Introducing Children to Tolkien

[Valandil]

When is a good age? How is a good way to do it? For you who discovered Tolkien when young, how did it happen? For you who were introduced to his work by your parents, how did they do that? You who have children... what have you done? How has it gone?

I have three young boys - ages 5, 3 and 1. They still seem a bit young to me. The older two are both somewhat aware of my LotR movies... the oldest calls them "Daddy's Hobbits" - and they know it's OK for daddy to watch them, but that mommy doesn't really like them and doesn't want them to watch the movies yet. He (oldest) loves games, so someone even got him a children's LotR game as a Christmas present - the second 'plays' with us too, whenever we play it.

I'm wondering now how soon I could start reading 'The Hobbit' to him. He'll actually be 6 in April. I also wonder about getting an illustrated children's version.

And... this will be hard in our visual, video age, but obviously I'd much prefer for them to read the LotR books before they see the LotR movies.

Suggestions? Experiences?

[Radagast The Brown]

Originally posted by Valandil
When is a good age? How is a good way to do it? For you who discovered Tolkien when young, how did it happen? For you who were introduced to his work by your parents, how did they do that? You who have children... what have you done? How has it gone?

I have three young boys - ages 5, 3 and 1. They still seem a bit young to me. The older two are both somewhat aware of my LotR movies... the oldest calls them "Daddy's Hobbits" - and they know it's OK for daddy to watch them, but that mommy doesn't really like them and doesn't want them to watch the movies yet. He (oldest) loves games, so someone even got him a children's LotR game as a Christmas present - the second 'plays' with us too, whenever we play it.

I'm wondering now how soon I could start reading 'The Hobbit' to him. He'll actually be 6 in April. I also wonder about getting an illustrated children's version.

And... this will be hard in our visual, video age, but obviously I'd much prefer for them to read the LotR books before they see the LotR movies.

Suggestions? Experiences?

I think 'The Hobbit' is the best way to introduce little children with Tolkien's world. I'm not sure about the age though. My uncle, which is a book fan too, already started reading 'The Hobbit' for my cousin, 4 years old. He said he'd read her the whole book when she's 5.
She hates violence, and can barely stand Shrek, so I don't think showing her the movie is a good thing, but I'm not sure how are your kids...

I read the Hobbit when I was 10, because my sister told me to.
I refused ion the beginning, but when my cousins and her kept talking about the book I decided to read it.
Now look what I became to...

I think it's a good idea to let them read the books, when they old enough, before they watch the movies. It would kinda ruin their reading afterwards if they watch the movie first.

[Sister Golden Hair]

It has been my experience that some children take to having the books (the Hobbit being first of course) read to them at bed time or whenever, and some don't. The Hobbit is definitly on their level of understanding at the age of at least your oldest boy Val, but the LotRs may be a little advanced yet IMO.

I made several efforts to read the books to my son (now 21) when he was growing up. from 5 to now, without success. In his case, he did not have the attention span or patience to sit still and listen when small, and was more into doing his own thing in his teens and now. However, I can bet that he knows almost as much about the books as I do, because although I couldn't read them to him, I never shut up about them and told him the entire story from the Hobbit through the Silmarillion without reading a word of it.. Sadly though, that still did not make him a fan. He likes it, but not enough to read it on his own, or to even see the movies. I attempted to sit down with him and watch the movies, and he always falls asleep in the middle of them. so I guess my 15 some years of story telling is as good as it will ever get.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

As a fourth grade teacher I've read The Hobbit, and some of the Narnia books, to fourth grade children (ages c.8-10) with them participating, reading some of the characters lines, while I do the narration and a major character (Gandalf). And, as a librarian, there have been 3rd-5th grade students, some not technically reading on grade level, taking out the Harry Potter books and claiming to read and enjoy them (including the books not yet made into movies).
I would think that LOTR should, as a general rule, probably wait until at least middle school/junior high school, unless a child has a particular interest. (Hey, it isn't just elves that will say both yes and no when asked for advice).
And I believe somewhere JRRT opines (in "Letters"?) that he feels LOTR (and perhaps The Hobbit?) shouldn't be read until a later age.

[Elf Girl]

Don't give them the books too early.

I read them at age 11, and I think it would've been less spoiled had I waited another year or two. (Being 13 now.) Anything under ten is way too young, they'll know the ending and it will be ruined when they're old enough to appreciate it.

The Hobbit is okay for any age, though.

[Nurvingiel]

I agree with Elf Girl, I'd say under 10 is too young to read LotR (and to see the movies). I don't know if your oldest son is the right age to have the Hobbit read to him - it's your call depending on how mature he is and how much he likes being read to.

My dad read my brother and I LotR when I was about 11 and he was about 9 or 10. It was the right age for us.

[luinilwen]

I agree with Tuor - around 7 - 10 is a good age for the Hobbit, and probably early teens for lotr.

I had the Hobbit read to me by my school teacher when I was in yr 4, but I'm one of those people that needs the text in front of me to absorb it, so it was completely wasted on me. I read the Chronicles of Narnia when I was 10ish, and they were great, but didn't end up reading the Hobbit for myself until a few years ago (I'm approaching 20 now).

I think if you push something too much the child can end up disinterested, as Radagast the Brown has pointed out. This was also my experience with Narnia - my brother kept trying to push me into reading the books, even attempting to read them to me a few times, but it made me even more disinterested. Then again, I was probably just a rebellious brat...

Sister Golden Hair: it must be disappointing about your son's lack of interest in Tolkien. I had the opposite experience - I had to bug my mother into reading the books! Now I'm trying to get her to read Dune, but I really don't see that happening... She won't even watch the movie with me!

[The Gaffer]

I read the Hobbit to young Samwise when he was about 5 or 6. Doing funny voices made it more entertaining (for him and me). He read it himself about 18 months later, and how he's read LOTR (he's 9), lots of other fantasy and is now 3/4 of the way through His Dark Materials!

I wonder how much he's taking in, though he does make comments on how the films differ from the book so I guess he has.

(Son: Frodo would never do that!
Dad: That's my boy....)

My feeling is that you're never too young, as long as you can follow the story. One of the great things about the book is that you can re-read it years later and see a whole bunch of stuff you never saw before.

My wife is the same as your son, SGH. Falls asleep immediately as soon as the DVD goes on. lol

[Valandil]

Oh - one other little thing: Maybe I'm the only one here *looks around* who scooped up as many of the Burger King 'Lord of the Rings' figures when the first movie came out...??? (didn't get Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli or Elrond - but DID get Aragorn, Boromir, Pippin, Merry, Arwen, Galadriel, Saruman, a couple trolls, orcs and a Uruk hai) Anyway, the kids play with them... and one of them - one of the trolls - is a favorite bath toy. We always play, "Where's the troll?" when the tub is full of bubbles!

[Falagar]

My father read both the Hobbit and LotR to me when I was 7 or 8 years old. Can't say it has taken much away from my enjoyment of it.

[Ruinel]

Val: "Where's the Troll? "
kid: "OUCH!!! I sat on the Troll!!!! "
Val: "oh... "


Is there really an age that is too young for Tolkien? I don't think so.

I'd definitely start them out with The Hobbit, though... it was written to the younger crowd anyway.

[Elf Girl]

Originally posted by Ruinel
Is there really an age that is too young for Tolkien? I don't think so.

Yes. Believe me, I know.

You have to be a certain age to really appreciate the scope of it and understand the language. It's really dull, parts of it, for younger people, and the metaphors are difficult. I completely missed the boat the first time I read it- I didn't get any enjoyment from it, and yet the ending was spoiled for rereadings afterwards. My passion for Tolkien to this day is related more the the Silmarillion and the Lays than to LotR, since the trilogy is forever imprinted on my mind as a long, dull slog of a read. It's just not worth it to ruin something so wonderful just because you want your children to 'join' you in your appreciation. The time will come for that.

[Twista]

Originally posted by Falagar
My father read both the Hobbit and LotR to me when I was 7 or 8 years old. Can't say it has taken much away from my enjoyment of it.

Yeh, i know what you mean. My cousin acually, tryed to read me the hobbit when i was like 6, and i couldnt care less about it then. Then when I was 11, we had to read it in school. Once, again i payed no interest and dismissed it for a second time.

However, for my 13 birthday i got a copy of Lotr for my birthday, and since i was acually on holiday in Devon ( South - West England ), and i we had to drive back to Edinburgh in the car. This journey takes 8 hours. So eight hours of constant Lotr reading later i was hooked, and hence forth went on the to read the Hobbit, and only resently, The Silmarillion. So In my opinion you really have to wait till your at least past 10 to appreciate it.

[ryttu3k]

I was read it in class when I was ten... I liked it but wasn't instantly grabbed, so I read the book myself one day, when the teacher was about half-way through, and so every time the teacher read it out I would quote along with her.

Until she got distracted and sent me to the back of the room *g*

But I didn't read Lord Of The Rings until I was nearly eleven, and it took me two months... I barely took anything in. I read it again when I was eleven, and got through it in two days. Loved it. So definately no younger than ten!

[Mrs Maggot]

I had a similar experience with LotR when i was young… I got given the book when I was 11 and started wading through it immediately. However, a lot of it was over my head and I got up to the end of the first part of RotK– that's the depressing bit where Pippin thinks he's gonna die– and couldn't go any further. I was too intimidated by it to attempt again until i was 15 or so and got through it in a week. So yes, i reckon 11 is too young… except if your kid is like a mini-Einstein or something. A lot of the themes are too complex.

[gimli7410]

one thing is dont let them see the movies first which will just turn them away from books trying to find adapted versions of them. plus its impossible to read the books after seeing the movies first. the only lotr book i can read and limitly enjoy is rotk

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by gimli7410
one thing is dont let them see the movies first which will just turn them away from books trying to find adapted versions of them. plus its impossible to read the books after seeing the movies first. the only lotr book i can read and limitly enjoy is rotk

That's not true, I know a number of people who saw the movies first and now love the books...

And to your second statment, thats cuz RotK is the best of the three, in my humble opinion

[gimli7410]

Originally posted by Dúnedain
That's not true, I know a number of people who saw the movies first and now love the books...

And to your second statment, thats cuz RotK is the best of the three, in my humble opinion

well they got lucky but now i just picture gimli as john rhys davies,aragorn as viggo and legolas as orlando bloom the movie didnt even compare to rotk. i have seen rotk twice and there were just times i wanted to get up and leave buth then whata waste of money so i stayed

[luinilwen]

IMO, worse than imagining frodo as EW, etc. is hearing that bloody donald duck voice in my head whenever i'm reading gollum's speech.

[Sween]

Amy is starting to get a bit more aware so i am starting to tell her stories. Not read them! I am at the moment telling her the story of Beren and Luthien and shes loving it. Im doing it completally verball i aint reading from a text the way i figure it she will like the story and sometime down the line she will read it herself. But at the moment she just too young for big details. All she knows of is Luthien the beautiful elf princess (she asked me if she liked pink too ) and Beren the man who were going into hell to take back the light of the hevens. Yes i know thats not exctally how it happens but hey she likes it