Kid, 12 years old July 29, 2018 The series is popular with: 15-30 year olds (teens and adults). (I am an avid reader and voracious gamer) I'm pretty sure I started to become a Harry Potter fan when I was about six years old. she just finished book 7 and now wants to start reading the series again from book 1! I still don't like watching some scenes ( Ron getting poisoned, sectumsempra ) but was not allowed to watch these scenes until recently but that didn't spoil the rest of the movies for me at all. I love his enthusiasm about reading it. Teen, 13 years old written by writerreader December 28, 2015 If that still leaves you unsure then here are my age recommendations for each book. I read the whole Harry Potter series when I was 7-8. I have read all the books, and seen all the movies, and have even played most of the games. I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts It's recommended for kids 12+, with a peripheral age range that extends down to 10. I started reading Harry Potter when I was about six and my cousin did as well (he's only a few years younger than me). Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Flag as inappropriate  Kid, 10 years old June 6, 2018 Mean-spiritedness is probably the MOST IMPORTANT feature to watch out for in children's media. she just finished book 7 and now wants to start reading the series again from book 1! Kid, 12 years old May 26, 2014 I stopped cause i needed my rest at night! For example, when Umbridge is carried off by the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, she is living out a fate the same as those women taken by centaurs in Greek mythology. It can reasonably be considered fairly suitable material for kids as young as 9, but it could also, to a reasonable extent, due to its large amount of aggregated questionable content and thematic material, be considered appropriate or understandable only for older teens and adults. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts As for the movies, please use the ratings the film industry provides. Adult written by DKC98 December 13, 2015 I'm sorry, but not only are you giving him more mature and complicated stories to read way before he can understand, you are actively patronizing the series. The predicted textual rating is Edgy Young Adult or New Adult, with an age recommendation of 13+ or 14+. The series is popular with: 15-30 year olds (teens and adults). My daughter started reading HP at age 8. she is also a very advanced reader (running out of books that is "age appropriate") and seems to enjoy HP. Books four through seven really start to explore deeper and darker themes, and the further you go in the series, the more adult-oriented the themes get. "My Ronnie would never do anything like that. Each time I've read the series, I find a sentence to re-interpret or a theme I may have missed. Now 11, I am currently rereading all the books. Our Offices Harry potter is so amazing! Essentially Voldemort is winning and the few allies of harry are dead. I have no problem with letting kids watch and read these stories. Flag as inappropriate  Thank you for taking time to write all of this out! I found that Harry Potter brought me closer to my dad so I don't agree with your list it's up to you as a parent of when you let your child read them or you read them to them Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book (or series, or movie, or series of movies) for an older kid. Please stop underestimating us!!! I started to read Harry Potter when I was 5 , and that's when I think you should start If you act like the bogeyman is in the closet, and evil strangers lurk around every corner, you will have fearful children who become fearful adults. Tweens (10-12) Harry Potter is a universe, meant to be entered again and again. Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book (or series, or movie, or series of movies) for an older kid. Films are a different beast. I know each kid is different, but there is nothing my parents could have done to stop me reading them all within a month. Adult written by akita November 28, 2015 This is harder to do than you might think, since most children's media is full of it. Flag as inappropriate  Careers At the time, the book series did not hold a lot of interest, so I didn't continue. Twitter I would encourage her to pick up the series again at 10. Chamber of secrets: Again good for six year olds. Harry Potter is one of the biggest franchises today that is based offof a kids book or movie. If you have a sensitive child who bursts into uncontrollable tears when they see a dead bird then it probably wouldnt be wise to let them read the last few books, but on the other hand if your child is mature and strong enough to deal with life and death etc etc then it should be no problem. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts recommended age 13+ Deathly Hallows Part One: 9+ Teen, 14 years old written by Beth99 July 21, 2014 Kid, 9 years old December 1, 2013 and the books are very long. Being 14, I must say Harry Potter was a precursor of sorts to a young adult franchise collection (or, in some cases, failed after one installment made into a movie). Healthy Media Habits The series teaches many important lessons, for example, that cruel intolerance is unacceptable, that friendship really is a precious thing, that those in authority are not always right, and quite importantly that our heroes are not always as pure white as their beards. Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking For example the first book mentions death, some children don't really understand this concept until they are much older but some do. We strictly monitor what he reads and watches because frightening books/movies affect him terribly. Our Impact Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts I say skip the Cursed Child, as I wouldn't even count it as a Harry Potter book (Rowling did not even write it!) I consider myself lucky that i had to wait for them to be released. The same with the video-games. For them. Flag as inappropriate  It's all on life experiences. Flag as inappropriate  I found that Harry Potter brought me closer to my dad so I don't agree with your list it's up to you as a parent of when you let your child read them or you read them to them They don't even really suggest, they take him to the bookstore and the library and he chooses what he wants (within reason if he were to pick out a sex book or something then I'm sure that wouldn't be purchased). Being 14, I must say Harry Potter was a precursor of sorts to a young adult franchise collection (or, in some cases, failed after one installment made into a movie). The series teaches many important lessons, for example, that cruel intolerance is unacceptable, that friendship really is a precious thing, that those in authority are not always right, and quite importantly that our heroes are not always as pure white as their beards. Flag as inappropriate  var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(e, s); var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sz, s); Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Because they are such great books. Harry Potter has NEVER been appropriate for a 4 year old. Fantastic Beasts Predicted Ratings: You may think I was living under a rock, but I didn't hear about Harry Potter until I was eight or nine. Be she six or sixteen, if your child has not read Harry Potter, it is of upmost importance that she meet Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Luna, Neville and everyone else as soon as she possibly can. My mom and I decided that I would cover my eyes for a minute or two during the brief scene in Part 1, but besides that both parts were fine. Kids are scared of different things, and everyone is different, so there is no perfect age, it just depends on who they are. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Alex, thanks for your story and your comments. Flag as inappropriate  Tom Riddle possessing Ginny isn't as dark compared to the first book. Of course they continued past the first two books. It is my philosophy that a child should be entered into the wizarding world when she is young enough that a Hogwarts letter is still a very real possibility, that is to say, before her eleventh birthday and in most cases much sooner than that. Kid, 11 years old December 28, 2015 }, 500); While children should have guidance on the books, I don't believe they should be banned. Not only are the great from a secular view but, in a religious one as well. I am kind of concerned about so many dark scenes for him at this age, may hold off until later. She is empathic (and so am I) but does not normally get this scared. I followed Harry's entire journey that year, and have since reread and re-reread and quite possibly even re-re-reread the seven "bloody brilliant" books. var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; We are not two year olds. I agree. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Join as an Educator How old is your kid? Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book (or series, or movie, or series of movies) for an older kid. and then I read all the books that were out at the time, before watching the films. Once your child has a good couple of years of reading under his belt, I would give him Harry Potter. Flag as inappropriate  I useally read for a LONG time at night so :/. videojs.options.flash.swf = "https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/all/libraries/video-js/video-js.swf" Flag as inappropriate  But I already finished it in a month We are not two year olds. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts I useally read for a LONG time at night so :/. These books and their movies-- all of them-- can, in my opinion, be handled by a mature ten-year-old. Overall I rate them: If they are sensitive to murder, scary things (dementors) or scared by werewolves then I would wait I few years. Flag as inappropriate  Books four through seven really start to explore deeper and darker themes, and the further you go in the series, the more adult-oriented the themes get. You can't just read Harry Potter and move on with your life, and if you can, you'll never know love or friendship and I feel sorry for you. It means we can enjoy the characters more. A mature child as young as 9 should be able to start the series, but beyond that, it really is meant for kids 12+. Also, not all children develop the same. I think that applies to all books. I like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Divergent, and The Hunger Games. For one thing, the stories ennoble adolescents and their tendencies to act a little crazy. Readability: 16 years of age + Flag as inappropriate  While I'm rather fond of children's literature, I find it strange that even classic children's books are being treated as if they're inappropriate. They focus on the more insignificant, imaginitive details, and Harry Potter is much more than that. I love this amazing series, since i started reading it when i was six. 7-9+ I am a teacher of elementary aged children with a MFA focus on media literacy. Flag as inappropriate  I would recommend this to pretty much anyone (8+). Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts I read Harry Potter when I was seven and in the second grade, and from "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much" I was hooked. Marketing to Kids I've read the whole series, (and yes, in books 5-7 it is really dark and creepy) but they are still age-appropriate for tweens-teens. Quidditch Through the Ages: Not Applicable 'https://' : 'http://') + 'www.lightboxcdn.com/vendor/7d157562-fcf8-41c7-a361-88eb2165c02b/lightbox_inline.js?mb=' + (new Date().getTime()); Although parents giving it to their little kids may be pleased to see how interested their children are in reading, or how enthusiastic their children are about the very important (and ultimately positive) social and spiritual messages in the HP series, their kids are not in a great position. Mockingjay: E-YA for strong, bloody, and gory violence, some disturbing imagery, a moment of sexual thematic material, some alcohol abuse and mentions of substance abuse, and extremely heavy, disturbing thematic material I thought that it would give us some common ground. The rereading at an older age is, in my opinion, the more important experience. I will agree, regardless, that the later books shouldn't just be given to younger children with the expectation that they can read them alone. Adult written by Alex Umay October 22, 2013 Flag as inappropriate  he prefers the book. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts var sz = document.createElement('script'); sz.async = true; Does this help? Parents--get this book in your kid's hands ASAP. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Adult written by duncan311 June 26, 2014 I read this whole series when I was 8, I'm 15 now. It was an ok series for kids, but I'd start when your 8 and older. none selected So reading text that may be slightly beyond their years, if they don't understand what they are reading, they would just gloss over it, or only form a vague image of what is happening in their mind. recommended age 11+ Half-Blood Prince: YA for strong, bloody violence, mild language, alcohol abuse and parallels to substance abuse, questionable behavior, some language, some sensual scenes, and some sexual thematic material, teen partying, and strong thematic content She is maturing now, but I do believe it would have been better if she held off the later books for a little bit. The 3rd movie should be with the other two movies. Enact Your CCPA Rights Besides which, they'll be tackling Lord of the Flies in high school. videojs.options.flash.swf = "https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/all/libraries/video-js/video-js.swf" (function() { Maria O Alvarez (Just like the kids in the Harry Potter books.) I would say no to the movies and their questionable edits. Here's what I think: Parents and teachers both tend to overestimate children's ability to cope with mean-spiritedness in books and movies. But in fact more mature is not better. I have a teaching certificate in Montessori (early childhood) education, an MA in Liberal Arts, and an MA in Literary Studies. I thought it was a really good series, and I understood most of it, but I keep rereading and discovering new things. Harry Potter is a universe, meant to be entered again and again. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Diversity & Inclusion I watched the first movie when I was 5. Which of course leads Jo, the author, (who's never been shy about using graphic violence or gritty human struggles, emotions, and drama to get themes and messages across,) to feel that she has to neuter her series to keep from isolating an audience that she never intended to write for, at least exclusively. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Flag as inappropriate  this book is for 11 or 12 year olds. Overall Series classification: YA (Young Adult) for Frannie Ucciferri Now I'm 17 and Harry Potter is still my favorite series. Teen, 13 years old written by MadeW98 February 27, 2012 For example the first book mentions death, some children don't really understand this concept until they are much older but some do. I recommend you read Finding God in Harry Potter by John Granger. Flag as inappropriate  that is how i split my reading up (my parents arent big bookies so i started reading by myself) Tales of Beedle the Bard: New Young Adult (11+) Were her parents right in letting such a young child read these books? Companion books: I think it's a story for Tweens and teens. This "advice" make teens look like scaredy-cat wimps who can't handle just a bit of gore. At our school we have had Harry Potter and the Sorcerers' Stone read to us, and the 7 year olds love it. The only inappropriate thing in Harry Potter is some language in the 6th and 7th book. Editorial Director | Mom of two They don't even really suggest, they take him to the bookstore and the library and he chooses what he wants (within reason if he were to pick out a sex book or something then I'm sure that wouldn't be purchased). It's just too mature a story for a child of 7. For example, when Umbridge is carried off by the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, she is living out a fate the same as those women taken by centaurs in Greek mythology. For the movies, know what your child can and cannot handle. recommended age 14+ Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Flag as inappropriate  To me, it isn't all that dark and would be okay for 8+ to read. The books also get very long so, that was kind of boring. For some kids it may be earlier or later. that's what they did for me and lead me to read Tolkien and Jules Verne. I was about eleven when the last ones came out, and I saw them in theaters. As for the issue of the books being too frightening for younger readers, it would probably be insensitive for me to say that they should stop being giant babies, so I won't. Four is absurdly young, and you should really be ashamed of yourself. I was still seven at the time, but I could handle everything the books threw my way, whether it be vocabulary or violence. that's what they did for me and lead me to read Tolkien and Jules Verne. I am nine and I have read 1-7 (are in the end of the last one). Back to School Digital Citizenship I was 5 when I discovered the Harry Potter series by this time the first three has been released and my Dad (who had watched the films of the first two before reading the books) decided that he wanted to read them to so from that age me and my dad had a nightly schedule we would read together the book for a hour before I when to bed and this time became later as I got older and when the last book came out he agreed to take me to the launch party where J.K Rowling read an extract of the book. In deciding age-appropriateness, the important thing is that the characters are emotionally simple, the world in it is manageable, not close to our big, confusing lifeworld. Senior Parenting Editor | Mom of one I've always felt that Harry Potter was best for the double digits, or the middle school set. 9-10+ I think it's a story for Tweens and teens. Prisoner of Azkaban: N-YA (New-Young Adult) for moderate violence and menace, moderate thematic material, and some mild language-all involving teens The Harry Potter series is a YA series aimed at readers 10-18 years old. Flag as inappropriate  All rights reserved. Media and Body Image The Harry Potter series is a YA series, the Percy Jackson series is a Middle Grade/Children's series She seems ok with it - she's mentioned it's a bit scary and sad in parts and she stopped reading for a couple of days but is now right back in it. This series has a potential unsuitability rating of anywhere from 24/50 to 26/50, meaning suitable ratings of either YA or E-YA, and a suitable equivalent film rating of PG-13 Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Alex, thanks for your story and your comments. Be she six or sixteen, if your child has not read Harry Potter, it is of upmost importance that she meet Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Luna, Neville and everyone else as soon as she possibly can. Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Vice President, Common Sense Latino | Mom of two If you think your child is sensitive then wait a year. Deathly Hallows: E-YA (Edgy-Young Adult) for strong, bloody, and gory violence, disturbing imagery, some moderate sensuality and sexual thematic material, some moderate language, questionable behavior, alcohol abuse, and heavy, disturbing thematic material Personally, I let my child read The Hunger Games at 5, before Harry Potter for the reasons you mentioned in your post, and because I found it less challenging in terms of writing, theme, and content. I LOVE THAT WHOLE SERIES!! by the time they start to get darker, your kid is already old enough to handle it. I think you might want to wait until a child can understand it. Flag as inappropriate  She has made amazing parallels to so many aspects of real life and society during the time I read these to her. I think that applies to all books. There was nothing that I found particuarly disturbing and if I didn't understand it, i definitely did by the 10th time 'round. It is not just names that Rowling researched: connotations that only someone who has studied mythology would know are woven into many parts of the series. It's Harry Potter's wide range of potential ratings, from a more U-MG, PG category, suitable for older children and Tweens, to a restrictive New-Adult, R-rated category, a category meant solely for older teens and adults, that confuses people as to its suitably. Harry Potter in fact is much more violent and unsuitable for a young age than the Percy Jackson series is. I started reading Harry Potter when I was six or seven (in the second grade), got scared halfway through Chamber of Secrets, and stopped for a while. I love his enthusiasm about reading it. Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book (or series, or movie, or series of movies) for an older kid. Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book (or series, or movie, or series of movies) for an older kid. Flag as inappropriate  Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Children always learn from what they witness, even if they seem untouched. I totally agree with this! So we are waiting to read the rest at least another year. Still a voracious reader, still haven't been able to find any book that tops Harry Potter. Email }, 500); Big Kids (8-9) Teen, 17 years old written by PotterPokemon February 6, 2015 Flag as inappropriate  Book did not seem to bother him in terms of scariness, but I only allowed movies 1-3 for him to view at the time and he viewed it repeatedly. It's also, as I said in a different manner of words, insulting to the audience who currently consumes it most: people ages 15+. Film 2: PG-13, 13+ I do suggest not to read the books or watch the movies if you are easily frightened or scared. However, my freshman year of high school, my friend convinced me to read them. So even if your seven-year-old doesn't comprehend every plot line or lesson their first time at Hogwarts, they should enter the Wizarding World again and again. Adult written by HannahD 1 February 27, 2016 For some kids it may be earlier or later. I recommend encouraging her to read it, or re-read it later. Browse Advice Eh....not one to tell parents what to do, but 7 is still way too young...10 is the ideal starting age. Join as an Advocate It had most violence in the 4+ books. I picked up the first book, a copy belonging to a family member, at age six. 7 -10+ (maybe 9) Teen, 14 years old written by AldultishGambino February 25, 2018 I agree with your comment that "Scariness is hardly the only reason to reserve a book". I was Arachnophobia when I was 4 and Jurassic Park when I was 5. 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