How old do you need to be??

[LisaMetzelBonnet]

So, I have a 9 year old boy who is an AVID reader. I've started a re-read of the whole series and he's asking to read EotW. I'm just not sure. I think he would love it - but i don't know if I'd want him to go on to the others. So, what do you think? How old do you think a kid would need to be to read the whole series. (my kid read the entire harry potter series during the summer between 1st and 2nd grade and he comprehended it. Don't know if that makes a diff)

 

thanks!

Jeneba

[Sakaea]

Hi, Jeneba I think your son would be fine to read the whole series, especially if he's already read HP and been fine with everything that happened, especially in 7. If he wants to read EotW, I hope he enjoys it, and continues on.

[Reyn]

I believe it will be okay, but I have to ask. What exactly are you concerned about with him reading it? Is it the comprehension or are there certain aspects of the story you feel are just too adult?

 

I will say that I started reading the WoT in late 6th grade. Dunno if it makes a difference ;)

[Elgee]

It would depend on the maturity level and personality of the child in question. I'm all for keeping a child's illusions alive as long as possible - life's brutal enough as it is. On the other hand, if the child is already worldly wise, and he is capable of understanding the intricacies of the WoT books, go right ahead. Personally, I don't think a 9 year old is capable of that comprehension, unless he's exceptionally gifted.

 

Has he read David Edding's Belgariad and subsequent series'? That might be a better starting point for him ... though if he's already read HP, that might seem a bit tame ... lol

[Wayward_fool]

Ummm well I'm not sure how open you are with your kid but there be quite alot of the bird and the bees in the series, esp the Rand and Aviendha and Min and Elayne bits. A 9 year old might not quite get why the nice man Rand who's a hero goes around shagging 3 women while being Bonded to another. (Alanna) So ya might have to prepare yourself for a discussion on that kinda things.

 

Pillow friends?

 

Dunno...

[Dwynwen]

We've had an eleven-year-old on DM before, but to my knowledge, I don't think we've had anyone younger than that. I can't speak to that member's level of reading comprehension, but she at least was able to get through the books enough to be an informed participant here. I wouldn't recommend the books to someone younger than that, though, unless that person was exceptionally gifted. I don't think a nine-year-old would be able to understand the abstract constructs that make up Randland's cosmology (e.g. Tel'aran'rhiod, mirror worlds, the cyclical nature of time), let alone be able to grasp the less philosophical subtleties of the characters' love lives.

[Adella]

I started reading EotW when I was 9... >.>

No really, I did. Comprehension was never a problem with me, and I already knew about the birds and the bees.

[The_Fnorrll_Reborn]

Theres a few bits i wiuldnt want my nine year old reading in all honesty, but i imagine id be the most protective father ever lol. (im thinkin of the warder who dies after bein tortured with pleasure as opposed to pain? Dunno how a nine year old would react to that).

 

Then again having not read HP i dunno.

[LisaMetzelBonnet]

Theres a few bits i wiuldnt want my nine year old reading in all honesty, but i imagine id be the most protective father ever lol. (im thinkin of the warder who dies after bein tortured with pleasure as opposed to pain? Dunno how a nine year old would react to that).

 

Then again having not read HP i dunno.

 

 

Yeah, exactly. He is pretty gifted, especially verbally, but that doesn't mean that he can handle some of the more adult-like material. Rand getting busy with three different women none of whom he's married to yet is one of my concerns. Also the whole way that Warders are "helped" along when they are mourning their Aes Sedai. Just a little much for nine I think.

 

I'm just so excited to pass down the awesome-ness that is WoT, ya know? But yeah. I don't think it's time yet. He was fine with all the darkness of HP, but HP doesn't deal with relationship stuff in the same way that WoT does.

 

Thanks for helping me think it through, y'all. I really appreciate it.

 

Jeneba

[keyholder21]

I don't know, I started reading the series when I was 10 and I just kinda glossed over that stuff. It didn't interest me, so I never gave it a second thought. It wasn't until I was older and reading the series that I realized what those parts were about *laughs*.

[Alaksuleiel]

I started at 12, and also glossed over the bluer bits :)

 

I would probably let my eldest (10) read it, but she is aware of the birds and the bees etc and would gloss over it as boring.

[Elgee]

The question is, would they not lose out on something incredibly special if they started glossing over certain parts because they weren't yet interested, or not yet fully capable of understanding it? You can never read it the first time twice ... lol

[The_Fnorrll_Reborn]

Plus he is a boy...we dont gloss over...

[LisaMetzelBonnet]

He knows the birds and the bees bits - he was horrified and thanked his dad for "going through that" in order to have him. Yeah, not the talk, but the actual activity. Also, he was asking yesterday why I was going to make him wait. I said, "well, there's lots of adult stuff in there along with all the fighting and stuff." He said, "like what?" And I said, "well, there's a guy in it with three wives." he said (totally deadpan) "Mom, I've read Genesis."

 

You're right, Elgee Sedai(?), you can only read it the first time once. I'd rather it be when he's more comfortable with that kind of stuff. I want him to be horrified at the "right" things, I think.

 

Jeneba

[Amadine]

I agree, for me i don't think my 11yo could comprehend WoT properly yet. I would probably steer him to the Belgarid as Elgs suggested. But you know you own child best and know whether he would be able to deal with the adult themes, that said - RJ always did imply more than he actually wrote about those scenes.

[Elgee]

No need to Sedai us, though it's kinda cute

 

I'm not so much referring to the "adult" content (lord knows kiddies these days know more than I did when I was 16 ) as I am to the intricate plot lines. It's a 50/50 one for me, but I'm leaning towards leave it for a few years till he'd most likely be better able to grasp those.

[Alaksuleiel]

I honestly think that the blue bit are unnecessary for the 'first read' experience, the reader will understand that there is something going on regardless of whether they read those parts in depth.

 

Anyway, there are no really blue bits in EotW are there?

[keyholder21]

The question is, would they not lose out on something incredibly special if they started glossing over certain parts because they weren't yet interested, or not yet fully capable of understanding it? You can never read it the first time twice ... lol

 

True, you can't. However, even at 10 I was aware at how awesome WoT was. It definitely helped foster my love of reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy, which I have never regretted. I don't necessarily mean to say that it's good to gloss over those parts, I just don't find them as worrisome personally. Obviously it's different for everyone and Jeneba's choice in the end. Glossing over them didn't lose any of the fantastic-ness for me *G*. I'm still here and have still read them an unhealthy amount of times *laughs*.

[Al Jenn Mael]

I also read WoT when I was younger. I didn't have a problem with Rand having three... "friends with benefits" because... well have you seen what's on television and in movies these days? That is nothing compared to that. And if you think censoring those things will keep them in the dark... sorry but school is even worse. Do you know what Sally, John, and Sue talk about and SAY that they do...

 

Anyways the 'adult' stuff aside I agree with Sanderson that Wheel of Time is meant for various age groups. You can relate to Matt, Perrin, and Rand a lot more when you're younger or Egwene and Elayne. Or when you grow up a bit you relate more with Moraine, Thom, Lan, Nyneave, etc.

 

Elgee is right that you only read it first once, but I see and have a different experience with it on each of my re-reads.

 

The only thing I'd wonder is if you can truely appreciate the depth of the series. I had read a lot of other high/epic fantasy series before hand and had a good idea of just how good WoT is. However I think it'll just be something you look back on and go I didn't realize just how good what I had was...

[Alaksuleiel]

Al Jenn: Reading it at such a young age shaped who I am, and i like me ;). I don't think anything is lost by reading it at the age i did.

[Talya]

My daughter started reading it when she had just turned 10 and I couldn't get her to put the books down, she loved them. She seemed to understand most of it, which I could by the questions she asked me all the time, lol. Especially when it came to what was going to happen to so and so, I had to tell her to Read and Find Out, hehe.

I don't think there is anything in the books that would be unsuitable, unlike Terry Goodkind, which I have told she can't read. If your child loves reading and can cope with big books (it puts some kids off that aren't such big readers) then let them. The only thing they may struggle is is the length of it, but at least they tried.

As for coming on here, she's not allowed until she is 13, I KNOW what goes on here and she is way too young for that...LMAO, besides her Mum has to have some place of sanctuary...

[Al Jenn Mael]

Al Jenn: Reading it at such a young age shaped who I am, and i like me ;). I don't think anything is lost by reading it at the age i did.

 

I don't think anything is 'lost' it's just a different perspective. I'm not saying it isn't suitable to read at that age, I'm more talking about what do you introduce someone new to fantasy to? The best series in the genre or maybe other large series like Kate Elliots Crown of Stars or Margret Weis Deathgate Saga?

[Alaksuleiel]

Isobelle Carmody, Emily Rodda :) I will be getting her to read those next.

[The_Fnorrll_Reborn]

*glomps Ell*

[Alaksuleiel]

Hey you :) I was wondering when you were going to be along ;)