Harry Potter, would you read 1st book to a 6 year old?

[Hobbes]

Ok, we have just finished James and the Giant Peach (third time!:meh:), Charlotte's web and a few other chapter books.

Emma wants me to read her Harry Potter. :wizard:

She'll be 6 in 5 weeks. She seems to grasp the books above very well, no problem. She seems to be a bit ahead (grade or two) in comprehension than other 6 year olds (both her teacher and speech specialist believe so too).

She can be scared at movies, but doesn't seem to when we read books.

I've read all 7 Potter books and remember book 1 being a bit less 'dark' and less difficult/advanced than the other 6, but my memory is not clear on that point.

She REALLY wants me to read Potter to her.

I don't know, what do you think? Did you read Potter to your kids? did your kids read it? What age?

(oh, can I say WOW? Emma can read most three letter words now, with some effort of sounding out, and can write them...but we had a meeting with next years 1st grade teacher last night... and I saw some of the stuff those kids.. just a year older.. were writing... WOW WOW WOW.. that is a huge change in one year! They say this teacher is amazing both in how well she deals with the kids and how well they learn.. but it surprises me that they make such a leap!)

[mudcreekmama]

Yes, with the only caveat being that she knows about the other 6 and after books 1-2-3 I'd be uncomfirtable reading them to her at this age.

We were lucky that my big boy found them at age 7 well before movies or more being available right away.

Oh another book rec is Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Scarlet - the official sequel. If you can find other magic books to keep her going in between interest and readiness that'd be good.

[lunita]

Yes, Amanda read it herself at that age. She also read part of number 2, but like Mudcreekmama I wanted the later books to wait until she was a bit older. She read the them all this past summer (at age 8) and went to the release party for the last book with me (both in costume).

[macaquinha]

Emma wants me to read her Harry Potter. :wizard:

...
I've read all 7 Potter books and remember book 1 being a bit less 'dark' and less difficult/advanced than the other 6, but my memory is not clear on that point.

Yes, it is far less dark than the later ones. My son read it himself in 1st grade, so I wouldn't be concerned about reading it to Emma. My daughter -- who is scared by books -- managed to get through Philosopher's Stone, but has refused to read the others, which suggests that the first really is less frightening.

Go for it! I'm sure she'll love it -- and if she gets scared in the middle, you can always stop. :-)

[bannanabette]

Yes I would, although I will mention that my kid really didn't like it, so it sort of killed interest in any of the other books. He detested the Dursleys so much that we literally never got to the wizarding part.

[cinnamon]

Ok, we have just finished James and the Giant Peach (third time!:meh:), Charlotte's web and a few other chapter books.

Emma wants me to read her Harry Potter. :wizard:

She'll be 6 in 5 weeks. She seems to grasp the books above very well, no problem. She seems to be a bit ahead (grade or two) in comprehension than other 6 year olds (both her teacher and speech specialist believe so too).

She can be scared at movies, but doesn't seem to when we read books.

I've read all 7 Potter books and remember book 1 being a bit less 'dark' and less difficult/advanced than the other 6, but my memory is not clear on that point.

She REALLY wants me to read Potter to her.

I don't know, what do you think? Did you read Potter to your kids? did your kids read it? What age?

(oh, can I say WOW? Emma can read most three letter words now, with some effort of sounding out, and can write them...but we had a meeting with next years 1st grade teacher last night... and I saw some of the stuff those kids.. just a year older.. were writing... WOW WOW WOW.. that is a huge change in one year! They say this teacher is amazing both in how well she deals with the kids and how well they learn.. but it surprises me that they make such a leap!)

We read 1-4 HP to Q starting last spring/summer... so he was 4 1/2 ish when we started, and it took us a few months to get through them (6 months, maybe?).

He is *VERY* sensitive to sadness, scariness, and violence onscreen, but he did great with the books. We all really enjoyed reading them together. I agree with the others, though, that we consciously chose to STOP reading them after 4 (and this one was kinda dicey, too). In addition to the 'scary factor' going waaay up, we were concerned about the snark/pre-teen attitude factor. He has been begging to read the rest, but I doubt we'll give in on this one. I may check out the audiobooks for 1-3 from the library, though, and see if he would enjoy doing that as a stop-gap measure. (Heck, *I* would enjoy that!)

I say go for it! :wizard:

[Hobbes]

Yes, it is far less dark than the later ones. My son read it himself in 1st grade, so I wouldn't be concerned about reading it to Emma. My daughter -- who is scared by books -- managed to get through Philosopher's Stone, but has refused to read the others, which suggests that the first really is less frightening.

Go for it! I'm sure she'll love it -- and if she gets scared in the middle, you can always stop. :-)
on your sig line...

do you change their age daily? :mona

[hamamelis]

I would, but with the sequels and being so young it could be hard for her to wait.


How about the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede (http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Forest-Chronicles-Dealing-Searching/dp/0152050523/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203705406&sr=8-1)? I loved loved loved reading those out loud with DD- there are 4 in the series and just so good. I'd love to see about 6 more with that cast of characters. :banana:

[Hobbes]

Yes I would, although I will mention that my kid really didn't like it, so it sort of killed interest in any of the other books. He detested the Dursleys so much that we literally never got to the wizarding part.
Doh, I forgot the 'adoption' part of the story and his parents dying. Well, didn't forget, just didn't cross my mind.

She did pretty well with James' parents dying in James and the Giant Peach, or at least she didn't seem to be upset by it.

Does seem to be a theme in a lot of kid's books... losing their parents and then going off to some evil/bad/nasty relative. I can think of several books like that off the top of my head.

[Peggyann]

Aidan loves Sorcerers Stone and Chamber of Secrets

We're holding off on PofA for a while

~PA~

[Hobbes]

I would, but with the sequels and being so young it could be hard for her to wait.


How about the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede (http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Forest-Chronicles-Dealing-Searching/dp/0152050523/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203705406&sr=8-1)? I loved loved loved reading those out loud with DD- there are 4 in the series and just so good. I'd love to see about 6 more with that cast of characters. :banana:
oh, those look good.

I might get them and some of the other's recommended and give her a choice. I could either read these this year and do potter next, or read the first potter this year, then these and then the others.

the parent thing is bothering me though suddenly...

[ADDled]

Jody did, but it depends on the kid. He's read them all at 8 - and he's read holes, and a few other books that other adults find it questionable that I let him read - too scary or whatever.

He's also seen all 6 of the Star Wars movies, too (not my decision, his father had seen them and thought it would be OK supervised, and I didn't care to screen them just to second-guess him). And it was OK. Wouldn't have been for lots of other kids.

So all that to say use your judgment - you know Emma. And yes, #1 is less dark and scary.

[jump4joy]

Yeah, I think we started reading the books out loud when Asa was three or four. I'm sure it depends on the child, but she's been just fine with them. She read part of the 7th one herself this summer at age 7.

[Bickery]

Have.

If anything, the first book was a bit boring because of all the "setting the stage" stuff.

[Gargoyle]

Yup. I read them to Jessie at that age. Since then she's read them, quite a few times through, on her own.

[mirage1]

the parent thing is bothering me though suddenly...You know, I'm pretty sure that it's a little bit glossed over in the first book, it's not described as it is in later books. It's clear that he's been orphaned by the actions of a bad guy, but it's just kind of a fact that lays the groundwork for why he's with the Dursleys, it's not like the story includes knowing his parents and then them being killed.

I would definitely read it to a six-year-old.

[Debra]

Of course it depends on each kid, but I would. I read the first one to Alex when he was 6. Colin was only 2 but seemed to enjoy it as well.

[indigo]

Ok, we have just finished James and the Giant Peach (third time!:meh:), Charlotte's web and a few other chapter books.

Emma wants me to read her Harry Potter. :wizard:

She'll be 6 in 5 weeks. She seems to grasp the books above very well, no problem. She seems to be a bit ahead (grade or two) in comprehension than other 6 year olds (both her teacher and speech specialist believe so too).

She can be scared at movies, but doesn't seem to when we read books.

I've read all 7 Potter books and remember book 1 being a bit less 'dark' and less difficult/advanced than the other 6, but my memory is not clear on that point.

She REALLY wants me to read Potter to her.

I don't know, what do you think? Did you read Potter to your kids? did your kids read it? What age?

(oh, can I say WOW? Emma can read most three letter words now, with some effort of sounding out, and can write them...but we had a meeting with next years 1st grade teacher last night... and I saw some of the stuff those kids.. just a year older.. were writing... WOW WOW WOW.. that is a huge change in one year! They say this teacher is amazing both in how well she deals with the kids and how well they learn.. but it surprises me that they make such a leap!)

Yes, but also check out the Faraway Tree books and the Wishing chair books by Enid Blyton. They are very sweet. They are old-fashioned (so check for any "isms" - sexism, etc.) The fantasy world is wonderful. C loved them. Still does and he's 10.

[riversprite]

I am reading Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone to Forest right now as our bedtime reading book.
He will be 6 in April, so pretty much exactly Emma's age. :)

[elsie]

Abel started reading them in Kindergarten. The first one with us, the rest on his own. He absolutely adores them, and has read them many times through.