s/o Harry Potter, anyone NOT concerned about books 4+?

[Runningmom80]

*****SPOILER IN POST********

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see over and over again that parents will not let their kids go past books 3 in Harry Potter.

 

 

My DS is almost 5, and well into book 2. (We read them together.) I have read them all. I can't imagine he will want to stop at book 3, and I can't find any reason to make him. He's not overly sensitive, and as far as book 4, the only "dark" thing I remember is the death of Cedric. I'm sure he will slow way way down once he gets to that book, as it's almost double the pages as the first 3. I know Harry gets a kind of bad attitude in the last books, that whole teenage angst thing, but I still can't figure out what the big deal is? Is anyone with me, or am I the only misfit mother on here? :lol:

[Chris in VA]

SPOILERS IN POST--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, considering the amt of main characters that get killed, and the way they do, I think the books get pretty dark and scary towards the end. Plus, V is just so darned evil! And, Harry begins to doubt himself, which, for me, was hard, because I didn't know where JKR was going to go with that.

 

I honestly think it would be a waste to let a 5/6 read much further--my guess is he won't understand the nuances of the story, or maybe even the main story line, as they get quite convoluted.

 

I was worried about my dd not wanting to stop reading--she read up to 4, and we are waiting on the others for a year or two. And she accepted it just fine. Sometimes saying no is really ok with the kiddo!:001_smile:

[LaxMom]

As I posted before, my now 10 y.o. read them all the fall she was 7. I think there were many things in them that she didn't necessarily have the age/experience to process (teenage angst, for example) but that didn't particularly vex her or slow her down.

 

My children aren't particularly sensitive, either. I might feel differently if they were. I don't censor reading material, generally speaking. I might tell them they're done with something - the dreadful fairy series... Rainbow, Jewels, Pets, blech - because they are stuck in a rut, and I may suggest they put something off because of the maturity of subject matter - when my eldest wanted to read The Lovely Bones and Lucky as a young teen, we discussed the subject and her comfort with it, particularly in Lucky - but if they're interested and it's not too far outside the realm of appropriate, they can read as they like.

 

That's been my policy for 17 or 18 years, since my eldest daughter started reading... Of course, we've not had interest in Twilight and other drek expressed, so it is entirely possible I could put together a "banned book" list in the future.

[Alte Veste Academy]

SPOILERS IN POST--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, considering the amt of main characters that get killed, and the way they do, I think the books get pretty dark and scary towards the end. Plus, V is just so darned evil! And, Harry begins to doubt himself, which, for me, was hard, because I didn't know where JKR was going to go with that.

 

I honestly think it would be a waste to let a 5/6 read much further--my guess is he won't understand the nuances of the story, or maybe even the main story line, as they get quite convoluted.

 

I was worried about my dd not wanting to stop reading--she read up to 4, and we are waiting on the others for a year or two. And she accepted it just fine. Sometimes saying no is really ok with the kiddo!:001_smile:

 

:iagree:

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly. DS8 stopped at book 5 and I wish I would have stopped him at 4. He read 5 but he didn't enjoy it as much as the first few. He still loved it and would have kept reading. He just could not relate to the teen angst. I started to get the feeling that we were actually depriving him of the true, all-encompassing enjoyment he could experience if we waited a bit longer. DS is not terribly sensitive and could have handled the books. (DD6 is super sensitive and I stopped her after she read book 1. Aragog and the basilisk in #2 would have had her in my bed every night!) He just wouldn't have received maximum benefit by reading them at 7-8, and certainly not 5. How is a young child supposed to grasp the theme of books 6/7? Souls splitting? Horcruxes? The lessons in the later HP books are not to be missed, but they are almost sure to be missed by the little kids whose heads they would sail right over. I vote wait until they can fully appreciate and enjoy, not necessarily due to the propriety of the subject matter, as I think kids can differ there.

 

Sorry though. You were looking for those who made the opposite choice. :lol:

 

:leaving:

[regentrude]

My kids read all seven books. DS listened to the audio books when he was elementary age ( he was 8 when vol. 7 came out).

They were never scared. They also never had trouble separating fantasy and reality.

If there are nuances they did not catch the first time, they would catch them during one of the frequent re-readings (both have read, or listened to, the entire series multiple times by now.

 

I am sure there are nuances in the classics that I did not catch while reading them as a teenager - rereading as an adult gives a different perspective.

So, I tend not to worry about books.

[happygrrl]

The teen-angst part was annoying to me, until I remembered that the characters were teenagers. Then I could settle back into the story.

 

You know, I read Lord of the Rings when I was really young, and I wish I would have waited. I missed so much! When you re-read you have a tendency to build on the foundation you already laid. If that early foundation misses a huge nuance of the book then it is more difficult to pick it up in later readings. Well, maybe not more difficult, but you miss the beauty of the whole piece coming together at once. Like hearing a song without the percussion.

 

You just have to make a decision based on your knowledge of your child.

 

(I read the entier HP series in 7 days, each night after the kids were asleep, so there might a bit I missed about HP in those early hours! :D)

[Alte Veste Academy]

you miss the beauty of the whole piece coming together at once. Like hearing a song without the percussion.

 

Beautifully stated. :)

[gardenmom5]

I think it starts dealing with themes that are more abstract and can be very confusing for a younger child who is not developmentally ready to handle the dichotomy. I think it is above their cognitive development. Or 'over their head', so to speak.

 

My 6yo is very literal - is that a bad guy? is that a good guy? that even parts of the bible are completely confusing for him.

[Carrie12345]

I don't consider myself big on censorship, but I do agree that there's a certain level of maturity needed to fully understand and appreciate the later books. My kids COULD tear through them, but I think it would be a shame to have them miss out on so much of the story.

[mamakimberly]

My girls are 7 & 8. We started HP1 in January and HP2 this summer... we read through them slowly together. I figure at 6 months per HP book, it will be awhile before we cross that bridge. So far, we're ok... I think you just have to see where your kids lie on the sensitivity spectrum.

[mamakimberly]

But then, I read the first book of the Hunger Games to my girls this spring, so I'm certainly not as conservative as many parents here! We plan to re-read the HG series later... I think they "got" some of it and some of it was too deep (the societal stuff).

[Runningmom80]

Thanks for the replies, although, I wasn't really looking for anyone to talk me out of it, I do enjoy the discussion. :001_smile: I won't slow him down, like I said, I'm sure he will slow down on his own, I remember as an adult having to slow down during the 4,5 & 6th book.

[Lady Florida.]

We were latecomers to the books, so ds was 10-11 when he read them. We had seen the movies though, and in fact watched 5 movies before any of us read the first book.

 

I don't know that he would have understood the story so much at 5 or 6, but I wouldn't have been bothered by the subject matter and would have read them to him if he wanted me to.

[Enough]

My kids read all seven books. DS listened to the audio books when he was elementary age ( he was 8 when vol. 7 came out).

They were never scared. They also never had trouble separating fantasy and reality.

If there are nuances they did not catch the first time, they would catch them during one of the frequent re-readings (both have read, or listened to, the entire series multiple times by now.

 

I am sure there are nuances in the classics that I did not catch while reading them as a teenager - rereading as an adult gives a different perspective.

So, I tend not to worry about books.

 

This. It sounds like my DS and yours read/heard the books at the same ages. Mine never had issues with fear, reality etc either. And mine IS a "sensitive" kid- but he loved these books and was never scared or overwhelmed during the sad/death parts.

 

I am VERY, VERY, VERY liberal about access to books that are above age/grade level, especially ones with such incredibly positive over-arching themes as found in this series. (_Diary of a Wimpy Kid_ and the like, I have no problem restricting access to. ;))

 

We have restricted access to the movies past 4, though. Visual media is a totally different beast.

[Laura Corin]

We let Hobbes decide. He stopped at some point in book 4, then restarted at book 4 this year and read to the end.

 

Laura

[Veritaserum]

I didn't/don't censor. My third dd listened to all seven books between 5.5 and a few months past six. She has always been very mature for her age and her comprehension is frighteningly good. She and I have had excellent discussions about the events in the books. She has a firm grasp on what is real and what isn't. She cried when sad things happened in the books, but so did I. She is almost 7 and has listened to all seven books many times. I do not at all regret allowing her to experience the series in its entirety when she wanted to. It has been a very rewarding and memorable experience. :)

[Veritaserum]

But then, I read the first book of the Hunger Games to my girls this spring, so I'm certainly not as conservative as many parents here! We plan to re-read the HG series later... I think they "got" some of it and some of it was too deep (the societal stuff).

 

:) My 11yo read them at 10.5 (she literally grabbed the books out of my hands as soon as I finished--I was late to the series). My 9yo is on book 3 now. It's so fun to talk to them about the deeper issues that drive stories like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

I just went by my son's interest in the books. He really enjoyed hearing the first three when he was 7 (he wouldn't have been ready for such long books without pictures before then) and was excited to start book 4, but lost interest about a dozen chapters in.

 

He became interested again a year later and we read the rest of the books then (at age 8). He's watched the movies as we've gone along, after each book.

[Matryoshka]

I had my older girls wait until they were 10 - or 10 1/2?, I think, to start the series, because I knew they'd want to read till the end and I thought it was easier to wait to start than to put the brakes on. They read them straight through.

 

Their younger sister was 8 - I told her she could read, I think, the first two, and then she should wait till 10 for the rest. She insisted on reading book 3 and I let her, and that was fine. Then she started book 4 - and stopped, and didn't want to go any farther - I don't think she got past the first chapter or two. I think that's the book that starts in the Shrieking Shack with Voldemort and the snake? I think it was too much for her. She also hasn't seen the movies past 3 - I insist the book gets read first.

 

I expect sometime in the not so distant future (she's 10 now) she'll pick them back up and finish them.

[Farrar]

Well, they're read alouds right now for us. One ds could probably do some on his own now, but he isn't. I think that changes the dynamic. I think for me, it's not the evil or Harry questioning himself or anything - it's just that they get complex, both literally and emotionally. So I want my kids to wait. But, that said, if they specifically requested to read ahead or picked them up themselves, I absolutely wouldn't stop them. And, we will absolutely do all the books. We're on three now - the kids are 6. I have no problem doing 4 some time in the next year and then... we'll see. We always have a full reading slate, so the kids don't seem to get upset about it if we don't do them all back to back. Anticipation is nice too.

[Denise in Florida]

I was not concerned. :001_smile: The atmosphere does get more tense but no more than many other children's stories/young adult novels. It was not a problem for my girls. They have always liked thrilling adventure stories.

 

If they were the type to get upset or have nightmares I might have been concerned. It wasn't a big deal for us.

[amey311]

My boys have listened to all 7 on audiobook. My younger son also decided to read all the books to himself. He stopped reading book 7 as soon as the bulk of the people got back to the Burrow (maybe the second chapter?) because there had been too much loss for him to manage. He was 7.5. He said he'll try again when he's 13.

 

Thankfully, that boy WILL self-limit. He won't keep reading if it gets really upsetting to him.

[bettyandbob]

I think HP4 was the only book I made ds wait on. I was most concerned about the emotional appropriateness and I think he was still too young to get it all when I let him. I made him wait until he was 7.5. After that he read books 5 and 6 the day they came out. When 7 was published he announced he was too old for HP and had no interest. I think he was 13 at the time. I have read them all and seen all the movies. Oldest ds has never read book 7 and has not seen any movie beyond HP4. dd read them all and has seen all movies. She was not an early reader like her brother, so I've never been really concerned about the books she chooses.

[Kirch]

They'll be able to read them when they're older, but we had several reasons for stopping after #3 for now. I'm just not comfortable with my kids reading/watching stuff that's that dark yet. They just don't need to be confronted with it, and I know they're not ready. I think sheltering their innocence in that sense is appropriate at this point, and I think trying to deal with some of the things that happen would be disturbing to them right now. Yes, a lot of it would go over their heads, but I don't really want it to. I want them to be able to read them and *get* it, not just get through them.

 

There are other themes, too, that I don't think they're ready for. My boys are still pretty clueless about boy/girl relationships, so that whole element of books 4 - 7 would be completely lost on them. They totally wouldn't get all of Harry's angst over Cho Chang and why/how it completely blew up in his face, for example. I don't want them to read the books but not really "get" most of it--what's the point?

 

Also, the stories themselves just get so much more intricate and inter-connected as they go--I don't want them to miss all that because we tried to do it too early.

[kitten18]

DD is 7, she has listened to all the audio books several times. She has also seen all the movies, I took her to the theater for the last one. She is not very sensitive to things in books/movies. I have no regrets about letting her listen to all of them.

[Robin M]

Depends on your child, but I think he's too young to continue. Considering the fact that I'm an adult and I had issues with book #4 being so dark, I'd wait. My ds just got interesting in HP last year so we started reading them together when he was 11. There were still things he didn't understand and/or upset him. We took it slowly.

[Harriet Vane]

I really, really love the HP series.

 

Yes, the books get darker, more intense, and the plot lines become more complicated. For this reason, I required two things of my children:

 

--I asked them to wait on the books until a little older. My dd started the series as an 11yo. Ds is less sensitive, so he started as a 9yo.

 

--I read them aloud the first time. This way I was able to slow the pace and thereby decrease the intensity. It also brought some rich discussions and really good times together.

 

I did this also with Lord of the Rings. It took a long time to read aloud together, but we had such a marvelous time together.

 

I think 5yo is really young for the latter books in the series.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I waited on those for my kids. We really do not censor books in my house, but I felt that the books did get darker and not age appropriate for early elementary. The evil seemed to be closer, more personal and palpable. That said, when dd was 7, she made this huge jump from struggling through 2nd grade readers to reading Harry Potter. Unbeknownst to me, she read the entire series that summer. I had wanted her to wait on the later books, but she didn't. No harm done;).

[Desert Rat]

My kids have read all 7 books and seen all 8 movies. They are 8 and 11. I asked them while reading 7 if they wanted me to stop (several times). I was met with a "no, we need to know how it ends." My youngest did get a little scared in the last movie with Nagini and Snape. It was scary. But he didn't have nightmares and processed it fine, I think.

We have never be afraid of scary/sad stories with our kids. I mean, the don't watch Texas Chainsaw or Saw and I don't think they are quite ready for most Stephen King books, but we have read Lemony Snicket, Roald Dahl, Touching Spirit Bear, Hatchet. They watch all the X-men movies, Iron Man, Thor, etc.

Just my personal opinion here, but I think we shelter our kids quite a bit in our society, even more so sometimes as homeschoolers. I give my kids a chance. Now we recently started a movie that I thought woud be okay. 20 minutes into it I looked at my 8yo and it was obvious he was NOT okay. I stopped it. The older one didn't complain. We just knew we needed to wait a few years. No nightmares. No lasting affects. No biggie.

[lewelma]

Both of my boys read them to themselves at age 7 and I had them read only up to book 3. Neither of them cried, whined, or complained in any way when I suggested that the stop, so I guess that they knew the books were becoming too dark. Once my oldest was 9.5 he finished them, but he hasn't seen the last 2 movies.

 

Ruth

[JeneralMom]

My kids have all listened to the books being read by DH. We never considered stopping at any book and they never had any problem with it. They have all also seen all the movies (not DHpart2 because it isn't at the dollar theatre yet), and have not had a problem with them either.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My kids are now 7 & 8. We started reading them last year, and I thought I'd stop after 3 until they were a little older, but they are not frightened or disturbed by any of it. They love it. We are currently about 3/4 finished with book 5 and I will slowly continue reading the last two. We've watched each movie after each book, and I'll let them watch the fifth movie, but I'm not sure about the 6th-8th movies. Haven't decided yet.

[silliness7]

*****SPOILER IN POST********

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see over and over again that parents will not let their kids go past books 3 in Harry Potter.

 

 

My DS is almost 5, and well into book 2. (We read them together.) I have read them all. I can't imagine he will want to stop at book 3, and I can't find any reason to make him. He's not overly sensitive, and as far as book 4, the only "dark" thing I remember is the death of Cedric. I'm sure he will slow way way down once he gets to that book, as it's almost double the pages as the first 3. I know Harry gets a kind of bad attitude in the last books, that whole teenage angst thing, but I still can't figure out what the big deal is? Is anyone with me, or am I the only misfit mother on here? :lol:

 

I'm with ya. :D Last year my oldest girl finally finished the series for herself. She was in 3rd grade.

[Caterpiller]

I discovered Harry Potter when I was 13. I didn't get to read the last book until it came out in 2007... when I was 21. :P I was delayed 8 years because of the books not being released yet and it had no effect on my love for the story or the books.

;)

[nmoira]

 

I don't consider myself big on censorship, but I do agree that there's a certain level of maturity needed to fully understand and appreciate the later books. My kids COULD tear through them, but I think it would be a shame to have them miss out on so much of the story.

I purchased the set for then 8yo DD the Elder and she finished them all in short order. I didn't think twice about what age she might best appreciate them because I view it as a cultural phenomenon rather than a "great" work. OTOH, I've delayed giving her Discworld (other than the children's and YA books) and will so for a couple more years for this very reason. :tongue_smilie:

[choirfarm]

Well, I didn't let my boys read them until they were 13 and 15. ( I read them at the same time.) I think it is the perfect age to read them. So much of it is Harry's search for who he is and will he choose correctly. How does he deal with his identity and does he have a choice, is it fate? Personal relationships, etc. Evil in the world. Much like I didn't really get into WWII holocaust with my 8yo girl, I won't do Harry Potter with her either. I think you need to be a teenager to REALLY get it. Yes, they can read the words and get the basic of the story, but to get the teenager angst... the reality of the casualties of war. I can't imagine going over all of that with a 5yo, so I didnt. But it is your choice..I didn't start the books with my daughter for that very reason. Yes, she could read it and enjoy the story. Just because she can doesn't mean she should.

 

Christine

[Mom in High Heels]

Well, we're bad parents because we let Indy (9) watch all 8 movies. He wasn't upset by what he saw. He's now dying to read the books. He's dyslexic so we're going to do them on audio. We're staring with #1 soon. He can't wait. I won't make him stop at book 3 or 4.

[Grover]

My little guy is nearly 5 and is half way through number 2. He knows I won't let him read past 3 until he's around 8 or so. I just don't think he's ready for that level of 'evil', key characters being hurt and all of the relationship / personal angst stuff that Harry goes through. I doubt he'd have the first inkling of what Harry's on about when he's mooning about Cho and Ginny, for example. I also just think the last ones are too darn scary for him at this age.

[Peela]

I have no problem with any of the books but I really think they speak to older children that 5 yo. I think books written for kids usually have main characters that are of a similar age to the age group the books are aimed at. And, for us, my kids grew up with HP from about age 11, the age Harry was in the first book.

My kids are not frightened easily and the darkness in the books is far easier to manage than the movies, IMO, but still, I wouldn't waste such a wonderful coming of age story on a 5yo.

[Murphy101]

I'm not worried even a little itty bit.

 

I think what is most likely is the more intense stuff will go over the immature and they will enjoy REreading it when older or they will stop out of boredom with a storyline they don't comprehend and pick it up again when they are older.

 

That's what I see has happened so far with my older 6 kids so far.

[Word Nerd]

nm

Edited September 4, 2011 by WordGirl

[redsquirrel]

I made ds1 wait until he was 11 for book 4. He waited about 3 years. Mostly I made him wait because book 4 wasn't written for 8 year olds. I wanted him to have the experience of the book as he was old enough to understand what has happening.

 

There is a big change in the books between 3 and 4. 1-3 are clearly juvenile novels. Book 4 and up are in the young adult category. There is a time and a place for everything and I see no need to rush.

 

They are a great example of a bildungsroman, a genre of books that focuses on the changing over time as the protagonist ages. Harry sees the world as an 11 year old in book 1. He is 17 in book 7 and the book is written for 17 year olds to read. JK Rowling has said that she did not write the books with children in mind, but only wrote what she wanted to read. She also didn't have her own daughter reading the later books until she was older.

 

And it's not like we don't have enough books to read. We have so many that my ds wonders how he will fit them all in. So, he waited but in the meantime there were plenty of other wonderful books to occupy his time.

 

And, FWIW, when he finished reading book 4 he said he was glad he didn't read it when he was younger. He said he didn't think he would have appreciated the story. He made the decision to wait a few more years to read book 5.

 

I don't let them watch the movies but that is because we have a strict 'no movie until you have read the book or all the books in a series' policy.

 

This may come back to bite me because he has read all of Tolkien and I am not sure I want him to see those movies. He's never seen more than PG. We own them, but they scare the heck out of me!

[Veritaserum]

I'm not worried even a little itty bit.

 

I think what is most likely is the more intense stuff will go over the immature and they will enjoy REreading it when older or they will stop out of boredom with a storyline they don't comprehend and pick it up again when they are older.

 

That's what I see has happened so far with my older 6 kids so far.

 

Yes! Rereading them gives a fresh perspective. I enjoy rereading them myself. :)

[twoforjoy]

Not worried. My DS is 7. He's really good at self-censoring. If something is too intense for him, he stops reading. he started reading HP in the spring, and we figured that, when/if they got too intense or mature or him, he'd stopped. He did. He made it halfway through four and decided he was done. If he'd been good to keep reading, though, that would have been fine.

[jujsky]

DS was 6 and DD was 5 the year we read the HP series. We read them all. At first I wasn't going to go past book 3, but they were so into it and begged me to continue, and I couldn't say no. I'm a die-hard fan and also a big believer in allowing kids to read more or less what they want. They are not scarred or confused by it. They've also seen all the movies (we watched a movie after each book) and were fine with them.

[mommymilkies]

My kids all love all of them. Even my 3 yo was unaffected and loved the books. It really depends on the kid. :)

[kolamum]

****Spoilers*****

 

 

Our choice is many fold:

 

1. Language; there is language in the other books. Minor until book 7 where it's a bit more often and the choice words aren't exactly mild.

 

2. Dementors. If you know what they are that's probably enough said.

 

3. Death. In and of itself it's a part of life, but these characters are often ones we become quite attached to, and I see no point in overly exposing a child to those emotions, especially if they are sensitive.

 

4. The Entire Story Line. Let's face it, Harry must die, and after 7 books of becoming close to this kid you realize that and.. I know, I know, he comes back, but.. Plus, while I don't care for the movies they picked up on every dark aspect of the books.

 

5. There's plenty of time to read them later, so why rush it now. I figure if my child reads them when they are emotionally ready they'll enjoy them and not feel nightmarish about them.

 

 

I don't actually have anything against the Teen Angst, I don't see it as much that as a child feeling betrayed by the only person he ever fully trusted. But anyway.. it's not my reason for not wanting a young child to move beyond that book. ;)

[sarawatsonim]

We began reading them just after dd turned 6. We are now on book 5 and she hasn't had any issues with grasping concepts or with Cedric's death. After we finish a book, she is then allowed to watch the movie (not before) and she will note the differences between the two. She loves Harry Potter, and we love reading them together. I find her many times at night, reading through the previous books in bed. I'm looking forward to re-reading them other dd when she gets older. Or maybe dd6 will read them to her then, and that can be something special they share.

[Free]

My kids read all seven books. DS listened to the audio books when he was elementary age ( he was 8 when vol. 7 came out).

They were never scared. They also never had trouble separating fantasy and reality.

If there are nuances they did not catch the first time, they would catch them during one of the frequent re-readings (both have read, or listened to, the entire series multiple times by now.

 

I am sure there are nuances in the classics that I did not catch while reading them as a teenager - rereading as an adult gives a different perspective.

So, I tend not to worry about books.

 

:iagree: Agree with this completely. My ds10 read all 7 books at age 8 and sure he did not catch all the layers to the story - but that is okay. He has read them again at least twice and will continue to do so as he grows older. He was also not scared or troubled by the deaths. I think some of what an adult would consider dark or evil just did not register at all with him.

[myfunnybunch]

It really depends on the child.

 

I asked my eldest ds, now 10, to stop after reading book 5. He was just turned 8, I think. It wasn't because of the HP books themselves, though he is sensitive to frightening and dark events in books. It was because of our deal: Once he read the book, he could watch the movie. I thought the movies would be too scary for him. (Oddly, he is not frightened by scary movies. He still won't read scary books.) It was a mutual decision. I explained to him that the books get a little darker, and maybe he'd like to wait until he's older to read them; he agreed. He read books 6 and 7 this summer.

 

His middle brother (8) is not frightened of books or movies, and is on the couch finishing book 7 as I write.

 

The youngest picked up book 1, finished it, and has started book 2. He's a trooper. He's 6 and it's a reading challenge for him, but he wants to read the books so badly he's plowing on and he's understanding what he's reading. His reading has taken a tremendous leap because of it. He's very sensitive to books and movies, so I expect I'll ask him to wait once he gets to book 4 or so, but I'll leave the final decision up to him.

 

Cat