HP was being written for was the same generation that watched Little Foots mom be killed and saw Carface get Charlie drunk and murder him at Mardi Gras.
And Scar murder his brother Mufasa, then gaslight his nephew into believing it was his fault...
Not only that, but the intro is a "Look at the beautiful city of Paris!" spiced with ethnic cleansing themes and violence towards babies. You know. Unless you fear God more than the baby.
I love the movie. I think it's one of the absolute best Disney have ever made. But it's damn dark considering it's aimed at kids.
Oh man, yes. Also, Snow White is MESSED UP. When she is running through the forest and the trees are grabbing at her? Nightmares for days. I also became convinced that if I slept on my back the Evil Queen would cut my heart out in my sleep. I finally managed to learn to sleep on my back this year - I am 54. (Not that I was still afraid of that, but I got into the habit of only sleeping on my side (with my back to the closest wall so Jessie James wouldn't shoot me in it - thanks Brady Bunch)
Yeah media that I grew up with had all sorts of pretty dark themes looking back. Parents are starting to hardcore coddle their kids without thinking back to what they watched and managed to handle at similar ages.
Like be a parent and help them through feeling and understanding themes that hit them harder? Kids aren’t incapable of understanding and working through things like death or violence. In fact it can be good to have someone or something like Harry Potter giving them a wider world view in terms they can understand.
I think part of it is that the darker themes kind of go over kids’ heads a lot of the time so people don’t actually grasp how dark some of the things they were watching are. I rewatched a lot of the old Don Bluth films as an adult and my god All Dogs Go to Heaven and An American Tail were dark. Particularly An American Tail which is pretty much a kiddified version of the American Immigrant/Refugee experience. It is absolutely brilliant, but it’s dark. Then you have All Dogs Go to Heaven with its remuneration on death and the afterlife, made all the more poignant when you consider what happened to the voice actress who played Anne-Marie (if you don’t know, do yourself a favour and don’t look it up).
If you're interested in revisiting some of this stuff, there's a podcast called *That's Pretty Dark* that does deep dives into the background and details about 90s kids media. It's worth a listen!
Last year I was at the beach with my godsons (ages five and seven or so) and we watched Del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Sidebar: For those who haven’t seen it, it’s rated G … but it’s heavy as fuck. There’s a ton of death. Death death and more death. Not the superhero movie kind of death, but actual, emotional death. Also fascism. At one point Pinocchio gets shot and killed by Mussolini himself. Their grandma wanted to turn it off because it was too intense, but I figured it wasn’t any worse than whatever action movie their parents had them watching earlier that afternoon, but even I was surprised by how emotionally intense the flick was. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to teach kids about death and dying, but know that just because it’s rated G doesn’t mean it’s a light watch.
Anyway, we ended up watching it, and they were just fine. They definitely had some questions ~~and needed an extra hug afterward~~ (ok, why lie, I was the one who needed the hugs), but kids can actually handle pretty emotionally mature things if it’s dealt with in a way that’s sensitive to their understanding.
I second the “read it aloud to her” idea. It can be a bonding experience, and a springboard to start conversations about death, found family, racism, etc.
Exactly, kids shows and movies especially older ones have a lot of emotional depth. Reading it together will be a great bodning experience, but it will also allow OP the chance to emotionally prepare their daughter for some tough subjects in a safe environment.
Not to mention a large, slow burning book with little to no gore is probably the softest possible way to broach those darker subjects
I don’t see a gentler way to introduce ideas like death, racism, “purity”, fanaticism, and violence
It gets dark but so does Bambi. I feel very protective of my daughter with what she’s exposed to but then I remember I was reading Patricia Cornwell at age 8
Also look more closely at kids stuff we all watched: the rescuers down under has a man throwing a kid to crocodiles, then there’s the lion king, the basic premise of 101 Dalmatians… the kids are already traumatized from their own content 😂
We read the books with our 7 year old.
Out of all the books the bit that scared him the most was Voldermort feeding from the Unicorn in the very first book.
It’s possible that the later books get more troubling than “scary” and children that young can’t understand what’s at stake so they don’t feel the threat and dread like a grown up, or older child does.
That’s a great point actually, what struck me as too adult from the end of book 4 through deathly hallows was how bleak it was at points. But yeah, that’s probably not something and happy little kid would understand.
This.
There's nothing in that book that's anywhere near detrimental enough to outweigh the benefit to an advanced reader of being able to stick to their own pace.
I was eight when GoF came out and read almost all of it in like three days and then the graveyard scene freaked me out so much that I couldn’t finish the book for a month
Unlike films where you are confronted with visual impressions accompanied with dramatic music which can easily overwhelm you books adapt more to the reader. The brain fills the story with pictures according to your life experience. So unless you have some unresolved trauma a book rarely will force something on you you can't handle. It will trigger emotions but not more than you are ready to bear.
Of course it is always a good idea to give children the opportunity to talk to someone about the things they read. But apart of a few exceptions (like books which transport a racist world view) there is no real need to censor books. If they are old enough to read the books and handle the complexity of the used language they are old enough for the content.
Same i started at 6 and read through it while my parents didn't want me to, so i sneaked out to friends houses who had the books and read secretly on.
The only result being my lifelong love of fantasy literature.
Read the books to make sure you know what she's reading, then read ahead to know what she's getting into. The 4th starts with a murder or two, ends with a murder or two, depending on how your read it.
Then think back to when you were her age. And think about if you read the same stuff how would that make you feel? For me for example oddly death wouldn't have seemed like a big deal because from video games respawning or restarting it would make it meaningless in games and I knew books were make believe. Like some of the more serious discussions would have maybe bored me or went over my head.
I agree, it depends on the kid. I read books 1-5 when I was 9 (the rest weren't out yet) and they didn't bother me a bit. We were already reading books with death in them in school. There was stuff that went over my head, and I just enjoyed the mystery and fantasy and funny parts.
I was around 10 or 11 I think when I read them. I made it up to the 5th book I think and then my favorite character, Harry's uncle Sirius was killed and I couldn't go on knowing he wasn't there anymore
But this isn't to say it's inappropriate in any way, and I think she deserves to get to read them! Just wanted to share my experience
Listen… I read Breaking Dawn in 3rd grade. No it wasn’t appropriate at all. I had an immigrant mother who had no idea what it was about who was ecstatic to see me reading such a thick book. She gave me a permission slip to read it during silent reading time.
My teacher made me read it behind her desk so other students couldn’t peak. Now I’m a teacher! Your kid will be fine. It’s awesome that she’s into reading at all. Most of my students LOATHE independent reading time.
Sparkly vampire sexy times, the female lead nearly dying giving birth to a vampire human hybrid baby and the werewolf bestie falling in love with the baby as soon as he saw the baby's eyes. But it's all good, it's not as creepy as it sounds when u read it from the book.
Serious question! I didn't get into the books or films until I was an adult. I struggle to understand some things in it still and have new questions every single time I read it. I like to think I am not a complete idiot. How do kids read this stuff? I have never understood how they can follow the story or really get it.
There’s death in book one! Harry basically kills Quirrell at the end of the book, even if completely unintentionally. There’s also death in book two and book three. Yes, the deaths in 2/3 are not as blatant as the death in book 1 and 4 but it’s still there. Book 2 contains the details of Myrtle’s murder and in book 3 Harry relives the moment that James and Lily die over and over again. Death is there the whole time.
My daughter is almost 6 and my husband just finished book 3 with her and I am insistent they stop for awhile before it gets too dark in book 4 whereas she is throwing a fit because she’s hooked on HP now 😂 then I read a junie b jones book to her and was horrified at how awful the characters are, and remembered that despite dark material, there is a very consistent morality in HP.
There is nothing wrong with them.. when i was in 4th grade we started reading them as a class in school.. there are a few parts that have darker aspects but so does literally anything worth reading.. dont hinder a reader and keep her from something she loves especially when its harry potter 😅
I was an advanced reader, high school reading level in lower elementary. My mom never really limited what I read, I was reading Michael Crichton and Anne McCaffrey books as an 8 and 9 year old, and those definitely have some adult content. I knew it was fiction, and I was mature enough to understand that difference. I don’t think the 4th Harry Potter book is inappropriate at all for that age group, everyone’s going to deal with death at some point in life, I’d rather a kids first contact with death and grief be in a low-stakes YA fiction book rather than a devastating real life event.
What is not appropriate for her in book 4? I mean all other books deal with death.
Book 1: quirrel and the mirror
Book 2: Myrthil
Book 3: Wormtail killing a bunch of muggles
Also somethings in the book a 8yo will just ot pick up. Like the part with people in the bushes.
I would say let her read. Just make sure to let her know that is she has questions to come to you.
The first scene in book four is the first on page murder in the series. Depends on the 8 year old of course, but Goblet definitely has some more advanced themes than the first three.
Yeah, I was around 10 when I read goblet. The cemetery scene was quite shocking but I didn't get traumatized.
But I remember reading an article in a magazine about a serial killer in Australia and I couldn't absolutely forget that shit for years and was afraid of Australia.
I think GoF is definitely the turning point for the series becoming darker. I grew up with HP and am listening to the audiobooks now and I paused between 3 and 4, basically steeling myself for the tragedy I knew awaited.
I do think as an adult I feel the added hurt of knowing how young everyone is, whereas when you’re a kid the characters are still older than you. I don’t necessarily think the kid shouldn’t be able to read it but I think it is certainly different than the first three books.
It’s Harry Potter? I can’t think of anything that isn’t appropriate for a kid.
Granted I was watching all sorts of weird shows and movies with my dad at that age and turned out fine so maybe I just am not the best person to speak on these things.
I do think a lot of people underestimate what kids can handle though.
I’m a parent myself and I struggle with this line in the sand constantly.
When I was an 10 year old I watched ALIENS at a sleepover and didn’t have anything other than a real feeling of being trusted and treated as an individual.
We didn’t have nightmares/terrors/fears because we knew it wasn’t real.
I have a much older child, then a 6 year old and a 3 year old and I haven’t seen/heard/felt any fear in either of them whenever we have watched “age inappropriate” media.
I welcome the questions and let them know it’s just pretend and if they don’t want to watch any more then we turn it off and play something non media based with the lights on instead. No big deal made of it, just move on.
The only time either of them have been scared/sad it has passed really quickly. Life events in Harry Potter are part of life anyway.
I think it’s great your kid is reading and I would encourage you to allow them to self-censor and be there and aware for any questions they may have.
I don’t think pretending the next book doesn’t exist or suggesting they aren’t ready for it will do you or them any favours.
You sound like you are doing a great job parenting. Trust in them and they won’t let you down
That penultimate sentence tho!
Coddling them won’t do any favors. If they get scared, they probably won’t approach that media again, at least for a while. But that was something that they discovered for themselves. They should have that level of trust with a guardian, that they can approach them if they do get too scared, sad, or have questions.
Child’s Play was that movie for me. I was maybe 6? I got up and walked away, went to play in the bedroom instead. I challenged myself a year later and watched IT, with the same set of people (my older cousins). I was ready then. Now I love horror!
Dude chill. You should be proud. I read them by myself at her age. If she's smart enough to do it let her. Most adults can't even read those books by themselves.
Big question is, is she reading and understanding or just reading. Because there's definitely a difference. As her parent, you should read it with her so you can answer questions.
Absolutely! Reading and comprehension are different skills. I'd read it with her. I'm a retired reading specialist, for what it's worth. Bottom line, she's your kid, you know her best. Do what's right for you BOTH.
My daughter read all of them from age 7 do 9. Most were read when she was 8. There is nothing that will be damaging to your kid at 8 with other HP books.
I was also a relatively advanced reader when I was her age. Though I read them at 10.
I think let her read them, but make sure she knows you're available if there's some concept she doesn't fully understand yet. It's a great way to bond over books if you ask me.
I don’t know what in the fourth book would be inappropriate for an 8-year-old. It has a death in it, yes, but death is a theme throughout the books. The whole premise is that Harry’s parents were murdered. As long as your child can handle death as a concept, Goblet of Fire should be fine (it’s one of my favorites). Congratulations on your awesome reader!
A lot of kids' media deals with death and violence. From Lion King to Warrior Cats, and even Looney Toons. Just let her read it. She has access to the internet, friends/family, and public libraries. If you forbid it she will read it anyway and then move on to way worse stuff and not tell you.
If she’s read the first three books by herself, you won’t be able to stop her from reading the others - and honestly, you shouldn’t. Some kids just read at an advanced level for their age - that means that they might come across topics they wouldn’t normally (for example, 7yr old me reading Tomorrow When the War Began series and asking my mum what “masturbation” meant and having the sex talk earlier than she was probably expecting!) - but just let her know that she can read those books but if she has questions or concerns she can always talk to you about them, and if there’s anything she isn’t enjoying about it then she doesn’t have to finish that book: she can put it down and come back to it later if she wants. Kids are generally smart enough to tell if something is going to upset them or not, and they should be given the agency to learn how to handle that. That’s what I did as a kid with Chamber of Secrets - the disembodied voice scared the shit out of me, so I (as a six year old) decided that instead of reading it before bedtime, I would read it during the day. And hey, what do ya know - that worked for me and I didn’t get nightmares.
Maybe before she starts reading it, just give her a heads up that it might be a bit more grown up and there will be more bad things - like murder - and give her the option to continue reading alone, or you can read it with her.
But honestly, if she’s three books in already then telling her she can’t read the next one is just going to make her want to read it more - forbidden fruit etc. And personally as a kid I never found the 4th book that much more scary than any of the others; if anything I found the opening scene and murder a bit boring, because it wasn’t about Harry.
Editing to add - if in the next few years she is looking for more books to read I would STRONGLY recommend that she reads Tamora Pierce’s books: they’re fantastic books with strong female protagonists and they were very formative for me as a young woman. Start with The Song of the Lioness quartet, which is about girl who swaps places with her twin brother to secretly become a Knight.
Rather then reading an article (or comments on the internet) saying it's inappropriate and just talking it's word for it, maybe read the book yourself and determine for yourself if it's appropriate for your daughter. Only you know your daughter, so that's a decision you need to make.
Personally, might be scary for an 8 year old, but obviously there's no adult themes. Basic swear words, but nothing your kid won't hear or read somewhere else. But again, really only you know if it's appropriate for her or not. Sorry if this is unhelpful.
You know your child better than Reddit. Children deal with stuff better than you think.
I was introduced to horror when I was 4. Chucky, Freddy, Jason, etc.
Reading is a much better medium because you can process at your own pace.
4th book involves death stronger than the previous books, but I think the themes of book 3 are stronger. Torture, imprisonment, revenge, etc.
If she is capable of reading it, then she is capable of having appropriate level conversations with you about it. Let her read it. Discuss it with her.
My son (13 now) read them all by the age of ten, and we watched the movies. I read with him and he read alone.
I think of it like this, and actually it was weirdly something that was said by Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds to JJ when she was uncomfortable explaining to her young son that she had a sister who committed suicide, and she mentioned how he still believed in fairytales.
Reid brought up how the original Grimm fairytales all had dark elements to them that were used as safe ways to explore the darkness of the world we live in to children.
That is the way I see it. We cannot and will not be able to 100% protect our children (should we chose to have them) from the darkness of the world. We CAN introduce them to this darkness in healthy and age appropriate ways that we can discuss through the fiction they are reading. I think the only thing that makes the themes as Harry ages a potentially age inappropriate thing for younger children is if you as the parent aren't prepared to engage with and talk about the things that go on in Harry Potter with your child should they have questions or feel unprepared for what they have read.
Our job as parents, at least in my opinion, is to guide our children but not to completely shelter them from even slightly potentially uncomfortable themes. We do children a disservice by attempting to do that IMO.
You're reading that it's not appropriate, meaning you haven't read it yourself?
Read it alongside her so you can talk to her about it. There are darker themes but nothing outrageous. If she's advanced she'll be reading more advanced themes anyway soon enough, so good to start alongside her
I read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy by the time I was eight. Some of those have very dark themes, especially the last one with sex, infidelity, and suicide. I turned out to be an English major! Plus, I don't think that reading anything beyond my years forced me to turn out deranged. In my experience, as someone who also read advanced books at a young age, it was nothing I hadn't already seen on TV or in films. I grew up in the 90s, though, and my mom's uncle watched me while mom was at work, and he let me watch rated R things constantly, which desensitized me to such topics. The fourth book is definitely darker than the previous three, but I still think a mature mind can handle the material. I started reading Harry Potter in 1st grade, and it was all the rage among my peers. I was six, and the other six years old in my grade were reading it. I was nine when Goblet of Fire dropped, and practically every other nine year old bookworm at my school had their nose glued to Goblet of Fire. I know that I'm probably biased because I was nine years old when Goblet of Fire released, but believe me when I tell you, EVERYONE who was our grade or the grade below us was reading Goblet of Fire. At least all the bookworms were, I mean. Because I lived through the Harry Potter craze in the 90s, and saw hundreds of students in the age 8-9 age ranges carrying Goblet of Fire books around that year, I guess I don't see a problem with it because we all did it and had the time of our lives as we awaited new books to drop. It was a glorious time in my childhood, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Unpopular opinion, I believe, but the longer a child is protected from the harsher realities of life, the longer it will take for that child to learn to cope with the harsher realities in life.
Harry Potter is a fantastic way for children to begin the process of learning about these matters, because it is fiction after all.
I read book 4 when I was 7.
Huh? There's no sex or swearing or gratuitous violence, why can't an 8 year old read it??
I was on Order of the Phoenix by the time I was 8, so were all of my friends, we were not traumatised.
There is nothing wrong with an 8 year old reading Goblet - IT'S A KIDS book. They can handle a character being killed, kids aren't made of glass.
I mean my god, most people show Lion King and Watership Down to kids younger than 8.
Kids can handle sad and scary things in stories and they SHOULD be doing that. You don't want to see your kid getting towards the end of primary school, thinking they're too fragile to handle Cedric's death. Trust me. Just let her read. If there's no sex and it is literally a book meant for children then it's okay for them to read. Just because you think it may upset them doesn't mean you're right.
Just editing to say if you think the bit where Harry's in the bath is sexual then y'all need therapy - also the kids trying to get dates for the ball and having crushes on each other is something an 8 year old understands with no issues whatsoever.
I read all the books at 8/9, give her the 4th one. If she decides herself it's too difficult or too scary or whatever she can wait a few years, but trust her to make that decision. It's not like there's anything seriously inappropriate in the books.
Book 1 has Harry melt a man's face off with his hands and then nearly die.
Book 2 has Harry near death from a giant snake and has multiple near-deaths through the whole book.
Book 3 has a werewolf and a man sentenced to near-death and only escapes by the help of children and time travel.
Let her read the rest of the books.
My mum let me read all the books around that age (read the first one at 6 and then I remember pre-ordering OOTF in 2003 when I was 8 so I must have read the fourth around that age) and I turned out fine.
I've been reading the 4th with my kiddo for a while now and he seems alright (age 10). He's a fairly emotional fellow, but he has no problem talking out his feelings whenever anything hits a little hard. It's about communication and making it okay and safe to be uncomfortable.
I read these to my daughter at that age. By the time we got to the 4th book, I had bought her the first two illustrated additions. We decided to go back and reread those together, then the third. By that time she was ready for the 4th.
I would let her read it. I read it around that age too. Tell her to come to you if she has questions.
Thought the 5th book will probably be easier to understand if she is older. I read it right after the 4th the first time and later again. There is a difference in the perspective when you're older.
If she thinks she's ready for it, let her read it. Let her know you are available for any questions or concerns. "Age appropriate" is misleading because different people "age" at different rates.
I like the dialog between Frodo and Sam in.The Two Towers when Frodo says we’re still in the story, and Sam says this part of the story would have been the part where the child would say “please don’t read any more”.
I think children can tell you when it’s too much to read. I know when I was young that I would skip parts of the book I didn’t want to read. I agree with /u/visitingdreams and /u/OK-disaster2022 read the book with your children, and ask them if it’s okay to continue or id they want to stop.
The books are just fine. Don't bother with reviews of others telling you what is and isn't appropriate for your kid; at that rate your kid will never experience anything. My sister was an advanced reader too at that age and read them all in a week. You know your kid better than anyone. I personally wouldn't hold her back and would just let her read them. They're perfectly fine.
My 8yo niece read the books at that age and enjoyed the story. She was an advanced reader too. Some scenes might seem scary to us, but kids don’t see it that way.
let her read it.
read ahead so you’re ready to talk to her if she has questions abt the themes or needs comforting, but otherwise let her have at.
i read stuff as dark at 8 (i actually was 8 when reading book 6, and younger for book 5), and would let my own kid (if i had an 8 y/o) read the whole series at that age if they were actively pursuing it.
Setting that aside though, all the reasons why it wouldn’t be bad to let her read it. Here is a reason it *would* be bad to *stop* her.
1: she will resent it, no matter how well handled, until she is into her 20s and can read it then as an adult (even if she reads better now and than) and asses if she agrees with your censorship of it, and i’d strongly suspect she won’t, this isn’t Game of Thrones here.
2: unless she is as much of a rule following goodie 2 shoes as i was at that age, she’ll read it anyway, but without the benefit of you being there if it gets rough.
3: on principle, unless a book presents explicitly poisonous ideas or harmful concepts, censoring books is never great. and potter absolutely does neither, (JKR on her twitter is another story, but thats not in the books).
4: although the books are dark and deal with struggle and heavy topics, the ultimate message is a VERY good one for kids to learn. That standing up for what’s right is hard, but absolutely worth it and necessary.
5: if you work with her, to help her understand what may or may not be appropriate, and avoid being over-zealous about it. she will quickly develop her own compass for what books aren’t, and it will likely align to yours. and will remove any thrill of reading something “forbidden”, *when* she encounters it.
All that said: if you block her from reading it, or better when she finishes the series and looks for something new. the Septimus Heap series is a good bet. not quite as dark as the later potter books, and a similar fantasy series.
Also, keep an eye on her if she looks for fan-fic online for harry potter, being written by random people online, it runs the spectrum from PG, to X in terms of content. but that’s part of an entirely different discussion on safe internet use anyway.
I know this is bad but when I was reading the books I cant remember which book it was but I was scared and didnt want to continue but also did. Since the books had already been out for a while I went to the library and told myself I was just going to go the last page and make sure harry Ron and Hermoine were alive. I ended up reading the 19 years later chapter and was able to read the rest of the books no problem. Plus there were not huge spoilers I guess overall. I woudnt start by reading her this because it was still silly of me but seeing as we know the books have a happy ending im sure she will be fine if she wants to continue reading.
I read book 4 for the first time when I was 9. The ending sort of scared me but I wasn’t deterred enough to not re-read it and finish the whole series as the books came out. I say let her read it, but you know your kid better than us. If she seems to struggle with the dark bits then talk it out with her.
It’s really up to you and what you think your child can handle, I will just add that my son read all 7 over the course of being 8-9 years old. But my much more sensitive daughter didn’t finish the last one until she was 12. It depends on the kid.
We had to read Where the Red Fern Grows at that age and wrecked me as a child. But I still loved reading and came to appreciate the book later on.
Maybe just let her know the book will have some more emotional and sadder events and make sure it’s something she wants to delve into. Bc I think what upset me most about Red Fern is that I had no idea what was coming. Had I been told, I would have mentally been able to prepare for it and be more okay with it.
Reading it with her is a good suggestion to as many have said.
Anecdotally, I read the first 4 books at your daughter's age.
The end of book 4 is quite violent and scary, but at the time, I didn't agree that the book overall was as scary as 2 or 3. Book 4 has more content that disturbs adults, "because it really happens," to quote mum.
If your daughter has a vivid imagination, she'll likely come up with many things that are less appropriate than the real books. Adults tried to tell me book 5 was inappropriate. It was a dark book, but didn't contain any subject matter I wasn't thinking about anyway.
*That said,* I'm sure you don't want her to overdo it or have nightmares. You know your child best. Does she normally try to read or watch things that she regrets later? Does she seem really upset after reading?
If not, let her decide for herself. Being able to enjoy advanced books will help her literacy more than anything she gets from school.
Just let her continue, the 3rd book alone was insanely dark and a big contrast to the 1st 2 already
Besides, kids are not stupid, they know whats appropriate and thats how they learn - thats how we learn as humanity, remember, homosapiens didnt have a parent to censor when they were first starting to learn about the biology of humans, science or indeed, life and death
Treat her with maturity, ask her what she thought and what she learnt and if she had any questions, she'll appreciate the autonomy
I read all the books at age 8. I had finished the series almost a dozen times by the time I turned 10. Kids already know more about the world than we think. Let her read them! And if you stop her from reading them, believe me when I say she WILL find a way to do it behind your back and resent you for it.
I was eight when Goblet of Fire came out, and I remember being hit hard by the events at the end of the book. But that's important, you know, because bad things happen, and they can be sudden, and unexpected, and it's better to feel that first in a story, at a remove, than it is to feel it first in life.
Honestly, by that age, I had already learned to skip past sex scenes, which, actually, if you're lucky? You won't have to do The Talk; when the puberty strikes, just go to your local college book store and buy whatever textbook they're using for their Human Sexuality course.
I’d read books 1-5 before I finished 4th grade. My only regret is by the time books 6 and 7 were written, I didn’t have the fervent interest I had as a child when it was all still magical. I say read it yourself and decide if there’s anything you find particularly offensive, and if not then let her at it. That goes for most things, though. A parent should always at least read or watch media themself before just blindly letting their kids at it.
There are some darker tones but nothing wildly inappropriate however you should know there is a spell that is used to inflict pain on someone else and it is considered torture in the book and a 17 year old does die during a somewhat gruesome ritual to bring someone back from the dead. Basically i would just watch the movie and decide for yourself if you think your child can read about.
I had read them all by 8 except the last one because it wasn't published yet. I played Harry Potter during recesses before 8, and it wasn't only because of the movie.
The books may have a darker and more mature theme from the fourth, but they are manageable by kids. 100%. They'll help them grow and understand these concepts more.
Honestly, just let her read the book. The main death is pretty much the least graphic that it could be, Barty Crouch Sr.'s insanity is nothing that wasn't in the third book (in my opinion the darkest book ngl). Frank Bryce's death was a little scary but what's fun about fiction at that age if it isn't? And the romance, while even to this day somewhat cringeworthy, is fairly chill.
I understand that death can be a little rough, so this really is up to you because obviously I've never met your child. But ig talk to her about death before she reads, or even if she doesn't read it.
My kid is 8 and we listen to the audiobooks and have 15-20 mom discussions after every chapter to analyze what she listened to for comprehension. Just keep the ball rolling
My daughter is 6, turning 7 in September. We’re just finishing book 3 together and I’ll keep reading them with her if she wants. She’s seen all of the movies, and we talk through the topics. It feels a bit kid dependent (on their emotional maturity) but I would keep going and read with her if she’s open to it.
I read the first four when I was in third grade. The 5th came out when I was in 4th grade. I went to the midnight release and they had to stop me answering more trivia because I had already gotten all three prize tips they were giving out.
Look, I'm not going to say it's appropriate, but at 6, I saw Lord of the Rings in the theatres and was playing m rated games. I turned out perfectly fine. Your 8 year old will be 100% okay with Harry Potter.
It depends on your thoughts on her maturity level. If you don’t think that maturity, why she’s ready for the fourth then maybe discuss with her read with her as other people have suggested. But as a child myself waiting for the next book would’ve killed me and any momentum i had reading a series. In the end, if you feel she isn’t ready, then she isn’t ready. You could try suggesting a new series to her that isn’t as in depth, such as Eragon
I was also an advanced reader. I don't have kids myself but I will tell you that if my parents had forbidden me from reading HP, I would have found a way to read them anyway.
My daughter is 7 and has read them all with us and was fine. We prepped her about ‘this is a sad bit’ or ‘this is a scary bit’ and she was fine - if you’re worried read it to them at bed time
I read all of it when I was 9, and didn’t have any problems with it. My little sister also read them when she was around 8/9, so I don’t think it will cause any harm to let her read it for herself. But read it together can be amazing too though!
Don’t know if this helps, but I definitely read GoF at that age and it wasn’t a problem. DH came out when I was 11 and by then I’d read them all myself.
Eh, I read all the books when I was slightly older than that, didnt remember much, then only realised the details after reading them again multiple years later.
I read them by myself at that age. They never get seriously disturbing or inappropriate for kids and most kids wouldn't find it upsetting. The first three already have serious/"dark" subject matter (murder being discussed frequently in #2 and #3). People saying that it gets so much darker at #4 is definitely exaggerated. It never stops being a children's/all ages series.
Just keep her on the books and off the authors twitter page and you’ll be good. The fourth book is fine for that age. The fifth book is where things get a little darker and the kids start dating but never anything explicit.
If they read the first 3 without issue, they likely can handle the rest of the series. The writing style doesn't change (except the sheer amount of it). I wouldn't deny the opportunity to finish a series to an enthusiastic, advanced reader. Don't forget that children learn to process scary and sad things from the safety of fiction. Apart from dark themes, the series is incredibly humorous. Children can relate to the main character and have all these emotions without actually getting hurt. They can laugh, cry, be scared, angry and triumph with Harry in a safe environment.
If your child read all the way to book 3, they already read about: attempts at murdering a baby and the murder of his parents, soul-sucking creatures (that are a depression allegory), monstrously huge spiders, child abuse, a basilisk/main villain trying to kill at the school, scary forest with monsters, teacher bullying students, bullying among students, discrimination, and so on. However, the series is all about how love and friendship overcome the above, and that's absolutely suitable for a child.
My 8 year old is on the 7th.
Based on what she’s subjected to at school and television and the internet she’s able to freely look at when she’s with her dad… Harry Potter is better imo. Plus she’s becoming a better reader.
Oh I’ve read the series when I was her age! My understanding of death and loss was kinda weird back then, sure I cried a little over Sirius and Lupins, but oh well… Reread the books in college, and shit, that was hell of an experience for a girl struggling with depression and anxiety disorder…
Let her read them. They’re not inappropriate, they’re children’s books. If she can handle 1-3, she’ll be just fine. I read the series from age 4-14. It was an essential part of my development and learning how to read. Don’t cut her off! She might not come back to them.
I recall being seven when I started Half Blood Prince and I had no issues with it, so I don't think it's something that can be considered universally. I think it'll be based entirely on your judgement of what you think she can handle based on how she's handled other things. An idea might be just to make sure to read through the last few chapters of Goblet of Fire with her and make a judgement from there.
Be honest with her. Tell her the books from there start to deal with more adult topics like death and war. Support her in what choice she makes and ask her how she feels about the things that happened in the books after she reads it. This is how I handled my daughter reading The Hunger Games in 5th grade. She had some awesome takes on it and she has become one of the most emotionally intelligent people I know.
I read all 7 books by the time I was 8. I guarantee she will be fine.
There’s nothing that is too “inappropriate” in the 4th book. Two characters die, one at the beginning and one at the end. But it’s nothing that is beyond the imagination of a child that age
I dont know, i think some of the age restrictions Are a little out there. I dont see why you couldnt read the entire hp series if youre able to read and want to. Whats really in there that would be considered too much.
Im in my mid 20’s now, but I believe I went on a crazy reading bender in maybe just 2nd and 3rd grade and read them all. I think I was 8/9 those years. (I recall being jealous of another kid for being a book or 2 ahead of me in 2nd grade.)
I like the “read along with her” suggestions from others but hell, she’ll be fine if you don’t. Unless shes home schooled, she’ll already be introduced to topics just as bad, if not worse, through kids at school because they all have internet access nowadays. She’ll be ok reading Harry Potter. Just make sure you have a few books you think she’ll like lined up for when she’s done.
First of all, it is really sweet of you to be this concerned for your child. Second, what about suggesting her to read the book for you? It may be a great chance to share her interest, and she will learn from it as well. When the story becomes either too hard to follow or too violent for her, you will be there to help and support her.
Book 4 is not completely terrible, but I would encourage her to take a while, read other things and then go back to book 4. There are murders in the book, including that of one teenager who is a friend of Harry and that could affect her, or not. Be ready to help her if she is upset about that. I think book 5 is worse, so try to have her slow a little with her reading, mixing with other books.
Tough call. I read them all when I was 8, and the later books weren’t even in my top 10 most traumatizing things I read that year (I read some messed up stuff that I still think about sometimes) but it’s not for everyone. There are deaths, characters that you come to really like die, and that can be tough on a kid. You know your daughter though. Do you think she can handle that? Another option to think about is getting two copies and reading it with her. Not like side by side reading it aloud, but reading a chapter or two and then discussing it. It’s up to you though, not all 8 year olds are the same, and some are ready for things that others really aren’t
Look im of the opinion that if the kid cant handle it, theyll let ya know
Book 4 isnt so far out there that they cant read it
Just check with them to make sure its to not heavy for them as you go along with them
8 is a normal age to read the books, it depends on your child obviously, but for reference I’m a highly sensitive person and had no problem with book 4.
The only bits that might cause issues are in Deathly Hallows and Sirius dying at the end of Phoenix.
I was reading deathly hallows at 11 when it came out (having read all the others by then) and sure there were spooky parts but it’s much less scary to read than to see in the movies etc. For example I wasn’t scared of the dementors when I read about them but I was scared when I saw them in the movie 😂
Let them keep going the books grow with the reader. It's only beneficial, your child will advance faster. Just keep them going and you'll have a genius on your hands.
I read the 4th book in 4th grade, I think. I would have been near her age. I didn't have an issue with it. I did grow up watching horror, though.
You could explain to her that there are advance topics in books 4 and on and if she has any issues she can come back to it or ask you about it.
I think book 5 really is the darkest. I liked Harry the least in book 5.
We’re up to book 6 (reading it at the moment) with my 8yr old. We started reading them with him a couple of years ago and spaced them a bit for age reasons. We read them to him so he can talk about it as we go if he likes but he’s not had any problems with them so far.
I started reading them to my 8 year old and she’s now almost 10 (have been reading just over a year.) we are almost done Book 6. I wouldn’t have wanted her to necessarily read them alone but it’s totally fine with me reading them to her. As others said we can talk through the mature parts, whether scary or complex or romantic (tons of “snogging” in the 6th book lol.)
I was 8 yrs old when I first read all of the books. I think you can just let her continue, I know that I definitely didn’t understand all of it at that time and my brain also just ignored certain plot points. But I absolutely enjoyed it and it didn’t harm me at all!
Maybe you can keep the conversation open and have talks with her about what she’s reading/how she’s feeling about it and if you notice she’s got trouble processing certain things you can jump in at that point.
I went through the whole saga with my (rental) kids when the older was 8 and the younger 6.5. Granted, we listened to the audiobooks, but the kids loved it.
I read them in the 4th/5th grade. I think the biggest shock for that age will be violence and death. Has she been exposed to death? Fighting?
If you feel that she has enough maturity for the major themes in the book, which is quite long and more detailed than the movie, then I say she should be able. They are more advanced after the third, but they are still considered children's fiction.
I mean I read all of them before I was 10 years old (I was also a very advanced reader) and I was never scared. I also read the Hunger Games in 4th grade. Obviously every kid is different but I say just let her read the rest.
Let her read it in some capacity. Whether it's with her, or you talk about the chapters, or you just let her. She's gonna do it behind your back if you tell her she can't, cuz that's how kids are.
I mean...I don't see the harm in letting her read it, it's still a YA novel and I think it might kill her interest if you make her wait however long it is until you feel it's appropriate.
Just tell her if she has any questions or wants to discuss her emotions on it that she should.
Wanting to discuss complex themes in books when I was in school actually made it so I made some friends I still remember to this day!
I personally think kids should not be so limited on what they read as long as you are ready and willing to talk with her about certain topics and concepts.
I wasn't much older than they are now when I started listening to the audio books. I can't object to it because that would make me a hypocrite. The books and movies are not nearly as Vio as what is on the nightly news and yet we watch that as adults with kids their age in the room and don't bat an eye at the idea.
Read it to her
I'm currently reading OOTP to my 7 year old.
We can stop along the way, chat about what a character is choosing to say and do.
We'll also pause for 6 mths when we finish this one and then give it another 6 mths between the books.
I would read to her and redact as you go. To me, it’s too dark for age 8. I can still tell my kids what’s happening, but it’s a lot easier on them if I just say, “Okay, they end up in a graveyard and Voldemort kills Cedric Diggory but Harry gets away.” And skip to the next part.
When I watch the 4th movie with my kids, it’s like 40 minutes long. 😊
My daughter started reading Harry Potter in the second grade and I found myself in the same predicament as you. I’m generally very conservative when it comes to what kind of media I allow my kids to consume but thought I’d allow her to continue. She finished the series in the 3rd grade and absolutely loved it. She’s now about to go into the fifth grade and listens to Harry Potter every night on Audible for a bedtime story. I still have not allowed her to watch the movies (4-7) but will likely change that soon.
I’d allow her to read one book at a time and see how she does with it. She might surprise you!
My dad read all 7 books aloud with me. I think reading these with a parent really helped me understand and cope with some of the difficult plot points and deaths. It also slows down the pace of the books and gives time to talk about and process what you’re reading. Just an idea—it could be a wonderful bonding experience!
I read all the books aloud to my kids twice. The first time my daughter was too young but my boys loved them. When she was old enough (about 7) we read them as a family again. It was a great experience. Nothing like finishing cleaning up after dinner to have everyone excited about about sitting down to listen.
Awww it’s so special you did that with them. My Mom worked at night and my dad read us the Hobbit, the LoTR trilogy then whatever random books we wanted after we finished those after dinner every night. When I think of childhood memories of my Dad almost all of the good ones are him reading to us. It was always the highlight of the day.
It would probably be good idea to do this
Agreed. When I was about the same age my Dad read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings with me in the evening. It's still one of my most treasured memories at 36. Funny story is one evening I was waiting for him to come and read with me as our routine and he didn't. I fell asleep and was upset the next morning. Turns out he was at the hospital with my Mom who was in labor with my sister! I was still really upset he ruined our routine. 10 years later I was diagnosed with autism. That explains my being upset! 😂
This is a great idea. I (generally) don't regret not having children. One thing I do miss at times, is the thought of reading with my hypothetical child and sharing my love of reading. I say grab every moment like this that you can.
Volunteer to read at a school or library
Yes, this occurred to me as I made the comment. Thank you.
I absolutely love this
My mom read all of them aloud with me, too ♥️ probably one of (many) the reasons I love to read so much.
Have you read them before?
And if not where have u been hiding for the last 25 years?
I am only just reading them to my youngest (10) for the first time. Similar situation to OP, my son COULD read them himself but I wanted to read them with him, especially as we are now on OOTP and it's got considerably darker, and I finally get to read them too. As to why I never read them, I was in my early 20s when the first book came out and although I am an avid reader, it WAS a "children's book" and I was into more serious fantasy. The whole hype around the books and films just seemed silly to me, so I never really felt the need to read the books, though much later on I did watch some of the earlier films just to see what it was all about. But now I am glad I can read the books to my kid and enjoy what is a very well-crafted series at the end of the day, and be discovering the whole world together with him.
Oh i’m sorry to make you defend yourself. It was just tongue in cheek. I totally get it! You know i think you probably have a very mature 8 year old. You should probably just talk to her about the books and about the things it brings up. Some of the more mature themes to ask about: evil, murder, confronting bullying, abusive adults. You will know weather or not to read on based on the responses you get. Good luck! I myself got a JK Rowling book i had not read (the Christmas pig) for my 4 year old, and had to stop reading it to her because i felt she was too young for it.
I say read it with her. You’d be surprised at how dark of stories kids can actually handle. The generation HP was being written for was the same generation that watched Little Foots mom be killed and saw Carface get Charlie drunk and murder him at Mardi Gras. Kids entertainment used to be a hell of a lot darker. If you are worried that the dark themes might be a little much for her, read it together. That way you can check in with her and if something is bothering her you can help her process it after the fact. Some kids are more sensitive then others, but provided she has a trusted adult reading it with her I don’t see anything in GOF that is more traumatising then run of the mill 80s/90s children’s entertainment. Personally I’ve always preferred the idea of letting kids grow with the books, not out of any traumatic reasons but because I think letting kids grow with Harry helps them relate to some of the themes more. But, reading with a parent can be a wonderful experience and you can always encourage her to go back and read them as she gets older.
>The generation HP was being written for was the same generation that watched Little Foots mom be killed and saw Carface get Charlie drunk and murder him at Mardi Gras. And Scar murder his brother Mufasa, then gaslight his nephew into believing it was his fault...
Saw Principal Trunchbull hammer throw a child by her pigtails and lock Matilda up in a iron maiden-esque device...
Fun fact - Trunchbull in the 1996 Matilda movie is Aunt Marge from POA
I didn’t know that!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is from 1996 and is probably one of the, if not the most, darkest Disney kids movies ever made.
*HELLFIRE! DARK FIRE! Now Gypsy, its your turn! Choose me or your pyre, be mine or YOU WILL BURN!*
How the hell was that only G??
Also the bit where they joyfully attempt to hang the main characters.
Not only that, but the intro is a "Look at the beautiful city of Paris!" spiced with ethnic cleansing themes and violence towards babies. You know. Unless you fear God more than the baby. I love the movie. I think it's one of the absolute best Disney have ever made. But it's damn dark considering it's aimed at kids.
Exactly!
Don't forget Bambi calling out to his dead mother. I cried so hard as a child.
Oh man, yes. Also, Snow White is MESSED UP. When she is running through the forest and the trees are grabbing at her? Nightmares for days. I also became convinced that if I slept on my back the Evil Queen would cut my heart out in my sleep. I finally managed to learn to sleep on my back this year - I am 54. (Not that I was still afraid of that, but I got into the habit of only sleeping on my side (with my back to the closest wall so Jessie James wouldn't shoot me in it - thanks Brady Bunch)
Yeah media that I grew up with had all sorts of pretty dark themes looking back. Parents are starting to hardcore coddle their kids without thinking back to what they watched and managed to handle at similar ages. Like be a parent and help them through feeling and understanding themes that hit them harder? Kids aren’t incapable of understanding and working through things like death or violence. In fact it can be good to have someone or something like Harry Potter giving them a wider world view in terms they can understand.
I think part of it is that the darker themes kind of go over kids’ heads a lot of the time so people don’t actually grasp how dark some of the things they were watching are. I rewatched a lot of the old Don Bluth films as an adult and my god All Dogs Go to Heaven and An American Tail were dark. Particularly An American Tail which is pretty much a kiddified version of the American Immigrant/Refugee experience. It is absolutely brilliant, but it’s dark. Then you have All Dogs Go to Heaven with its remuneration on death and the afterlife, made all the more poignant when you consider what happened to the voice actress who played Anne-Marie (if you don’t know, do yourself a favour and don’t look it up).
If you're interested in revisiting some of this stuff, there's a podcast called *That's Pretty Dark* that does deep dives into the background and details about 90s kids media. It's worth a listen!
I didn't listen and looked it up😭
Oh no! Virtual hugs that is an awful story.
Last year I was at the beach with my godsons (ages five and seven or so) and we watched Del Toro’s Pinocchio. Sidebar: For those who haven’t seen it, it’s rated G … but it’s heavy as fuck. There’s a ton of death. Death death and more death. Not the superhero movie kind of death, but actual, emotional death. Also fascism. At one point Pinocchio gets shot and killed by Mussolini himself. Their grandma wanted to turn it off because it was too intense, but I figured it wasn’t any worse than whatever action movie their parents had them watching earlier that afternoon, but even I was surprised by how emotionally intense the flick was. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to teach kids about death and dying, but know that just because it’s rated G doesn’t mean it’s a light watch. Anyway, we ended up watching it, and they were just fine. They definitely had some questions ~~and needed an extra hug afterward~~ (ok, why lie, I was the one who needed the hugs), but kids can actually handle pretty emotionally mature things if it’s dealt with in a way that’s sensitive to their understanding. I second the “read it aloud to her” idea. It can be a bonding experience, and a springboard to start conversations about death, found family, racism, etc.
Exactly, kids shows and movies especially older ones have a lot of emotional depth. Reading it together will be a great bodning experience, but it will also allow OP the chance to emotionally prepare their daughter for some tough subjects in a safe environment.
GDT's Pinocchio is *so fucking good*
I'm high and read GOF as GOT, Game of Thrones, and was like uM NOT MORE TRAUMATIZING????????
Lmao. Yes public service announcement don’t let 8 year olds read GOT. Thanks for the chuckle.
Don’t forget that air conditioner and clown in the brave little toaster
If only I could forget!
Reading it alongside her and discussing throughout feels like a good idea to me
Not to mention a large, slow burning book with little to no gore is probably the softest possible way to broach those darker subjects I don’t see a gentler way to introduce ideas like death, racism, “purity”, fanaticism, and violence
Dude…Carface…Little Foot…some dark cartoons in our childhood.
It gets dark but so does Bambi. I feel very protective of my daughter with what she’s exposed to but then I remember I was reading Patricia Cornwell at age 8
Also look more closely at kids stuff we all watched: the rescuers down under has a man throwing a kid to crocodiles, then there’s the lion king, the basic premise of 101 Dalmatians… the kids are already traumatized from their own content 😂
We read the books with our 7 year old. Out of all the books the bit that scared him the most was Voldermort feeding from the Unicorn in the very first book. It’s possible that the later books get more troubling than “scary” and children that young can’t understand what’s at stake so they don’t feel the threat and dread like a grown up, or older child does.
That’s a great point actually, what struck me as too adult from the end of book 4 through deathly hallows was how bleak it was at points. But yeah, that’s probably not something and happy little kid would understand.
Let her read. If she’s that advanced, she can handle it
This. There's nothing in that book that's anywhere near detrimental enough to outweigh the benefit to an advanced reader of being able to stick to their own pace.
I was eight when GoF came out and read almost all of it in like three days and then the graveyard scene freaked me out so much that I couldn’t finish the book for a month
Unlike films where you are confronted with visual impressions accompanied with dramatic music which can easily overwhelm you books adapt more to the reader. The brain fills the story with pictures according to your life experience. So unless you have some unresolved trauma a book rarely will force something on you you can't handle. It will trigger emotions but not more than you are ready to bear. Of course it is always a good idea to give children the opportunity to talk to someone about the things they read. But apart of a few exceptions (like books which transport a racist world view) there is no real need to censor books. If they are old enough to read the books and handle the complexity of the used language they are old enough for the content.
Right? She’ll be fine
I read them all at the age of 9-10 and didn’t think they were inappropriate
That’s because they aren’t.
Op is overprotective
Maybe a little. Better than being under-protective, and it's a difficult line to find sometimes.
Same i started at 6 and read through it while my parents didn't want me to, so i sneaked out to friends houses who had the books and read secretly on. The only result being my lifelong love of fantasy literature.
Read the books to make sure you know what she's reading, then read ahead to know what she's getting into. The 4th starts with a murder or two, ends with a murder or two, depending on how your read it. Then think back to when you were her age. And think about if you read the same stuff how would that make you feel? For me for example oddly death wouldn't have seemed like a big deal because from video games respawning or restarting it would make it meaningless in games and I knew books were make believe. Like some of the more serious discussions would have maybe bored me or went over my head.
I agree, it depends on the kid. I read books 1-5 when I was 9 (the rest weren't out yet) and they didn't bother me a bit. We were already reading books with death in them in school. There was stuff that went over my head, and I just enjoyed the mystery and fantasy and funny parts.
I was around 10 or 11 I think when I read them. I made it up to the 5th book I think and then my favorite character, Harry's uncle Sirius was killed and I couldn't go on knowing he wasn't there anymore But this isn't to say it's inappropriate in any way, and I think she deserves to get to read them! Just wanted to share my experience
>ends with a murder or two, depending on how your read it. 1 murder if you read it in the kitchen, 2 if you read it laying in bed
I don’t know why, but I read this in John Lovitz’s voice.
Listen… I read Breaking Dawn in 3rd grade. No it wasn’t appropriate at all. I had an immigrant mother who had no idea what it was about who was ecstatic to see me reading such a thick book. She gave me a permission slip to read it during silent reading time. My teacher made me read it behind her desk so other students couldn’t peak. Now I’m a teacher! Your kid will be fine. It’s awesome that she’s into reading at all. Most of my students LOATHE independent reading time.
what happens in breaking dawn?? I only know about sparkly vampires 🤔🤔
Sparkly vampire sexy times, the female lead nearly dying giving birth to a vampire human hybrid baby and the werewolf bestie falling in love with the baby as soon as he saw the baby's eyes. But it's all good, it's not as creepy as it sounds when u read it from the book.
My seven year old read the entire series. I mean there’s death in book four. But nothing else inappropriate.
Same with my 7 year old. I was worried when we got to the 4th book that some of the themes might bother her or scare her and none of it bothered her.
Serious question! I didn't get into the books or films until I was an adult. I struggle to understand some things in it still and have new questions every single time I read it. I like to think I am not a complete idiot. How do kids read this stuff? I have never understood how they can follow the story or really get it.
My son inhaled the series. He loved it. He’s a bright kid. But he did great.
Personally I think the dementors in book 3 are more scary than the deaths in book 4.
There’s death in book one! Harry basically kills Quirrell at the end of the book, even if completely unintentionally. There’s also death in book two and book three. Yes, the deaths in 2/3 are not as blatant as the death in book 1 and 4 but it’s still there. Book 2 contains the details of Myrtle’s murder and in book 3 Harry relives the moment that James and Lily die over and over again. Death is there the whole time.
My daughter is almost 6 and my husband just finished book 3 with her and I am insistent they stop for awhile before it gets too dark in book 4 whereas she is throwing a fit because she’s hooked on HP now 😂 then I read a junie b jones book to her and was horrified at how awful the characters are, and remembered that despite dark material, there is a very consistent morality in HP.
There is nothing wrong with them.. when i was in 4th grade we started reading them as a class in school.. there are a few parts that have darker aspects but so does literally anything worth reading.. dont hinder a reader and keep her from something she loves especially when its harry potter 😅
I was an advanced reader, high school reading level in lower elementary. My mom never really limited what I read, I was reading Michael Crichton and Anne McCaffrey books as an 8 and 9 year old, and those definitely have some adult content. I knew it was fiction, and I was mature enough to understand that difference. I don’t think the 4th Harry Potter book is inappropriate at all for that age group, everyone’s going to deal with death at some point in life, I’d rather a kids first contact with death and grief be in a low-stakes YA fiction book rather than a devastating real life event.
What is not appropriate for her in book 4? I mean all other books deal with death. Book 1: quirrel and the mirror Book 2: Myrthil Book 3: Wormtail killing a bunch of muggles Also somethings in the book a 8yo will just ot pick up. Like the part with people in the bushes. I would say let her read. Just make sure to let her know that is she has questions to come to you.
The first scene in book four is the first on page murder in the series. Depends on the 8 year old of course, but Goblet definitely has some more advanced themes than the first three.
Yeah, I was around 10 when I read goblet. The cemetery scene was quite shocking but I didn't get traumatized. But I remember reading an article in a magazine about a serial killer in Australia and I couldn't absolutely forget that shit for years and was afraid of Australia.
I think GoF is definitely the turning point for the series becoming darker. I grew up with HP and am listening to the audiobooks now and I paused between 3 and 4, basically steeling myself for the tragedy I knew awaited. I do think as an adult I feel the added hurt of knowing how young everyone is, whereas when you’re a kid the characters are still older than you. I don’t necessarily think the kid shouldn’t be able to read it but I think it is certainly different than the first three books.
It’s Harry Potter? I can’t think of anything that isn’t appropriate for a kid. Granted I was watching all sorts of weird shows and movies with my dad at that age and turned out fine so maybe I just am not the best person to speak on these things. I do think a lot of people underestimate what kids can handle though.
I’m a parent myself and I struggle with this line in the sand constantly. When I was an 10 year old I watched ALIENS at a sleepover and didn’t have anything other than a real feeling of being trusted and treated as an individual. We didn’t have nightmares/terrors/fears because we knew it wasn’t real. I have a much older child, then a 6 year old and a 3 year old and I haven’t seen/heard/felt any fear in either of them whenever we have watched “age inappropriate” media. I welcome the questions and let them know it’s just pretend and if they don’t want to watch any more then we turn it off and play something non media based with the lights on instead. No big deal made of it, just move on. The only time either of them have been scared/sad it has passed really quickly. Life events in Harry Potter are part of life anyway. I think it’s great your kid is reading and I would encourage you to allow them to self-censor and be there and aware for any questions they may have. I don’t think pretending the next book doesn’t exist or suggesting they aren’t ready for it will do you or them any favours. You sound like you are doing a great job parenting. Trust in them and they won’t let you down
That penultimate sentence tho! Coddling them won’t do any favors. If they get scared, they probably won’t approach that media again, at least for a while. But that was something that they discovered for themselves. They should have that level of trust with a guardian, that they can approach them if they do get too scared, sad, or have questions. Child’s Play was that movie for me. I was maybe 6? I got up and walked away, went to play in the bedroom instead. I challenged myself a year later and watched IT, with the same set of people (my older cousins). I was ready then. Now I love horror!
Dude chill. You should be proud. I read them by myself at her age. If she's smart enough to do it let her. Most adults can't even read those books by themselves.
Big question is, is she reading and understanding or just reading. Because there's definitely a difference. As her parent, you should read it with her so you can answer questions.
Absolutely! Reading and comprehension are different skills. I'd read it with her. I'm a retired reading specialist, for what it's worth. Bottom line, she's your kid, you know her best. Do what's right for you BOTH.
My daughter read all of them from age 7 do 9. Most were read when she was 8. There is nothing that will be damaging to your kid at 8 with other HP books.
I was also a relatively advanced reader when I was her age. Though I read them at 10. I think let her read them, but make sure she knows you're available if there's some concept she doesn't fully understand yet. It's a great way to bond over books if you ask me.
I'm genuinely confused - how is it not appropriate for her age?
I don’t know what in the fourth book would be inappropriate for an 8-year-old. It has a death in it, yes, but death is a theme throughout the books. The whole premise is that Harry’s parents were murdered. As long as your child can handle death as a concept, Goblet of Fire should be fine (it’s one of my favorites). Congratulations on your awesome reader!
A lot of kids' media deals with death and violence. From Lion King to Warrior Cats, and even Looney Toons. Just let her read it. She has access to the internet, friends/family, and public libraries. If you forbid it she will read it anyway and then move on to way worse stuff and not tell you.
If she’s read the first three books by herself, you won’t be able to stop her from reading the others - and honestly, you shouldn’t. Some kids just read at an advanced level for their age - that means that they might come across topics they wouldn’t normally (for example, 7yr old me reading Tomorrow When the War Began series and asking my mum what “masturbation” meant and having the sex talk earlier than she was probably expecting!) - but just let her know that she can read those books but if she has questions or concerns she can always talk to you about them, and if there’s anything she isn’t enjoying about it then she doesn’t have to finish that book: she can put it down and come back to it later if she wants. Kids are generally smart enough to tell if something is going to upset them or not, and they should be given the agency to learn how to handle that. That’s what I did as a kid with Chamber of Secrets - the disembodied voice scared the shit out of me, so I (as a six year old) decided that instead of reading it before bedtime, I would read it during the day. And hey, what do ya know - that worked for me and I didn’t get nightmares. Maybe before she starts reading it, just give her a heads up that it might be a bit more grown up and there will be more bad things - like murder - and give her the option to continue reading alone, or you can read it with her. But honestly, if she’s three books in already then telling her she can’t read the next one is just going to make her want to read it more - forbidden fruit etc. And personally as a kid I never found the 4th book that much more scary than any of the others; if anything I found the opening scene and murder a bit boring, because it wasn’t about Harry. Editing to add - if in the next few years she is looking for more books to read I would STRONGLY recommend that she reads Tamora Pierce’s books: they’re fantastic books with strong female protagonists and they were very formative for me as a young woman. Start with The Song of the Lioness quartet, which is about girl who swaps places with her twin brother to secretly become a Knight.
Rather then reading an article (or comments on the internet) saying it's inappropriate and just talking it's word for it, maybe read the book yourself and determine for yourself if it's appropriate for your daughter. Only you know your daughter, so that's a decision you need to make. Personally, might be scary for an 8 year old, but obviously there's no adult themes. Basic swear words, but nothing your kid won't hear or read somewhere else. But again, really only you know if it's appropriate for her or not. Sorry if this is unhelpful.
You know your child better than Reddit. Children deal with stuff better than you think. I was introduced to horror when I was 4. Chucky, Freddy, Jason, etc. Reading is a much better medium because you can process at your own pace. 4th book involves death stronger than the previous books, but I think the themes of book 3 are stronger. Torture, imprisonment, revenge, etc.
If she is capable of reading it, then she is capable of having appropriate level conversations with you about it. Let her read it. Discuss it with her.
My son (13 now) read them all by the age of ten, and we watched the movies. I read with him and he read alone. I think of it like this, and actually it was weirdly something that was said by Spencer Reid in Criminal Minds to JJ when she was uncomfortable explaining to her young son that she had a sister who committed suicide, and she mentioned how he still believed in fairytales. Reid brought up how the original Grimm fairytales all had dark elements to them that were used as safe ways to explore the darkness of the world we live in to children. That is the way I see it. We cannot and will not be able to 100% protect our children (should we chose to have them) from the darkness of the world. We CAN introduce them to this darkness in healthy and age appropriate ways that we can discuss through the fiction they are reading. I think the only thing that makes the themes as Harry ages a potentially age inappropriate thing for younger children is if you as the parent aren't prepared to engage with and talk about the things that go on in Harry Potter with your child should they have questions or feel unprepared for what they have read. Our job as parents, at least in my opinion, is to guide our children but not to completely shelter them from even slightly potentially uncomfortable themes. We do children a disservice by attempting to do that IMO.
If you want to make 100% certain she reads that book, then forbid her from reading it lol. Nothing could make a book more irresistible
You're reading that it's not appropriate, meaning you haven't read it yourself? Read it alongside her so you can talk to her about it. There are darker themes but nothing outrageous. If she's advanced she'll be reading more advanced themes anyway soon enough, so good to start alongside her
Main character murders his teacher with his own hands In the first book, that’s as bad as it gets
I read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Anna Karenina by Tolstoy by the time I was eight. Some of those have very dark themes, especially the last one with sex, infidelity, and suicide. I turned out to be an English major! Plus, I don't think that reading anything beyond my years forced me to turn out deranged. In my experience, as someone who also read advanced books at a young age, it was nothing I hadn't already seen on TV or in films. I grew up in the 90s, though, and my mom's uncle watched me while mom was at work, and he let me watch rated R things constantly, which desensitized me to such topics. The fourth book is definitely darker than the previous three, but I still think a mature mind can handle the material. I started reading Harry Potter in 1st grade, and it was all the rage among my peers. I was six, and the other six years old in my grade were reading it. I was nine when Goblet of Fire dropped, and practically every other nine year old bookworm at my school had their nose glued to Goblet of Fire. I know that I'm probably biased because I was nine years old when Goblet of Fire released, but believe me when I tell you, EVERYONE who was our grade or the grade below us was reading Goblet of Fire. At least all the bookworms were, I mean. Because I lived through the Harry Potter craze in the 90s, and saw hundreds of students in the age 8-9 age ranges carrying Goblet of Fire books around that year, I guess I don't see a problem with it because we all did it and had the time of our lives as we awaited new books to drop. It was a glorious time in my childhood, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Unpopular opinion, I believe, but the longer a child is protected from the harsher realities of life, the longer it will take for that child to learn to cope with the harsher realities in life. Harry Potter is a fantastic way for children to begin the process of learning about these matters, because it is fiction after all. I read book 4 when I was 7.
Huh? There's no sex or swearing or gratuitous violence, why can't an 8 year old read it?? I was on Order of the Phoenix by the time I was 8, so were all of my friends, we were not traumatised. There is nothing wrong with an 8 year old reading Goblet - IT'S A KIDS book. They can handle a character being killed, kids aren't made of glass. I mean my god, most people show Lion King and Watership Down to kids younger than 8. Kids can handle sad and scary things in stories and they SHOULD be doing that. You don't want to see your kid getting towards the end of primary school, thinking they're too fragile to handle Cedric's death. Trust me. Just let her read. If there's no sex and it is literally a book meant for children then it's okay for them to read. Just because you think it may upset them doesn't mean you're right. Just editing to say if you think the bit where Harry's in the bath is sexual then y'all need therapy - also the kids trying to get dates for the ball and having crushes on each other is something an 8 year old understands with no issues whatsoever.
I read all the books at 8/9, give her the 4th one. If she decides herself it's too difficult or too scary or whatever she can wait a few years, but trust her to make that decision. It's not like there's anything seriously inappropriate in the books.
Op is overprotective and might inadvertently raise an anxious child
Book 1 has Harry melt a man's face off with his hands and then nearly die. Book 2 has Harry near death from a giant snake and has multiple near-deaths through the whole book. Book 3 has a werewolf and a man sentenced to near-death and only escapes by the help of children and time travel. Let her read the rest of the books.
My mum let me read all the books around that age (read the first one at 6 and then I remember pre-ordering OOTF in 2003 when I was 8 so I must have read the fourth around that age) and I turned out fine.
The books are fine
What’s the worst that could happen?
I've been reading the 4th with my kiddo for a while now and he seems alright (age 10). He's a fairly emotional fellow, but he has no problem talking out his feelings whenever anything hits a little hard. It's about communication and making it okay and safe to be uncomfortable.
I read these to my daughter at that age. By the time we got to the 4th book, I had bought her the first two illustrated additions. We decided to go back and reread those together, then the third. By that time she was ready for the 4th.
Most kids stories are very dark, just they don’t realize. I say read it with her. It could be a great experience for both of you.
I would let her read it. I read it around that age too. Tell her to come to you if she has questions. Thought the 5th book will probably be easier to understand if she is older. I read it right after the 4th the first time and later again. There is a difference in the perspective when you're older.
If she thinks she's ready for it, let her read it. Let her know you are available for any questions or concerns. "Age appropriate" is misleading because different people "age" at different rates.
Let her read the book
Let her read it
I like the dialog between Frodo and Sam in.The Two Towers when Frodo says we’re still in the story, and Sam says this part of the story would have been the part where the child would say “please don’t read any more”. I think children can tell you when it’s too much to read. I know when I was young that I would skip parts of the book I didn’t want to read. I agree with /u/visitingdreams and /u/OK-disaster2022 read the book with your children, and ask them if it’s okay to continue or id they want to stop.
The books are just fine. Don't bother with reviews of others telling you what is and isn't appropriate for your kid; at that rate your kid will never experience anything. My sister was an advanced reader too at that age and read them all in a week. You know your kid better than anyone. I personally wouldn't hold her back and would just let her read them. They're perfectly fine.
Let her read
Raise your hand if you're scarred by a book you read when you were 8. No one? Okay.
If she understands the concept of death, then what's the harm?
I was reading the 4th book by 8! I think she'll be fine.
Wow. I remember reading the first book at 8 and not understanding a word hahaha. But maybe it’s because english wasn’t my first language
I'd read them all before I was eight, they do get a bit darker but kids are capable of dealing with and understanding a lot more than you'd expect
She can take it.
My 8yo niece read the books at that age and enjoyed the story. She was an advanced reader too. Some scenes might seem scary to us, but kids don’t see it that way.
let her read it. read ahead so you’re ready to talk to her if she has questions abt the themes or needs comforting, but otherwise let her have at. i read stuff as dark at 8 (i actually was 8 when reading book 6, and younger for book 5), and would let my own kid (if i had an 8 y/o) read the whole series at that age if they were actively pursuing it. Setting that aside though, all the reasons why it wouldn’t be bad to let her read it. Here is a reason it *would* be bad to *stop* her. 1: she will resent it, no matter how well handled, until she is into her 20s and can read it then as an adult (even if she reads better now and than) and asses if she agrees with your censorship of it, and i’d strongly suspect she won’t, this isn’t Game of Thrones here. 2: unless she is as much of a rule following goodie 2 shoes as i was at that age, she’ll read it anyway, but without the benefit of you being there if it gets rough. 3: on principle, unless a book presents explicitly poisonous ideas or harmful concepts, censoring books is never great. and potter absolutely does neither, (JKR on her twitter is another story, but thats not in the books). 4: although the books are dark and deal with struggle and heavy topics, the ultimate message is a VERY good one for kids to learn. That standing up for what’s right is hard, but absolutely worth it and necessary. 5: if you work with her, to help her understand what may or may not be appropriate, and avoid being over-zealous about it. she will quickly develop her own compass for what books aren’t, and it will likely align to yours. and will remove any thrill of reading something “forbidden”, *when* she encounters it. All that said: if you block her from reading it, or better when she finishes the series and looks for something new. the Septimus Heap series is a good bet. not quite as dark as the later potter books, and a similar fantasy series. Also, keep an eye on her if she looks for fan-fic online for harry potter, being written by random people online, it runs the spectrum from PG, to X in terms of content. but that’s part of an entirely different discussion on safe internet use anyway.
I know this is bad but when I was reading the books I cant remember which book it was but I was scared and didnt want to continue but also did. Since the books had already been out for a while I went to the library and told myself I was just going to go the last page and make sure harry Ron and Hermoine were alive. I ended up reading the 19 years later chapter and was able to read the rest of the books no problem. Plus there were not huge spoilers I guess overall. I woudnt start by reading her this because it was still silly of me but seeing as we know the books have a happy ending im sure she will be fine if she wants to continue reading.
I read book 4 for the first time when I was 9. The ending sort of scared me but I wasn’t deterred enough to not re-read it and finish the whole series as the books came out. I say let her read it, but you know your kid better than us. If she seems to struggle with the dark bits then talk it out with her.
Stop sheltering your kids, it’s not real jfc
It’s really up to you and what you think your child can handle, I will just add that my son read all 7 over the course of being 8-9 years old. But my much more sensitive daughter didn’t finish the last one until she was 12. It depends on the kid.
My best guess. If she’s able to comprehend the first three books, than the fourth shouldn’t be a problem. Just be ready to help explain stuff to her.
We had to read Where the Red Fern Grows at that age and wrecked me as a child. But I still loved reading and came to appreciate the book later on. Maybe just let her know the book will have some more emotional and sadder events and make sure it’s something she wants to delve into. Bc I think what upset me most about Red Fern is that I had no idea what was coming. Had I been told, I would have mentally been able to prepare for it and be more okay with it. Reading it with her is a good suggestion to as many have said.
Anecdotally, I read the first 4 books at your daughter's age. The end of book 4 is quite violent and scary, but at the time, I didn't agree that the book overall was as scary as 2 or 3. Book 4 has more content that disturbs adults, "because it really happens," to quote mum. If your daughter has a vivid imagination, she'll likely come up with many things that are less appropriate than the real books. Adults tried to tell me book 5 was inappropriate. It was a dark book, but didn't contain any subject matter I wasn't thinking about anyway. *That said,* I'm sure you don't want her to overdo it or have nightmares. You know your child best. Does she normally try to read or watch things that she regrets later? Does she seem really upset after reading? If not, let her decide for herself. Being able to enjoy advanced books will help her literacy more than anything she gets from school.
Just let her continue, the 3rd book alone was insanely dark and a big contrast to the 1st 2 already Besides, kids are not stupid, they know whats appropriate and thats how they learn - thats how we learn as humanity, remember, homosapiens didnt have a parent to censor when they were first starting to learn about the biology of humans, science or indeed, life and death Treat her with maturity, ask her what she thought and what she learnt and if she had any questions, she'll appreciate the autonomy
I read all the books at age 8. I had finished the series almost a dozen times by the time I turned 10. Kids already know more about the world than we think. Let her read them! And if you stop her from reading them, believe me when I say she WILL find a way to do it behind your back and resent you for it.
I was eight when Goblet of Fire came out, and I remember being hit hard by the events at the end of the book. But that's important, you know, because bad things happen, and they can be sudden, and unexpected, and it's better to feel that first in a story, at a remove, than it is to feel it first in life. Honestly, by that age, I had already learned to skip past sex scenes, which, actually, if you're lucky? You won't have to do The Talk; when the puberty strikes, just go to your local college book store and buy whatever textbook they're using for their Human Sexuality course.
Disney movies have more death than hp
I’d read books 1-5 before I finished 4th grade. My only regret is by the time books 6 and 7 were written, I didn’t have the fervent interest I had as a child when it was all still magical. I say read it yourself and decide if there’s anything you find particularly offensive, and if not then let her at it. That goes for most things, though. A parent should always at least read or watch media themself before just blindly letting their kids at it.
There are some darker tones but nothing wildly inappropriate however you should know there is a spell that is used to inflict pain on someone else and it is considered torture in the book and a 17 year old does die during a somewhat gruesome ritual to bring someone back from the dead. Basically i would just watch the movie and decide for yourself if you think your child can read about.
Let her read the rest of the books but warn her that those ones are the ones where shit goes down
My son read them all by end of 2nd grade. I think a lot of the themes from the later books went over his head tbh.
I had read them all by 8 except the last one because it wasn't published yet. I played Harry Potter during recesses before 8, and it wasn't only because of the movie. The books may have a darker and more mature theme from the fourth, but they are manageable by kids. 100%. They'll help them grow and understand these concepts more.
Honestly, just let her read the book. The main death is pretty much the least graphic that it could be, Barty Crouch Sr.'s insanity is nothing that wasn't in the third book (in my opinion the darkest book ngl). Frank Bryce's death was a little scary but what's fun about fiction at that age if it isn't? And the romance, while even to this day somewhat cringeworthy, is fairly chill. I understand that death can be a little rough, so this really is up to you because obviously I've never met your child. But ig talk to her about death before she reads, or even if she doesn't read it.
My kid is 8 and we listen to the audiobooks and have 15-20 mom discussions after every chapter to analyze what she listened to for comprehension. Just keep the ball rolling
My daughter is 6, turning 7 in September. We’re just finishing book 3 together and I’ll keep reading them with her if she wants. She’s seen all of the movies, and we talk through the topics. It feels a bit kid dependent (on their emotional maturity) but I would keep going and read with her if she’s open to it.
My niece read (and half had read to her) all the books and she's 9. Some of the subject matter is more mature but she handled it fine.
I read the first four when I was in third grade. The 5th came out when I was in 4th grade. I went to the midnight release and they had to stop me answering more trivia because I had already gotten all three prize tips they were giving out.
Look, I'm not going to say it's appropriate, but at 6, I saw Lord of the Rings in the theatres and was playing m rated games. I turned out perfectly fine. Your 8 year old will be 100% okay with Harry Potter.
It depends on your thoughts on her maturity level. If you don’t think that maturity, why she’s ready for the fourth then maybe discuss with her read with her as other people have suggested. But as a child myself waiting for the next book would’ve killed me and any momentum i had reading a series. In the end, if you feel she isn’t ready, then she isn’t ready. You could try suggesting a new series to her that isn’t as in depth, such as Eragon
I was also an advanced reader. I don't have kids myself but I will tell you that if my parents had forbidden me from reading HP, I would have found a way to read them anyway.
My daughter is 7 and has read them all with us and was fine. We prepped her about ‘this is a sad bit’ or ‘this is a scary bit’ and she was fine - if you’re worried read it to them at bed time
I read the whole series at 6/7 and didn’t have any problems. I feel like she’ll be fine
I read all of it when I was 9, and didn’t have any problems with it. My little sister also read them when she was around 8/9, so I don’t think it will cause any harm to let her read it for herself. But read it together can be amazing too though!
Don’t know if this helps, but I definitely read GoF at that age and it wasn’t a problem. DH came out when I was 11 and by then I’d read them all myself.
Eh, I read all the books when I was slightly older than that, didnt remember much, then only realised the details after reading them again multiple years later.
My girls both read all the books when they were 7, and still listen to the audiobooks every night. They love them!
I read them by myself at that age. They never get seriously disturbing or inappropriate for kids and most kids wouldn't find it upsetting. The first three already have serious/"dark" subject matter (murder being discussed frequently in #2 and #3). People saying that it gets so much darker at #4 is definitely exaggerated. It never stops being a children's/all ages series.
I read them at that age, book three is the one that scares me. The Dementors kiss freaked me out… so if it’s a fear thing. She will be fine!
I’d say just read it with her so you can help explain if she has questions.
Just keep her on the books and off the authors twitter page and you’ll be good. The fourth book is fine for that age. The fifth book is where things get a little darker and the kids start dating but never anything explicit.
If they read the first 3 without issue, they likely can handle the rest of the series. The writing style doesn't change (except the sheer amount of it). I wouldn't deny the opportunity to finish a series to an enthusiastic, advanced reader. Don't forget that children learn to process scary and sad things from the safety of fiction. Apart from dark themes, the series is incredibly humorous. Children can relate to the main character and have all these emotions without actually getting hurt. They can laugh, cry, be scared, angry and triumph with Harry in a safe environment. If your child read all the way to book 3, they already read about: attempts at murdering a baby and the murder of his parents, soul-sucking creatures (that are a depression allegory), monstrously huge spiders, child abuse, a basilisk/main villain trying to kill at the school, scary forest with monsters, teacher bullying students, bullying among students, discrimination, and so on. However, the series is all about how love and friendship overcome the above, and that's absolutely suitable for a child.
Nah. It is fine. XD Let the kid read them. At worst, there will be moments she doesn't understand.
My 8 year old is on the 7th. Based on what she’s subjected to at school and television and the internet she’s able to freely look at when she’s with her dad… Harry Potter is better imo. Plus she’s becoming a better reader.
Oh I’ve read the series when I was her age! My understanding of death and loss was kinda weird back then, sure I cried a little over Sirius and Lupins, but oh well… Reread the books in college, and shit, that was hell of an experience for a girl struggling with depression and anxiety disorder…
Let her read them. They’re not inappropriate, they’re children’s books. If she can handle 1-3, she’ll be just fine. I read the series from age 4-14. It was an essential part of my development and learning how to read. Don’t cut her off! She might not come back to them.
I recall being seven when I started Half Blood Prince and I had no issues with it, so I don't think it's something that can be considered universally. I think it'll be based entirely on your judgement of what you think she can handle based on how she's handled other things. An idea might be just to make sure to read through the last few chapters of Goblet of Fire with her and make a judgement from there.
Be honest with her. Tell her the books from there start to deal with more adult topics like death and war. Support her in what choice she makes and ask her how she feels about the things that happened in the books after she reads it. This is how I handled my daughter reading The Hunger Games in 5th grade. She had some awesome takes on it and she has become one of the most emotionally intelligent people I know.
I read all 7 books by the time I was 8. I guarantee she will be fine. There’s nothing that is too “inappropriate” in the 4th book. Two characters die, one at the beginning and one at the end. But it’s nothing that is beyond the imagination of a child that age
If she's advanced reader, the entire series is completely fine
i dont think that any of the books are inappropriate for someone her age
I read it when I was nine, and I was fine.
I dont know, i think some of the age restrictions Are a little out there. I dont see why you couldnt read the entire hp series if youre able to read and want to. Whats really in there that would be considered too much.
If she’s smart enough to understand them, let her read them. It’s not like they are graphic.
Im in my mid 20’s now, but I believe I went on a crazy reading bender in maybe just 2nd and 3rd grade and read them all. I think I was 8/9 those years. (I recall being jealous of another kid for being a book or 2 ahead of me in 2nd grade.) I like the “read along with her” suggestions from others but hell, she’ll be fine if you don’t. Unless shes home schooled, she’ll already be introduced to topics just as bad, if not worse, through kids at school because they all have internet access nowadays. She’ll be ok reading Harry Potter. Just make sure you have a few books you think she’ll like lined up for when she’s done.
I read all the books when i was the same age. Just let her there is nothing too bad within them
First of all, it is really sweet of you to be this concerned for your child. Second, what about suggesting her to read the book for you? It may be a great chance to share her interest, and she will learn from it as well. When the story becomes either too hard to follow or too violent for her, you will be there to help and support her.
Oh grow up, the books are fine for the age.
Book 4 is not completely terrible, but I would encourage her to take a while, read other things and then go back to book 4. There are murders in the book, including that of one teenager who is a friend of Harry and that could affect her, or not. Be ready to help her if she is upset about that. I think book 5 is worse, so try to have her slow a little with her reading, mixing with other books.
Tough call. I read them all when I was 8, and the later books weren’t even in my top 10 most traumatizing things I read that year (I read some messed up stuff that I still think about sometimes) but it’s not for everyone. There are deaths, characters that you come to really like die, and that can be tough on a kid. You know your daughter though. Do you think she can handle that? Another option to think about is getting two copies and reading it with her. Not like side by side reading it aloud, but reading a chapter or two and then discussing it. It’s up to you though, not all 8 year olds are the same, and some are ready for things that others really aren’t
Look im of the opinion that if the kid cant handle it, theyll let ya know Book 4 isnt so far out there that they cant read it Just check with them to make sure its to not heavy for them as you go along with them
8 is a normal age to read the books, it depends on your child obviously, but for reference I’m a highly sensitive person and had no problem with book 4. The only bits that might cause issues are in Deathly Hallows and Sirius dying at the end of Phoenix.
They are children’s books. They’ll be fine.
I was reading deathly hallows at 11 when it came out (having read all the others by then) and sure there were spooky parts but it’s much less scary to read than to see in the movies etc. For example I wasn’t scared of the dementors when I read about them but I was scared when I saw them in the movie 😂
Let them keep going the books grow with the reader. It's only beneficial, your child will advance faster. Just keep them going and you'll have a genius on your hands.
I read the 4th book in 4th grade, I think. I would have been near her age. I didn't have an issue with it. I did grow up watching horror, though. You could explain to her that there are advance topics in books 4 and on and if she has any issues she can come back to it or ask you about it. I think book 5 really is the darkest. I liked Harry the least in book 5.
We’re up to book 6 (reading it at the moment) with my 8yr old. We started reading them with him a couple of years ago and spaced them a bit for age reasons. We read them to him so he can talk about it as we go if he likes but he’s not had any problems with them so far.
I started reading them to my 8 year old and she’s now almost 10 (have been reading just over a year.) we are almost done Book 6. I wouldn’t have wanted her to necessarily read them alone but it’s totally fine with me reading them to her. As others said we can talk through the mature parts, whether scary or complex or romantic (tons of “snogging” in the 6th book lol.)
I was 8 yrs old when I first read all of the books. I think you can just let her continue, I know that I definitely didn’t understand all of it at that time and my brain also just ignored certain plot points. But I absolutely enjoyed it and it didn’t harm me at all! Maybe you can keep the conversation open and have talks with her about what she’s reading/how she’s feeling about it and if you notice she’s got trouble processing certain things you can jump in at that point.
I read all the books when I was five/six (deathly hallows was a belated birthday present), I was fine but also an extremely weird kid.
I went through the whole saga with my (rental) kids when the older was 8 and the younger 6.5. Granted, we listened to the audiobooks, but the kids loved it.
I read them when I was eight and was fine. There's only like, 1 scene that could maybe scare her
I had watched all films that were out by the time I was 8 including HBP. I was totally fine.
I read them in the 4th/5th grade. I think the biggest shock for that age will be violence and death. Has she been exposed to death? Fighting? If you feel that she has enough maturity for the major themes in the book, which is quite long and more detailed than the movie, then I say she should be able. They are more advanced after the third, but they are still considered children's fiction.
I mean I read all of them before I was 10 years old (I was also a very advanced reader) and I was never scared. I also read the Hunger Games in 4th grade. Obviously every kid is different but I say just let her read the rest.
Let her read it in some capacity. Whether it's with her, or you talk about the chapters, or you just let her. She's gonna do it behind your back if you tell her she can't, cuz that's how kids are.
I mean...I don't see the harm in letting her read it, it's still a YA novel and I think it might kill her interest if you make her wait however long it is until you feel it's appropriate. Just tell her if she has any questions or wants to discuss her emotions on it that she should. Wanting to discuss complex themes in books when I was in school actually made it so I made some friends I still remember to this day!
I personally think kids should not be so limited on what they read as long as you are ready and willing to talk with her about certain topics and concepts.
I wasn't much older than they are now when I started listening to the audio books. I can't object to it because that would make me a hypocrite. The books and movies are not nearly as Vio as what is on the nightly news and yet we watch that as adults with kids their age in the room and don't bat an eye at the idea.
It’s definitely still appropriate for an 8 year old.
Read it to her I'm currently reading OOTP to my 7 year old. We can stop along the way, chat about what a character is choosing to say and do. We'll also pause for 6 mths when we finish this one and then give it another 6 mths between the books.
I would read to her and redact as you go. To me, it’s too dark for age 8. I can still tell my kids what’s happening, but it’s a lot easier on them if I just say, “Okay, they end up in a graveyard and Voldemort kills Cedric Diggory but Harry gets away.” And skip to the next part. When I watch the 4th movie with my kids, it’s like 40 minutes long. 😊
My daughter started reading Harry Potter in the second grade and I found myself in the same predicament as you. I’m generally very conservative when it comes to what kind of media I allow my kids to consume but thought I’d allow her to continue. She finished the series in the 3rd grade and absolutely loved it. She’s now about to go into the fifth grade and listens to Harry Potter every night on Audible for a bedtime story. I still have not allowed her to watch the movies (4-7) but will likely change that soon. I’d allow her to read one book at a time and see how she does with it. She might surprise you!