[HPforGrownups] the trouble with harry (the 5 year old's perspective)

[yael oren]

No: HPFGUIDX 12230

Hi Heidi, Carole,

(back from a rather short slumber)

My daughter is 4.5 yo. She's very mature and we share many of our thoughts and worries with her, but I don't think she'll be ready for HP in the next 3-4 years. As a child growing in Israel, she has quite a burden to handle. She already knows what war is and she understands the meaning of "being killed". Still, she needs to cope with the death of cartoon Bambi's mother and be able to listen to little-red-riding-hood without bursting into tears before she can be read any of the HP books.

It is possible that she's somewhat over-sensitive (as opposed to Brian). She did run screaming out of Winnie-the-Pooh show after the third time Pooh fell on his head, but that was almost two years ago, and she enjoyed the same show not long ago. I think she's a perfect example of a child who needs to grow up before enjoying the HP books.

yael

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Carole Estes 
  To: HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 4:42 PM
  Subject: Re: [HPforGrownups] the trouble with harry (the 5 year old's perspective)



  ----- Original Message -----
  From: <heidi.h.tandy.c92 at alumni.upenn.edu>


  > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
  > dyn/style/columns/familyalmanac/A1925-2001Feb13.html is from today's
  > Family Almanac advice column, where a parent wrote in & asked what to
  > do about her 1st grader who, since his parents read Sorcerer's Stone
  > to him, has been afraid to be alone. The expert says, "The Potter
  > books teach children that some people are good, some are evil, some
  > are stupid and bigoted and not to be endured. These are important
  > lessons, but they are too much for a 5- or 6-year-old."
  >
  > She then says that someone from Scholastic said that 8 to 10 is the
  > appropriate starting age for the books, and says, without ANY
  > references at all, "...most knowledgeable reviewers think 10 is a
  > better starting age."
  >
  > Wondering what those of you with children in the 5 to 10 year age
  > group think of this...

  A lot depends upon how skittish your 5 - 6 yo is.  I started reading SS to
  my (now 7yo) last year when he was 6.  But he's never been afraid of the
  dark and loves to go to the haunted mansion at Disney world, and has never
  told me about any nightmares that he might have had...not sure if he's ever
  had nightmares.

  Now the neighbor across the street said her 10 yo began reading the books
  and was spooked by them, so her 7 yo hasn't touched them since he knows he
  gets creeped out at little things.

  Another indication might be how they handle being seperated from parents.
  When he was 5yo Brian (my son) spent a whole week with another family (yes
  we knew them...) at the beach.  Our neighbor's son (his name is Brian
  too...so I'll just call him the neighbor child) got scared and wanted to go
  home halfway through one night at our house....honest the house is not
  haunted.

  Brian is the type that thrives on something new.  The neighbor is much more
  cautious.  A lot also depends on the chid's attention span.  Brian was very
  verbal, understood all the words and followed the action intently.  Another
  child with slower verbal skills might not get the whole story and just key
  in on the dramatic scary parts.

  By 8 or 9 the most children should be able to handle up to GoF and by 10
  they can read them for themselves and make their own choice.  I did
  paraphrase the chapter in GoF where V is reincorporated for Brian...didn't
  want to introduce the image of the grotesque baby form V had taken before
  reincorporation...I'm planning on sharing my paraphrased version when I do
  the chapter summary for that chapter (Flesh, Blood, and Bone)...it has a bit
  to do with Squidward from nickolodeon's Sponge Bob...and Voldemort soup....

  This is not an expert opinion...just what I've observed in kids this age.

  carole



  > ANd wishing and hoping that those who want to ban the books in
  > schools don't use *this* as ammunition to keep it out of elementary
  > school libraries
  >
  >
  >
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