At our school we have had Harry Potter and the Sorcerers' Stone read to us, and the 7 year olds love it. (function (d) { Some Harry Potter games are appropriate for Tweens/Teens, while some are appropriate only for teens/adults. })(document); Kid, 12 years old August 10, 2013 =P However, I read the first and second books when I was 10 years old, and I felt that it was a very good age to start. They learn without trying, without even meaning to, and in fact without being able to help it. 3 counts of violence-100% They read the same things everyone else did, and were fine. Senior Parenting Editor | Mom of one I completely understand why they chose to have me wait but it's going to be a challenge! Kid, 11 years old July 8, 2016 I was really surprised at how she has handled all of the things that I would have been scared of at her age. When I read this my mom and I took turns reading it and by the end of the book I could read without help. I don't believe that is true because most teens grew up with it and any teens that want/wanted to read it have and those who didn't haven't and they won't. One can get out as much as one's maturity allows. I expect when she re-reads the book as she gets older, she will start picking up more on the nuances and enjoy it again. 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. Movies: 1: PG-13/R, 13+, 2: PG-13, 12+, 3: PG-13, 11+, 4: PG-13, 11+ People in our family have died and my parents have sat him down and explained exactly what that means. Deathly Hallows Part 2, PG-13, 13+ They learn without trying, without even meaning to, and in fact without being able to help it. Sorcerer's stone: I think most six year olds can handle this though the idea of Voldemort sharing a body can be a little scary. Teen, 14 years old written by AngelsFlight June 25, 2014 Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Careers Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Proper ages: Flag as inappropriate  Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Sign in or sign up to share your thoughts Flag as inappropriate  The Harry Potter series is directed at the same audience as the His Dark Materials series, The Hunger Games series, and the Divergent series. IzWidget["insitez.ready"] = function (api) { I do not intend to let him watch #6-7.1/7.2 until at least 13 or older. Cyberbullying Join as an Educator Flag as inappropriate  Harry Potter is amazing. I agree with the above ages, but as you know your children best, you can flex these ages to how well you think your child could cope with them. Marketing to Kids Would you give a kid those? Our Partners They're NOT for little kids. I started the movies much later, like when i was ten, and the first movie is actually one of the scariest for me, because of the part with Voldemort on the back of the teacher's head. Tweens (10-12) start at age 10-13. Flag as inappropriate  Violence (plenty of wizard battles, LOTS of sad deaths (one character gets stabbed with a knife) and dark parts (Harry learns part of Voldemort's soul lives within him and he must die to destroy it and save the world (though he ends up not exactly die)). I watched all the movies at age eleven and was not traumatized at all. Companion books: The movies are scarier than the books. PG-13/R) Film 1: PG-13, 12+ It was easy to relate to a hero that was close to my own age, and at age 10, you could fantasize about your own Hogwarts letter coming when you turned 11 (though it never happened, much to our disappointment). Order of the Phoenix, PG-13, 11+ Kid, 9 years old July 10, 2014 Flag as inappropriate  I finished the series at eight. I'm sorry. })(); Diversity & Inclusion Adult written by Parrentio October 4, 2015 I love his enthusiasm about reading it. There are some scenes that can be frightening. var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; It's either for children or adults to some people, and even though it resembles the typical Young Adult series to a T, and even resembles adult literature in many ways, I still here people making up excuses left, right, and center, trying to limit its thematic significance by patronizing the absolute crap out of it. If your child is getting scared by the 1st/2nd books they surely can't handle any of the later books, even 3rd book. if (Drupal.settings.csm_informizely != undefined) { What matters is that the media we take in will powerfully influence who we are, and the younger we are, the more quickly and powerfully we are shaped by what we see. I do not intend to let him watch #6-7.1/7.2 until at least 13 or older. So, along with making young kids immerse themselves in a teenage world (sad) the other side of this problem of HP being pushed on young readers and viewers is that teenagers--now being taught to think of HP as a story for little kids--are pushed *out* of the experience that Rowling created specifically with them (i.e, her own kids!) That alone. My younger sister started reading them in 5th grade, but she read all of them in 5th grade, and in my opinion, she was not mature enough to handle books 5-7 at that age. I feel like common sense has no common sense. Board of Advisors Harry potter is so amazing! Kid, 11 years old April 5, 2013 And so yes, I think that it is appropriate to allow young children to read them, because it will provide a basis for them to return to when they inevitably decide to reread them, whether constantly or after many years without picking them up. Flag as inappropriate  The pervasiveness of the series, much like other YA phenomenons, has ensured kids way younger than acceptable have read these books, but it's not appropriate for little kids, particularly single digit ages. Little Kids (5-7) I think this is fair. Flag as inappropriate  I have had other parents judge me harshly because I let her watch them with me but she is not afraid, she doesn't have nightmares, and she understands that it's a part of this amazing story. 0 counts of language-0% Flag as inappropriate  They can be grim and dark, but Harry Potter is not a children's book! }, 500); Search Common Sense Media It's aimed primarily at teens and up due to content, thematic material, and lexical/readability level. Flag as inappropriate  You're pushing it on him way too young, therefore robbing the series of any thematic significance, because a kid that young will not understand the story at all, and the material is far too harsh. I disagree with them being young adult books not children's books.