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BFG for 4yo?

6 replies

jobnockey · 12/09/2013 20:20

I thought it would be.nice to read a 'proper' book chapter by chapter now ds's attention span is better and picked bfg, as I remember loving it as a child. However, I imagine I was much older than ds (who is 4.8).
we started it tonight, and ds was quite riveted which I thought was great as its the first time i've read a non-picture book. thing is i'm a bit worried
now that its too old for him and is going to be too scary as it gets into story. hes not thst sensitive usually about stories, films etc but I dont want this to be the thing that gives him his 1st nightmare!
has anyone else read this with a 4yo? be good to get some feedback before we proceed... I think ds will really keen for next chapter, he didnt want to put it down earlier!

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MrsPnut · 13/09/2013 13:03

You know your child best. Is he a sensitive sort? My DD2 loved her dad reading the BFG but she was perhaps a year old than your son - not because it was deemed too old for her but rather that they didn't start reading longer books until she was at the end of yr 1.

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thewalrus · 14/09/2013 15:19

DD, age 4.11, has just finished listening to the BFG. She tends to dip in and out of her elder sister's reading (mostly Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl atm) but this is the first one she's fully engaged with from start to finish. She loved it, to the extent that she wouldn't let us read the final chapter for about a week because she couldn't bear to finish it. Neither DD has been at all scared by it, though we thought they might.

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thewalrus · 14/09/2013 15:21

I guess you could try one of the gentler Roald Dahl's first - eg Magic Finger, Twits, Matilda - and see if he's ok with it?

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BikeRunSki · 14/09/2013 15:24

We have all the Roald Dahl children' s books on cd for long car journeys. DS was 5 last week, we have had them for 3 or 4 months and non of them have scared him. He loves Matilda and Danny Champion of the World best.

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NamelessMcNally · 16/09/2013 12:25

I'm starting it with DD tonight (4.6). She likes the Secret Seven (but I can't read any more without going insane), enjoyed the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (but had seen the film). My other ideas are: AA Milne, Just so stories, A Gift from Winklesea, My naughty little sister. Also try to get a look at the rough guide to childrens books for ideas.

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jobnockey · 16/09/2013 14:46

Thanks for all these other suggestions... he was eager for me to continue with BFG so i am sticking with it for now. he's pretty good at knowing 'it's just a story' so hopefully he won't be too freaked out (I had forgotten about the giants who eat children!)
it's nice to be reading a 'proper' story together... I wasn't sure he'd take to it yet but he's been begging for more chapters when it's time for lights out!