HELP! Any fellow parents of young Potter fans out there....

[entropymail]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "lavaluvn" <lavaluvn at y...>
wrote:  Has anyone else out there read Books 4 or 5 to 
> their young children?  I'm tempted to put off OOTP indefinitely, if 
> I can get away with it.  I've done a little judicious editing of 
> language now and then, but not cut much out, and now I don't know 
> what to do with the heavy stuff that's coming.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas, recommendations, anecdotes that might help...?
> 

Hi, Andromeda. I had a similar experience with my two boys.  My older
one has been reading the series on his own since he was about 7, so my
younger one was anxious to have me read it aloud to him as soon as he
was old enough to understand it.  I've read all of the books to him
now with just a bit of judicious editing on my part.  

When we got to GOF, however, I did spill the beans and just went ahead
and told him about the death beforehand.   I think this little
preparation before the fact was helpful, and he didn't seem to mind
the graveyard scene one bit (if anything, he was much more concerned
about Harry, and didn't mind the rest of it much at all).

Basically, you know your child better than anyone.  If she's
especially sensitive, then perhaps holding off a bit would be right
for her.  But, in my experience, children generally don't invest as
much "emotion" into the story as an adult might, and take it all in
stride.

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