Jocelyne Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Just curious what age you would recommend for reading aloud Lord of the Rings. I know nothing about the story but saw the Legos available and just know my son will ask about the books the moment he sees them and makes the connection. I wanted to be somewhat prepared with an answer. I already had The Hobbit on my list to read soon. But not sure after about the other. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie in VA Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We're doing this as a family-read aloud (actually, audiobooks in the car). We started with The Hobbit, then moved into LOTR. My youngest, who is almost 6, is really enjoying the stories (and he's asking for the Legos, too, of course). We won't let him see the movies for a while yet, though. The audiobook version (narrated by Rob Inglis) is very good. I'd read the books before on my own, but I'm getting a lot out of hearing it read by Inglis. Luckily my local library had the audiobooks available for loan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We started FotR as an audio book while moving across the country. My kids were 8 and 10 at the time. They lost it when Gandalf met the Balrog. Part of the problem was reading at bedtime, but they didn't want to go back to that book for a long time. We are just reading it now, for school, though they would have gone back to it sooner if we hadn't planned to study it. Of course this is another area where ymmv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Like every book it depends on the child. I started The Hobbit when my oldest was 8 and continued through the series off and on over the years. Oldest was 12 when we finished. The youngest listening was 4-8 years old during this time period and had no interest. DS2 (aged 7-10) got the most out of it, but that's his personality. He immediately read the entire series himself afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We did The Hobbit as a read-aloud when ds was 7. He wanted to continue with LoTR but I didn't want to read it aloud... so he read it himself. Unfortunately he despises the movies for how they changed the book. (I love the movies and only read Fellowship.) I'd start with Hobbit and then if they want to continue and you do too, go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Around the age of 8-10 worked for us. I won't allow them to see the movies until they read the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We are doing The Hobbit as a read-aloud right now, in fact - my ds is 8, but my 6yo sometimes hangs out for it (depending on the excitement level of the chapter, I guess :D). I plan to do LOTR right after, so he will probably still be 8. In fact, he wanted to read that first but we decided to read them in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garddwr Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 We read The Hobbit over a year ago, and are in the middle of The Lord of the Rings. My 9 and 7 year olds really enjoy it, the 4 year old doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 To some extent it depends on the child. I read The Hobbit aloud to my ds when he had just turned 10yo. He LOVED it. However, I knew he wasn't quite ready for LOTR (more advanced book with complicated sub-plots and richer language), so I am hoping to do the trilogy with him next year, when he is twelve. My dd was/is an advanced reader. Her skills are strongest in anything related to language arts. (Ds is more of a math/science kinda guy.) She was ready for the whole enchilada at 10 or 11 (don't exactly remember). I am a firm believer is trying to time literature for when the child is old enough/matured enough/skilled enough to appreciate and enjoy it as is. As such, we don't do abridgements or "for children" versions of classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy to each of my boys when they turned 8. Their dad had already read The Hobbit to them. So while the Ringwraiths were scary, they were read in the context of closeness with me, so it wasn't a threatening kind of scary, but an exciting kind of scary if that makes sense. None of them had trouble with it. As context: I was picky about exposing them to scary themes. We didn't do fairy tales until they were about the same age, for instance. I was scared to death by fairy tales as a kid and didn't want to introduce darkness and fear to them at a young age. Once they were older, and could separate themselves from the storyline, I exposed them to the fairy tales for their literary value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocelyne Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 Thanks so much! Anything involving language is definently his strength so I am sure he'll do great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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