# Reading the book to children



## Confusticated (Aug 7, 2004)

The post here got me to wondering. Did anyone read _The Hobbit_ to you and if so at what age? Have you read the book to a child and if so what age? What is a good age for a child to be read _The Hobbit_?

To answer my own: No one read it to me; I haven't read to anyone. I think the ideal age would vary, but I'll say age 5 or so would be a good time to try.


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## King Aragorn (Aug 8, 2004)

Nobody ever read The Hobbit to me, I didn't read it until I was 14. I'm not sure what an ideal age would be. My nephew likes LOTR, and he's 8, so maybe that would be a good age to read it to him.


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## Rhiannon (Aug 8, 2004)

My dad read _The Hobbit_ (and _The Lord of the Rings_) to me when I was five, and I would say that it's an ideal age, assuming at a) the child in question has a long enough attention span and b) you don't mind them coming out extremely warped and spending their teen years hanging around online at book discussion forums.


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## Snaga (Aug 8, 2004)

I don't think there is a single ideal age, because of attention span, interests etc. Anywhere between 5 and 11. By 11 most kids are probably stopping wanting their parents to read anything to them. My dad read the Hobbit to me, my brother and sister when we were on vacation in some remote TV-less cottage probably in the depths of rural France. I'm guessing I was about 8 but I can't say for sure.


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## 33Peregrin (Aug 8, 2004)

I was never read The Hobbit, and didn't read it until I was 13. But I definitely think that the age for having The Hobbit read to someone varies. I definitely know some five year olds who could understand it and love it. But attention spans really matter. My brother hates reading, and he lost interest in it. I was actually going to give him ten dollars just to let me read it to him, when he was 11 and I was 13, but we only got to Riddles in the Dark.


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## baragund (Aug 14, 2004)

My parents never read The Hobbit to me but I am now reading it to my children (ages 6 and 10).

The minimum suitable age definitely depends on the child, not only because of attention span but maturity as well. Some kids mature more quickly than others. We like to read a chapter or so before bedtime.

I "edit" some of the more graphic parts so my youngest doesn't get nightmares.  Some passages can be pretty scary to a 5 or 6 year old so I kind of skim over them or soften them so they are not so graphic.


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## Supernita (Aug 14, 2004)

That's so cute about "softening" the hobbit. But I'm sure some parts would really be scary to a young child .

I never had the hobbit read to me, and I didn't even pick it up myself until I was 17. I absolutely loved it, and personally I don't think I would have appreciated it as much if I had read it as a child. I wasn't a "dumb" kid or anything, I probably just would have gotten so much less out of it. I definitely think reading it to a young child is a good idea though. I'm definitely going to read it to my children (when I have some). I'd say age 6 - 10 would be a good age to read it for the first time. And then hopefully pick it up later in life to experience the full story when paired with LOTR, scary parts and all


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## Lord Sauron (Aug 14, 2004)

I aggre. If you read small kids books full of imagination. Later on in life they will gain the knowledge of imagination and will use it for many things. That is what my parents done and now when I read a book I place myself in that time period and walk in the character shoes and I compirend more when I do that


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## baragund (Aug 14, 2004)

And don't forget to do the character voices when you read the books to your children, no matter how awful it may sound to you!  My 'Gandalf' voice is pretty good, and so is my 'Gollum' voice (although I try to do it like in the movies and I get hoarse after about 20 minutes). But little kids really get a kick out of that when you pitch your voice differently for the characters.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Aug 23, 2004)

Maikanare said:


> The post here got me to wondering. Did anyone read _The Hobbit_ to you and if so at what age? Have you read the book to a child and if so what age? What is a good age for a child to be read _The Hobbit_?
> 
> To answer my own: No one read it to me; I haven't read to anyone. I think the ideal age would vary, but I'll say age 5 or so would be a good time to try.



I read The Hobbit and LOTR many _many_ times to my own three children during the 60s and 70s. That was such great fun! I made up the voices to go with the characters (stage English for the goodies and gutter cockney for the baddies), and would lapse into American for the purely textual passages. Our whole family were Hobbit/LOTR freaks. We invited people over for "hobbit parties," in which people would dress as their favorite characters and served all the foods mentioned in the books, and we attended Tolkien events as often as we could get to them. I guess my kids were about 7 through 11 at the time. Those were mellow times!

Barley


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## e.Blackstar (Aug 26, 2004)

My mom read the Hobbit to my sister, my dad, and me all as a family. I was about 8-9 I think, something like that. I loved it, and so she went on to LOTR, and I was hooked. I probably wouldn't have read it until the movies came out, and I might even *gsap* be one of those who belives that PJ is a genius and should be praised with great praise and Tolkien didn't know what he was doing. (Heaven forbid)


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## Ronaldinho (Aug 31, 2004)

The book was read to me when I was about 7 or 8. I suppose any age from around 5-9 would be ideal. Its certainly a universal book for younger and older children.


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## Wolfshead (Sep 13, 2004)

I had the Hobbit read to me in '96, which means I would have been 7 or 8. We were in the process of refurbishing our house after a burst pipe, so we had no tv. That was a good age, I think, but my sister would only have been 5 or 6, and she coped with it. It just depends on the child, really


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## Mirendabeth (Sep 14, 2004)

I dind't have any of the books read to me, in fact I had never even heard of Tolkien until the first film came out, when I would have been 16 or 17. I then read the hobbit after that. Personally I wouldn't have liked to have read them before then, alhtough I would have been into them, and enjoyed them, I wouldn't have respected them as much as I did


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## Astaldo (Sep 14, 2004)

Well i was read the Hobbit back in '94 I think, when I was 9 years old. I persume that I liked it a lot (I do not remember) because next year I was read the Lotr trilogy. I believe the proper age is 6-11.


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## FrankSinatra (Sep 14, 2004)

I was actually twelve when i first read Lord Of The Rings, and i read The Hobbit after that.

The school library had lent out the copy of the Hobbit so i read Lord Of The Rings first.


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## baragund (Sep 14, 2004)

Along with "editing" the more violent passages, I find I am explaining certain words and phrases to my 6 year old as I read The Hobbit to her.

For example, there are a number of passages where Bilbo fondly thinks about his comfortable hobbit hole when he is in a particularly uncomfortable spot. He will wistfully think about the "kettle beginning to sing on the fire". Now in our house we simply microwave a mug of water or milk to make coffee, tea or hot cocoa so a kettle "singing on the fire" makes absolutely no sense to her.


And welcome to the neighborhood, Mirendabeth!  Hope you get to feel at home around here. Don't feel intimidated by the size of our neighborhood. Heck, I've been here 18 months and I still haven't explored the whole place yet!

I'm curious. You mentioned in your last post that you would not have liked reading the books before seeing the movies. Would you mind explaining that a little more? It seems to me that reading the book first would enable you to create your own image of Middle-earth and all of its' inhabitants. Woluldn't that be better than having somebody else dictate your image of the story?


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## FrankSinatra (Sep 14, 2004)

I never thought of the technological and cultural advances that may make some of the things talked about in the books seem strange to young children today!

I always remember wondering what 'broiled' was when i first read the Hobbit ten years ago when i was twelve.


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## Rhiannon (Sep 14, 2004)

I was confused by the concept of a waistcoat, I think (especially when you go around pronouncing it 'weskit'--what on earth is that for?).


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## Mirendabeth (Sep 14, 2004)

baragund said:


> I'm curious. You mentioned in your last post that you would not have liked reading the books before seeing the movies. Would you mind explaining that a little more? It seems to me that reading the book first would enable you to create your own image of Middle-earth and all of its' inhabitants. Woluldn't that be better than having somebody else dictate your image of the story?


Yes, that is the problem with seeing the film before reading the books, it does mean that I can't create my own image of M-E, but then I don't have different ideas in my head when I do see the film, and it means that I am not dissapointed in any way. Also, films often have portions of the story cut out or adapted for cinema release, so they are almost like a shorter version of the story. I find that to watch a film and then read the book is like filling in extra details in places. I prefer to have it that way round than to read the book, and then watch the film thinking "But they've missed out this, and that, and changed this". This way, I see it as expanding on the story already in my mind 

Hope that made sense!


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## Astaldo (Sep 14, 2004)

From your point of view you are right. But reading first the book enables the mind to think and to make the world that is beeing described in the book as it thinks it is. When you see first the movie you get everything ready so you are just watching and nothing else. 

When I finished reading for first time the Lotr Trilogy I felt very strange beacuse all the time I was reading i imagined myself between the people the book describes. But in the end of most films you say: "Ah it was a good film" and then after a time you forget it. 
So that's why I prefer reading books first to watching the film first.


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## baragund (Sep 15, 2004)

Mirendabeth, you are right where somebody who has read the books first, and who formed their own images of people and places in their minds, will tend to be disappointed in a film adaptation. Somewhere along the line the film's interpretation of the original story will be different from the individual.

Things get tricky when the filmakers _alter_ the original story so it better fits the film medium. Alter the story too much and you lose the essence of the story.

There is *a ton* of discussion on this very topic over in the movie threads and there you will find people who are really passionate about their respective positions. As for me, I'm glad I read the books first although I thoroughly enjoyed the movies.


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## Kristaline (Sep 17, 2004)

My boys are 6 and 8 and I am currently reading them the Hobbit. We only read a few pages a night and so far I haven't felt obligated to cut anything out. That may change later on. I can't remember how gory it gets as it has been a while since I read the book. They have seen the first two movies with some of the fighting/gruesome parts cut out via Mom. Not because it would give them nightmares, but because as 100% boys they enjoy it too much and tend to focus on those parts instead of the actual story. But they are dying for more so we started reading the books so they could have more. They will probably grow up as twisted teenagers because of the choice of books their mother stocks their library with. ;-)


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## baragund (Sep 18, 2004)

I chose to skim over the more graphic parts in "Roast Mutton" where the trolls are discussing how to kill and cook the dwarves (The "chopping up and putting into a pie" or "squashing them into jelly" is a bit much for a 6 year old, I think.) And then I edited "Riddles in the Dark" where Gollum is thinking about how he wants to murder and eat poor Bilbo.

Right now, I'm at the part where Bilbo and the Dwarves are just entering Mirkwood and, if memory serves, I think I'll have to edit some of the part where the dwarves are captured by the spiders and perhaps some of the Battle of Five Armies. 

I too only read a few pages at a time. It doesn't take long before one of us starts to nod off!  

Kristaline, if you pardon my curiosity, I see you have been a member for a long time but not very active. Have you been away or do you prefer to observe the discussions going on here to posting? btw, I think your children can do FAR worse than being raised on Tolkien!!! (totally unbiased opinion, of course  )


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## Rhiannon (Sep 18, 2004)

I don't think Papa edited either of the books when he read them allowed...I wouldn't have known the difference, of course, but it isn't his style, and he's certainly never censored the reading I did on my own (_The Deed of Paksenarrion_ at nine, _Shogun_ at eleven--sex _and_ violence, ye gods!). 

Of course, at this very moment in the next room my older brother is reading the tale of Beren and Luthien out loud to a captive audience of our younger sisters (16 and 12) and our younger brother (9). And of course Duncan, our newly adopted Irish Wolfhound--the story is mostly for his benefit.


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## Kristaline (Sep 21, 2004)

baragund said:


> Kristaline, if you pardon my curiosity, I see you have been a member for a long time but not very active. Have you been away or do you prefer to observe the discussions going on here to posting?



Hmmmm....well, I guess I don't feel like I have tons to say. I am usually an observer of people and that shows when I lurk around here reading the forums. I enjoy giggling at some of the witty stuff that some people manage to come up with. And though I love reading Tolkiens books, I have never understood it the way I understand it after hearing what others have to say about it. Let's just say "deep comprehension" is not really why I graduated from H.S.

So I learn by reading deep thoughts (and lighthearted stabs) and I relate these things to my kids when we talk about the books/movies and they get to think that their Mom is the smartest person they know. 

Well, my files are done downloading and it is time to get to work. (gasp...did I really type that 4-letter word?  )


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## Eledhwen (Sep 21, 2004)

I read The Hobbit to my seven-year-old daughter, whose reading level is a tad slower than her older sisters'. However, her understanding of the story was excellent, needing very little explanation (she would just say "what's a hauberk" etc, as necessary). I'm now halfway through reading The Two Towers to her. I'm sure the films helped, providing an overview of middle earth; and she regularly chirps up with "that's not how it was in the film!". I come from Westmorland, where tarns and meres are oft spoke of; and I think my own English usage is somewhat old fashioned, which must help when reading a book written for post-Victorian schoolboys, albeit with a linguist for a father.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 21, 2004)

Eledhwen said:


> I read The Hobbit to my seven-year-old daughter...



There's no better thing for a parent to do than to read to his children. It instills not only a love of being read to, but to go out and do his own reading. One of the unquestionably great things my mother did for me when I was young was to give me a children's encyclopedia called "The Book of Knowledge," along with a dictionary. I devoured most of the "Book" and the dictionary. In fact, one of the ways I would entertain myself would be to sit and read the dictionary and find the "funny" words (the one's that sounded funny to read). The other great thing she did for me was to drum it into my head that one day I was going to go to college. (And I did — _three_ of 'em!)

Barley


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## baragund (Sep 22, 2004)

Kristaline said:


> I am usually an observer of people and that shows when I lurk around here reading the forums. I enjoy giggling at some of the witty stuff that some people manage to come up with. And though I love reading Tolkiens books, I have never understood it the way I understand it after hearing what others have to say about it. So I learn by reading deep thoughts (and lighthearted stabs) and I relate these things to my kids when we talk about the books/movies and they get to think that their Mom is the smartest person they know.



You just described a wise and insightful way of going about things.  Don't sell yourself short. I'll bet the rest of the gang around here will appreciate your thoughts as much as your children.


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## spirit (Sep 22, 2004)

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this earlier, but they should create my "first book of the hobbit" with pictures and all and mini-paragraphs which little kids can read!


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## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 22, 2004)

spirit said:


> I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this earlier, but they should create my "first book of the hobbit" with pictures and all and mini-paragraphs which little kids can read!



Hey, there ya go, really good idea! Can you draw really well, Spirit? If so, why not give it a go yourself?

Barley


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## Rhiannon (Sep 22, 2004)

But there's already a grahic novel version!


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## Kristaline (Sep 22, 2004)

baragund said:


> You just described a wise and insightful way of going about things.  Don't sell yourself short. I'll bet the rest of the gang around here will appreciate your thoughts as much as your children.



Why, I do think I am blushing. Let me check in the mirror. Hmmm, could be blushing or could be sunburn. Oh, alright, I will admit it. I am blushing and thank you very much, baragund.


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## baragund (Sep 23, 2004)

My pleasure! I look forward to reading more of your posts around the neighborhood.


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## Narsil (Oct 20, 2004)

Unfortunately my 10 year old daughter isn't a reader. I've tried to instill a love of books into her but with little success. Last year I bought her the full set of _The Chronicles of Narnia_ and told her how much I loved them when I was her age. She wasn't intersested and I wound up rereading them myself at age 40!  I can only assume the same would be true with _The Hobbit_.

She has seen all of the LOTR movies, as well as the animated versions of _The Hobbit_ and LOTR but reading holds no appeal for her. It's a real shame and I'm hoping that maybe when she gets a bit older that will change. I was crazy-nuts about reading at her age (and still am) and can't understand how she isn't.  

There's more hope for my 6 year old son. He's VERY interested in LOTR. He's seen the movies (carefully edited) and plays the ROTK Playstation game. I know some of you are groaning but this has had the effect of making him _very_ interested in the books. The games help bring ME alive for him and we've started discussing LOTR and he's impressed by how much I know, even though I don't play games. He has asked me "How come you know all this?". My reply is that I've read the books and that's piqued his interest. 

Reading _The Hobbit_ to him now that the craziness of summer is over and things are settling down is something I plan to do. I think he'll love it and unlike my daughter, he likes being read to and is eager to start reading on his own. 

As for me? For some reason I didn't read _The Hobbit_ and LOTR until I was 39! Strange because throughout my life I've always loved fantasy and science fiction.  

I saw FOTR and TTT before reading the books. I don't think seeing the movies diminished my enjoyment of the books at all. Almost half of TTT wasn't in the movie! I was really glad that I _read_ ROTK before seeing it in the theater!


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## Kristaline (Oct 21, 2004)

Narsil,

Please don't worry so much about your daughter that doesn't like to read. As long as she has the skills necessary to get through school, it is the most you can hope for.

I have one child in each of your "camps". While the non-reader is enjoying me reading the Hobbit, he has no interest in reading. He is an extremely smart and logical child, who is an introvert and not really interested in people at all. My sister-in-law, who is a phsycologist, says that "things" interest him, not people and since most books are about "people/life forms" he has little desire to read about them and their "struggles". She also said that all I can do is stock my library with an assortment of books, do lots of reading aloud of different books in the hopes to interest him, refuse to read some books to him (ones that don't interest me) and to quit trying so hard. Since he is extremely "mule-headed" pushing just makes it worse. BTW, he isn't an awful child all, he just knows exactly what he wants and reading isn't it.

This may not be your child at all. Each child is different. I was talking to my hairdresser who did not read a non-school assigned novel until she was in junior high and discovered Stephen King. One can NEVER tell.

And we don't care if you started reading Tolkien at 39. Most of my family (who doesn't read science fiction and or fantasy) didn't even have a clue as to any of the books before the movies and they still haven't read them <sigh>. We are glad _you_ read them and are here.

cya,
Kris


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## cardanas (Oct 24, 2004)

Why not try reading to them then getting them to read a chapter back?


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## Bergil (Oct 25, 2004)

I remember my Dad read me the Hobbit when I was 6, and I thought it was the greatest book ever. I do not think he ever edited it, and I do not think that it is really needed, as their are not really very, "scary" parts. But maybe their were when I was 6....I think if you read the books at an early age, they will most likely get hooked on "one of the greatest books of our time" for ever.


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## wlng0 (Nov 7, 2004)

When I was 5 or 6, my father read the hobbit to me and my sister (who was 3, so obviously doesn't really remember being read it). I can remember listening to my dad read the story to me and thinking how I couldn't wait to be old enough to read it on my own. It was really because of my father that 5 years ago, when I was 10, that I did read it myself, and then when I was 12, the Lord of the Rings. I think that when I have kids, I would read them the Hobbit. Hopefully, if I do, they will have the same love of the novel as I do.


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## Shireman D (Nov 8, 2004)

I am reading LOTR to my ten year old at the same time as letting him see the DVD-EV of the films. It is incredible how good he is at comparing the two and trying to figure out why the filma and books vary. Many of the children in his class have seen the films and their teacher is now starting to do the same kind of Book-Film comparison of them. (Looking at film and book narrative versions of a story is a set exercise in the English National Curriculum Literacy Programme.) I have not edited the books but I have jumped some parts of the film at first showing, often after we have talked through the issues we then go back and leave less out the second time.

He was younger when we read the Hobbit and I did edit a little more of that but he has since gone back and read it all. I think that this is OK once the child has understood the plot lines so that there are no nasty surprises: in that framework, even the parts of the books, and films, which are pretty graphic can be used by the child as a way of processing their own fears in a safe and contained way.

I am interested in the voices that people use to characterise when reading and would be interested to hear what other parents have done. My dwarves seem to be from South Yorkshire, the Rohirrim are germanic, say Westphalian (although Eomer always seems to come out more Prussian, dunno why) and the assorted nasties seem to be slavic. Hobbits are a mixture but Aragorn is definitely 'Eton, Sandhurst and the Guards'. Oh, and the Elves are Welsh because JRRT used that tongue as the basis for Elvish.


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## Astaldo (Nov 8, 2004)

wlng0 said:


> Hopefully, if I do, they will have the same love of the novel as I do.


Yeah I hope that too.


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## Narsil (Nov 21, 2004)

Kristaline said:


> Narsil,
> 
> Please don't worry so much about your daughter that doesn't like to read. As long as she has the skills necessary to get through school, it is the most you can hope for.



I'm not worried about it. All in all, I'm a very laid back parent and am very accepting of my children.  

But I would like her interest in reading to increase so that we'd have things to talk about and discuss. I enjoy conversing with my daughter and am always looking for something to discuss with her. Books would add a lot to that process. 

She is reading a book for school about Sacagawea, the Indian guide for the Lewis and Clark "Voyage of Discovery". Since I happen to be reading a book right now dealing with that very topic I pulled out my book and read some parts to her and we discussed it quite a bit. We were both pleased to know about the same things. I then went and pulled out some maps and showed her where the Lewis and Clark expedition took place and pointed out that I'd been to some of those places. It's fun to see her face light up and take such an interest. She's a very intelligent girl and like a little sponge. She's just "soaking it all up".  

I love history and I really am glad when she understands that it's about people, places and events that she can relate to..Not just dates and treatises to be memorized for a test. 



> I have one child in each of your "camps". While the non-reader is enjoying me reading the Hobbit, he has no interest in reading. He is an extremely smart and logical child, who is an introvert and not really interested in people at all.



My son fits that category. He actually is working hard to read, mostly because he wants to read what's on his computer games.  He is a bit introverted. It's not something I worry about. I don't expect my children to carbon copies of me or something they aren't. My parents tried that routine with horrible results. I'm not into that. These are good kids. They'll do fine. 



> And we don't care if you started reading Tolkien at 39. Most of my family (who doesn't read science fiction and or fantasy) didn't even have a clue as to any of the books before the movies and they still haven't read them <sigh>. We are glad _you_ read them and are here.



I appreciate the kind words a lot!  IMO you're too old to do something when you've stopped breathing.  My tastes are constantly evolving and changing. 

IMO "discovering" Tolkien in my late '30s was a blessing. It would've been a shame if I'd experienced all that life had to offer before then! I'd like think that there's much that's new and different still out there waiting to be discovered. Heck, I only read the _The Silmarillion_ this past summer and there's plenty more Tolkien to be read and reread! A good book is worth reading again and again.


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## Kelonus (Nov 23, 2004)

I heard of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy when I was young, but never read it or was read to by anyone. I did see the old cartoons, but wasn't interested. I would forget about The Hobbit and LOTR Trilogy, until I saw the trailer of TLOTR when it was coming in theaters. I was like hey sounds familiar. When I saw The Fellowship of the Ring when it first came out, I was WOW, what have I been missing. I would then by the LOTR Trilogy books and became fascinated with them. I would finish the books and see the The Two Towers and Return of the King in theaters, enjoying them as well. I would get The Hobbit, read it and finish it. Now I hope a Hobbit movie would be in the works. I don't have The Silmarillion, but am sure to get it soon and possibly the other books of Middle-Earth. I'm eighteen now. I think I heard of The Hobbit and LOTR when I was seven.


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## treebeardgarden (Dec 19, 2004)

I first read the hobbit to my daughter when she was 10yrs old. However I do not think that an age is relevant. Surely it is more important how mature the child is and how much of the story they will understand. At 12 I still had a lot of explanations to give about the language and terminology used. These my daughter excepted and understood. How much younger she would have coped with these I do not know. 

Recently I bought a comic version of the hobbit from the sixties. That had I known of it back then would have made things a lot easier. Now I am looking forward to using it to introduce my Grandkids to the hobbit. It's a shame there is not a similar item for the LOTR. That would be usefull as well.


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## Eledhwen (Jun 16, 2005)

treebeardgarden said:


> I do not think that an age is relevant. Surely it is more important how mature the child is and how much of the story they will understand.


My 8 year old was on a catch-up reading scheme at school until I started to read her The Hobbit. She found the story so entrancing that she picked it up between bedtimes to read for herself (with difficulty). For her, Tolkien was proved right when he said children should be given books above their reading level to stretch them; because her reading level is now above that expected of her age group.


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## Alatar (Jun 17, 2005)

I was read it when i was about five, and then when ever i moaned about neededing a new book( i went through alot, till last year my mum gave me a tale of two cites to read, dam that slowed me down) mt father would say to read LotR so in November 2001 i picked up the fellowship of the ring, and then later that week i was talking to a sort of teacher that was in to see if i had dsyexia (i do) and was able to to say... "So what book are you reading now" said the teacher, looking down to see if what i said would indecate dsyexia "The lord of the ring" i said... It was a big step, and was realy proud when i read the two towers in two weeks (I was 10).
So yes i think that my dad reading to me the hobbit spark tolkein off for me. Anyway the hobbit is a childerns book.


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## baragund (Jun 17, 2005)

Hats off to you, Alatar, for reading LOTR at the ripe old age of 10!


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## Alatar (Jun 18, 2005)

I was determined to read it before i saw the film. I just though, only three years since i read them for the first time...
Now i am on the history of middle earth, i have read BoLT 1&2 i want the peoples of middle earth now.


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## ingolmo (Jun 18, 2005)

I first read the Hobbit when in 2000, when I was 8. The ideal age for it depends on your grasping ability, but I should say 7-infinity. I read the Fellowhip of the Ring in July 2002, when I was 10, and the Two Towers and The Return of the King in October 2002. I say that to read the Lord of the Rings, you should be atleast 11 or 12, unlike me when I read it. Because the first time I read it, I didn't understand a lot of it, and I skipped the detailed descriptions, for which Tolkien is renowned. Actually, I still don't appreciate those descriptions as well as someone about four years older than me would. But I don't know about you guys. 
And Happy Birthday, Baragund!


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## Eledhwen (Jun 20, 2005)

It's interesting to see which parts of the books mean the most to different people. I have a son who thinks that poetry is written by people who can't put a decent paragraph together (so that includes me!). That attitude makes Tolkien's works difficult to read. Others, like ingolmo, want a faster pace and would rather skip over the slower bits; that, as he acknowledges, may well change with age. Others have problems with the likes of Tom Bombadil, or the animals in Beorn's house, which are much more fairy-tale than fantasy. These problems only arise because of the wide range of writing skills Tolkien used to express his superbly rich imagination. And that's before we get onto his gift with languages! I suspect that Beorn and Bombadil are welcome interludes for younger readers in the perilous journeys of Bilbo and Frodo.


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## ingolmo (Jun 20, 2005)

I am advancing day-by-day. Three years ago, I even found LotR boring, now I consider banging my head on a wall for having such a thought. 
*Ouch! Leave me alone, guilty conscience.!*
I don't skip as many lines as I used to now, actually, I barely skip a few. 
My parents even though that I shouldn't be allowed to read it at ten, because they thought that LotR was an adult's book. Finally they started reading aloud to me, but after one or two chapters, they found that they didn't like it much, and they couldn't find time to read, so I took the matter into my own hands.


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## baragund (Jun 20, 2005)

Ingolmo and Alatar,

Here's something to try: When your current interest in all things Middle-earth wanes (and it probably will and that's OK), set the books aside but then come back to them in a few years and read them again. 

You'll be amazed at 1) how much better understanding of the books you will get and 2) how the parts you now find boring become totally fascinating.

...and thanks for the birthday wishes Ingolmo!


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## Alatar (Jun 20, 2005)

ingolmo said:


> ...because they thought that LotR was an adult's book.


My parents now have given up one me reading childerns books, and twice now i have read a book that my Mum bought, before she read it. I now like to read John Grishham, and Robert Ludlum.
Though I still love Artemis Fowl.


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## ingolmo (Jun 21, 2005)

John Grisham and Robert Ludlum, I must be dreaming. 
The only 'adult authors' I've read are JRR Tolkien and Paulo Coelho, and other authors will take serious convincing by some other adult.


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## Alatar (Jun 21, 2005)

Well my way was to read as many books as possible, and i am quite a fast reader, so when the second bookcase was full, my parents gave me there old books.
I got the Stand from my Mum too. Scary! Though not as bad as the pet semmentry! Scarier!


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## Wraithguard (Jun 21, 2005)

I am proud to say that I have read the book to 50 screaming children that seemed to shut up when I walked in the room with my black robes on. It was at the public library and was a volunteer thing and since I figured I am the resident Tolkien expert in my little backwater town I figured why not. It was easier than I thought because they seemed to enjoy it. I guess thats my job now since I'm scheduled to read FotR at the Senior Citizen's home tomorrow.


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## ingolmo (Jun 22, 2005)

Can't you get books from libraries, Alatar? You wouldn't need to buy them then, they occupy space only temporarily and if you really like a book you can just buy it. 
And best of luck on reading the Fellowship to senior citizens, Wraithguard.


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## baragund (Jun 22, 2005)

Wraithguard, volunteering your time to read to children and seniors is so wonderful!  My hat's off to you.

One small suggestion (if you're not already doing it): The kids _love_ it when you make up different voices for the characters, no matter how they sound.


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## Wraithguard (Jun 22, 2005)

Hey I do what I can to help people out. That voice thing is kinda hard since I am a bit monotonous but I do try. Only thing is... I can do a perfect Sean Astin impersination which really helps out with Sam and I have a decent Elijah Wood so It's not as bad as I tell myself it is...


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## Eledhwen (Jun 24, 2005)

baragund said:


> One small suggestion (if you're not already doing it): The kids _love_ it when you make up different voices for the characters, no matter how they sound.


I wish there was some way of telling at the beginning of a line who's speaking. I am reading HP to my youngest at the moment, and I will read out a line in broad Hagrid, only to find "...said Hermione" at the end.


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## Wraithguard (Jun 24, 2005)

My first word was Mithrandir, by the way. My mother was reading the Return of the King at the Battle of Pellenor Fields. My first chapter book was the Hobbit so I guess I can say I've known Tolkien's fine work my whole life.


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## ingolmo (Jun 26, 2005)

If I were reading the books to children, I wouldn't copy the actors voices, I would make up my own voices and make them more suitable for the character. I didn't like Elijah Wood's voice for Frodo.


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## kerrie_mcrobert (Jun 26, 2005)

I first found out about the hobbit when I was 6, I borrowed the book from my school and took it home. Over the next few days I read the book, being so young I didn't understand most of what was written, but by time I finished reading it I realised what a good book it was. So when I went to school again I asked the teacher if they could explain the bits I didn't understand. Then when I was 12 I found the book in my local library and loaned it out. This time being a bit older I understood a bit more. Then once again at 20 I borrowed the book again, and I just could not put it down. What a marvellous writer Mr Tolkien is. Needless to say as soon as I can find another copy of the book I will be reading it to my two children, so that hopefully one day they can enjoy Tolkien's world of hobbits, dwarfs, elves and and other things and pass this enjoyment down to thier children, and not to let them find this world on thier own as I did.


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## baragund (Jun 27, 2005)

Eledhwen, after making the same mistake a number of times (Gandalf dialogue in Bilbo's voice, Thorin dialogue in Gandalf voice, etc. etc.), I developed a knack for glancing ahead to the end of the dialogue to confirm who is speaking before starting my made-up voice. With some practice, you can do it without hardly interupting your reading.

Ingolmo, making up your own voices is an advantage to reading a story that hasn't been made into a movie. You have the freedom to make your characters sound however you want.


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## Alatar (Jun 27, 2005)

I think that som e of the actors are a bit to weird for me, i mean i think sean austin is not a good voice for sam, though this maybe the evil way he acts to gollum in the films.


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## Eledhwen (Jun 28, 2005)

Alatar said:


> Sean Astin is not a good voice for Sam.


I heard that it was the only British accent the actor could master; maybe because it has an American style "r" like they say it in the West country (Bristol and down).


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## Alatar (Jun 28, 2005)

Still, i can do a good inpression of him.


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## Ingwë (Jun 28, 2005)

Noone read the book to me. I read it before 10 months and I loved it. Really interesting book. It is for children but there are adults that love it!


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## Eledhwen (Jun 29, 2005)

Once I'd got past Jack & the Beanstalk, no-one read to me when I was a child either *sniff!* though I have very fond memories of my dad's booming "Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum; I smell the blood of an Englishman! Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!" ... come to think of it, that explains a lot!


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## cupn00dles (Jun 29, 2005)

No one ever read it to me, I read it for the first time when I was 15 (and not only The Hobbit, but most of Tolkien's books i've already read as you'll see)... Actually my "first contact" with Tolkien's mythology was close to that time... Of course I already knew his work many years before but never got into it... Then, after a lot of time listening about how great his books (I only knew about LOTR, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion at the time) were from many people and watching the Fellowship of The Ring movie I finally decided to get into the books... I wanted to start from the "beggining" in terms of internal chronology, so I first read the Silmarillion, then The Hobbit and finally LOTR and right after the Unfinished Tales (as it embodies all the 3 ages)... And, dammit, I cannot express how much I appreciated (and still appreciate, more and more  ) them... and nowadays Tolkien is one of the greatest writers I've ever come in contact with in my opinion (if not the greatest, for to me his imaginative capability is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, creativity to me is one of the most important qualities an individual can have)


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## Alatar (Jun 30, 2005)

You read the Sil before the Hobbit, Well done for sticking through the confusing parts. Though i think you must have been pleased when little refences back were in the LotR and you knew what they were about.


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## cupn00dles (Jun 30, 2005)

Alatar said:


> Though i think you must have been pleased when little refences back were in the LotR and you knew what they were about.


 
Yeah, in that aspect it as really great... Knowing the origins of middle-earth and seeing the evolution of characters such as Galadriel, Elrond or even Gandalf from when he was Olórin at Aman was really great...



Alatar said:


> You read the Sil before the Hobbit, Well done for sticking through the confusing parts.


 
Yeah, actually I got quite lost in my first reading through in some parts of the book hehe... Let's say that I was quite unprepared to such magnitude  But it captivated me a lot to see that the whole thing went much deeper than I thought it did


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## Kelendil (Jul 11, 2005)

I have a 12 year old and a 7 year old. I know my 7 year old would 'get it' if he was interested, but he's not. My daughter read it herself at 11. I think the best time is when they want to hear it. There seems so be (where I live anyway) status in how young you are when you read certain texts (LOTR, Harry Potter), and my daughter almost ruined Harry Potter by trying too early. So I think interest counts, and give them time to mature in literature.

A fantastic book to read to a child of any age: The Tale of Despereaux, Kate Di Camillo. Both my guys (and I) adored it. It is an easier introduction to fantasy.


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## Ingwë (Jul 11, 2005)

Alatar said:


> You read the Sil before the Hobbit, Well done for sticking through the confusing parts. Though i think you must have been pleased when little refences back were in the LotR and you knew what they were about.


 I don't think that there are peoples who would like to read Silmarilion before the other books. My mother read the Sil after the Hobbit and she stopped reading Tolkien... SAhe didn't like theSil though it is my favourite book. She said that theSil is for people who want to be Tolkin masterminds. Iaf she read the Sil before the Hobbit she won't read another Tolkien book. The Sil is a bit difficult book but the Hobbit is easy to read and funny. It is for children and good for a beginning.


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## Eledhwen (Jul 12, 2005)

Kelendil said:


> My daughter almost ruined Harry Potter by trying too early.


I read The Hobbit, LotR, Narnia and Harry Potter to my 8 year old each night at bedtime. I would put the book down and say goodnight, and then she'd pick it up again and read some more for herself. It did wonders for her reading ability. She had seen the 3 HP films before we got round to the books, and every time she knew what was about to happen, she leapt up with excitement, then flopped down again, saying "Stupid, stupid film!", realising that it had spoiled the surprise or suspense. Fortunately, we are now up to date, waiting for next week's book release; and we can safely watch The Goblet of Fire in November. I think it is a little sad that the LotR films will probably be most childrens' first encounter with Tolkien, rather than the books. At least The Hobbit is still unfilmed (we can easily ignore the cartoon versions).


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## Aglarband (Aug 25, 2005)

I must sadly say I hadn't heard about the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit until the movies came out. Of course, I was 14 (i think?) when they came out, and thats about when I started reading for the sake of reading. But unlike most people, I started out right, and read the Hobbit first. I must say I would have enjoyed it anytime during my childhood. I am currently reading it for the 2nd time. Seeing as I finally read The Silmarilion twice and LOTR 3 times, and Unfinished Tales once. I feel I know those books well enough to read the Hobbit again.


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## Eowyn of Rohan (Sep 2, 2005)

I read the Hobbit in the fourth grade, when I was nine. I read the Hobbit to my younger sister when she was six and she really liked it. But I think it depends on the child. My sister is pretty smart and mature for her age and she was good about sitting still, listening to the story, and asking questions. I don't know how many times I had to answer, "When does Gollum come back in the story?"


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## Yohaikara (Sep 27, 2005)

"Hobbit" was my second book.
This book is in program of school in my country. That mean that children have to read it.


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## Shireman D (Sep 27, 2005)

Eledhwen said:


> I heard that it was the only British accent the actor could master; maybe because it has an American style "r" like they say it in the West country (Bristol and down).


 
In English amateur dramatic circles it is known as 'Mummerset' from _mummer_, as in strolling player of the Bard's day, and Somer_set_, as in somewhere west of the Home Counties. Because it is not a real west country accent it is difficult to pin down: it is not broad enough in the vowels to Cornwall or Devon or far enough back in the mouth for rural Somerset - he might pass for eastern Gloucestershire, say east of Swindon.


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## Sathos (Sep 27, 2005)

My parents didn't read to me as a child, from what I can remember. However, as soon as I learned to read at school, I loved reading. I started out in first grade reading children's books, but by second grade I had peeked inside a novel at the library and realized it was in the same language  From there on I read books like 'goosebumps' or whatever it was called, followed by young adult mysteries, until I discovered the Hobbit when I was about 11. After that my eighth grade class read the Fellowship of the Ring, and I loved it so much I read the TT and RotK within the next year. I was fortunate enough to have read them just before the second movie came out, and had finished the fellowship before the movie of the same name had come out. If I do have children of my own (which I hope very much I do), I definitely want to read to them at as young an age as possible.


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## Eledhwen (Sep 28, 2005)

Sathos said:


> If I do have children of my own (which I hope very much I do), I definitely want to read to them at as young an age as possible.


I've found that a slightly earlier 'lights out' time than absolutely necessary helps - especially when you read a really good story. I discovered that my daughter was switching the light back on and reading ahead on her own. This did wonders for her reading ability, which had been held back by the dreadful reading scheme books she brought home from school (which we eventually ignored).


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## Wonko The Sane (Jan 23, 2006)

I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was about 9. And I tried to read it to my sister when she was 8. She liked it a lot, but the reason it didn't succeed is that she went and read it for herself. 

I'd say that some kids will take to it better than others at different ages.


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## Starflower (Aug 31, 2007)

I myself read the Hobbit at about 9, and have read it to various children in the family when they're at about the same age. This seems to be a good age for children to understand the book, any younger and they will not necessarily grasp the nuances - this is not to say that younger children would not enjoy the story.


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## Bucky (Dec 21, 2007)

Nobody read it to me. 

I saw the cartoon in 1977 at 15 & 1/2 and got hooked for life......

I read it to both my girls, my oldest at age 9 followed by TLOR's.

I am currently reading The Hobbit to my ten year old Son who has Autism, complete with different voices for each character - he covered his ears when I did my dead-on Gollum impersonation.


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## Eledhwen (Dec 22, 2007)

Bucky said:


> my ten year old Son covered his ears when I did my dead-on Gollum impersonation.


I noted from the extra DVDs of the film version, that Andy Serkis had a special potion concocted to save his poor throat from damage from doing Gollum's voice. If you're going to read the LotR books too (especially TTT) you might need some yourself!


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## Confusticated (Jan 12, 2008)

Hullo fellow readers! 

I have someone to read this book to now. 

My two week old son... 

Just a few nights ago I was thinking about what it might be like introducing him to Middle-earth in a few years. When I saw this discussion live again I just had to share the news!


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## Starbrow (Jan 12, 2008)

Congratulations! I hope you and your baby are doing well. What's his name?

You'll especially look forward to reading Tolkien to him after you've read Goodnight Moon for the zillionth time.


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## Confusticated (Jan 22, 2008)

Thanks Starbrow, we are doing well.

I forgot to mention that his father is also a big fan of LOTR, so this is something we can all do together some day. The baby's name is Colin by the way.


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## Gothmog (Jan 22, 2008)

Congratulations Nóm, to you and your husband.


Nai eleni silë mallelyanna Colin


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## Eledhwen (Jan 22, 2008)

Nóm said:


> Hullo fellow readers!
> 
> I have someone to read this book to now.
> 
> ...


That's brilliant! congratulations to you both, and to your son on getting himself born with a mithril spoon in his mouth.


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## Kelendil (Feb 8, 2008)

Fantastic! I read to both my children before they were born: The Muddle Headed Wombat (Australian) and Treasure Island. It's never to early! And I think Tolkien's works take on a new beauty when read aloud.


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## Confusticated (Mar 16, 2008)

Thanks for the Congratulations.


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## Gilthoniel (Mar 29, 2008)

As I child I first read the book in a comic book edition they had in our school library. It simplified the dialogue, but not the plot, making an already brilliant novel perfect for children still learning to read. 

In fact it's probably the reason for my love and lust for Tolkien.

xo
Gilth.


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## baragund (Nov 13, 2008)

Here is one of those "passage of time" things:

Back at the beginning of this thread I described reading The Hobbit to my then 6 year old, complete with giving the characters silly voices and on-the-fly editing of the more scary parts so she wouldn't get nightmares.

Fast forward four (4) years. The other day she was home from school with a cold and I was doing "Mr. Mom" duty. To give her a break from the boob tube, I handed her my copy of The Hobbit and invited her to give it a try. Well, darned if she didn't devour half the book over the course of an afternoon! We then had a really enjoyable conversation comparing and contrasting the characters in the book with what she has mostly known from the films. (Yes, the Elves _are_ different in the book, aren't they?)

She's up to Queer Lodgings now and she *loves* Beorn. She thinks he's really funny...


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## Aisteru (Nov 19, 2008)

My dad first read The Hobbit to me when I was about 7. His Gollum voice still trumps the cinematic version in my mind. That is definately what got me into Tolkien and his works. I think the ideal age would be a bit younger than I was, but I suppose I can't change it now.


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## Aulë (Nov 20, 2008)

Nóm said:


> Last night I read to my boy for the first time, from the back of a CD case. To my surprise, I noticed this grabbed and held his attention in a way that I had _just_ failed to when speaking to him.
> 
> I've already got him a good collection of children's books, so I plan to start reading from some of them immediately. He's also old enough now to look at pictures.
> 
> ...


 
Great work, Nom! You should start reading _History of Middle Earth_ to him soon so that you can have some well thought out debates with him. Or maybe hold off a few years until he's strong enough to hold the book up...


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## Sidhe (Nov 20, 2008)

Nóm said:


> The post here got me to wondering. Did anyone read _The Hobbit_ to you and if so at what age? Have you read the book to a child and if so what age? What is a good age for a child to be read _The Hobbit_?
> 
> To answer my own: No one read it to me; I haven't read to anyone. I think the ideal age would vary, but I'll say age 5 or so would be a good time to try.



My mother read both the Hobbit and tried to read the Lord of the Rings to me. She used to do all the voices and all the characters in those books too, including Gollum, I was utterly enamoured of the world. 

Eventually at age 8 I read both books, and since then I have no reason to not love the world of Tolkien. I'm now old, but I still can't get over how good it was to experience that fantasy. I am utterly a fantasy fan, I read voraciously any fantasy and any books. 



Aisteru said:


> My dad first read The Hobbit to me when I was about 7. His Gollum voice still trumps the cinematic version in my mind. That is definately what got me into Tolkien and his works. I think the ideal age would be a bit younger than I was, but I suppose I can't change it now.



I think the ideal age is just about that age that you believe in ghosts and orcs and trolls, but no further than that age that you believe in Santa religion and so on.


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## Prince of Cats (Nov 20, 2008)

I don't think I read the Hobbit until I was 11 or twelve. My Mom and I had earlier in my life read plenty of child mystery stories together but was now reading novels on my own etc. I had never read a fantasy book outside say science fiction (old star treks) and wasn't too excited about reading the Hobbit. After our first day of reading together I stayed up all night to finish the book and was still happy afterward to go through it with my mother. Reminiscing I kind of wish my mom and I could read the Hobbit together again  Unfortunately we both have very controlling tendencies and with my now structured view of Middle Earth we might have conflicts 

I've since still never read anything like Tolkien by other authors but I'd love to try


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## YayGollum (Nov 21, 2008)

My evil father read that The Hobbit book at me and my evil older sister when I was around five or six, most probably. I have to subtract to remember how old I am now, anyways. I don't know where my evil mom lady was, at the time. I don't remember him employing any different voices for different characters, but I wouldn't be surprised. Thorin was easily my favorite character, mayhaps partly due to the fact that his name is so close to mine, but oh well.  Beorn was next, then Gollum the hero. I didn't mind the evil torturer and the evil thief Bilbo Baggins as much, back then, but the evil torturer Gandalf was still pretty annoying. The evil thief Bilbo Baggins was fun, though. There should be more main characters like that. The out of their element type that know they're out of their element and either realistically slowly change or never adapt. 

I enjoyed it muchly and read it several times for myself, around the same time. I liked that The Chronicles Of Narnia series better, though, merely because it was longer, and my evil parents told me that I wasn't old enough for Tolkien's other stuff, although I did read a bit of that The Father Christmas Letters book. 

Upon requesting further information of this Tolkien person's stories, I was told several different bits of different stories. I was pleased to hear that the evil thief Bilbo Baggins came back for a sequel, but was quite bummed that Beorn was left out. I had a dream about Gollum the hero stalking the party of that The Hobbit book through some tall grass in the Vale of Anduin, since I was informed that he came after his ring in the sequel, but I didn't have an image of any of those new characters. I was told all about the evil torturers Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White, so I never got any shock or surprise from reading it. 

He told me about the superly boring Frodo and the evil sam going up against Shelob several times, and, probably because he had to live with the suspense when he only had that The Two Towers book to read, he would never tell me what happened to the superly boring Frodo after being hauled off, but I knew that he was okay, because I was also told about how Gollum saved the day. Mayhaps my viewpoint has been skewed because I got to think only about certain requested scenes? Nah. I am certain that anyone with common sense can see that Gollum is the hero.


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## Illuin (Nov 22, 2008)

> by YayGollum
> _Nah. I am certain that anyone with common sense can see that Gollum is the hero._


 
You certainly see things from afar my friend, but at the same time, you have a one track mind. But that’s OK….Gollum is my favorite as well (though I try to be more "surreptitious" regarding that admission ). Gollum is not exactly "Politically Correct" (thank God); though he indeed gets down to business. He could care less about a $700 billion dollar "bail out". He just wants "the precious". Smart creature! My kind of guy!


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## Rodr-Evil (Nov 23, 2008)

Nobody read The Hobbit to me as a kid  but I can't wait for reading it to my little daughter, but she is still too little (4 months, ).


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## darerabbit (Mar 24, 2009)

My dad read it to me when I was about 4, didn't understand all of it but enjoyed it nevertheless!


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## Nenya (Apr 4, 2009)

unfortunately none read it to me .... and i read it at 15!!! 

anyway, i adored it from the first line i read and think that every parent should read it to their children.


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## Confusticated (Sep 21, 2010)

Okay my son is going to be three in a few months and he doesn't really like to be read to for long at all. At this point he just flips through books pointing and naming things from pictures. but, yesterday I saw a sign that I think he knows now that those words written in the pages are in fact words. I'm thinking in 2 to 4 years I'll try The Hobbit for him.


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## Starflower (Sep 21, 2010)

Nom, if you have the illustrated edition of the Hobbit, it should not be too hard to get your little one interested! Try reading 1-2 pages at a time, and looking at the pictures and talking about it at the same time. 3 is a good age to start reading serials, a little bit every night before bed for example.


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## Confusticated (Sep 21, 2010)

I don't think he will let me hold the book still long enough to read a single page. Also want to be more comfortable with his language skills. Illustrated edition is a must though.


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