The Witches

There are few ways to conjure wonder and joy like pushing the envelope of what books you will read to a child.

Is this book too “mature” for them? Too scary? Are the words too big? Is the subject matter too complex?

Oh, then what a ride you’re in for!

This is how they mature. They grab your hand and then they tell you how brave they are. They ask you what the words mean, and they learn. Their minds grow more complex to match the subject matter.

One thing that is true of most people and all children – they will rise to whatever is presented to them. Protecting them from things you think are beyond them is like building a wall separating them from their potential.

I finished reading Roald Dahl’s The Witches to my children tonight (my two youngest, just as I did with my oldest some years ago). It was all they could talk about. Well, except for when we would start the next book.

Throw everything you can at them, and never stop. They’ll outgrow you anyway, but send them off with wonder in their hearts and curiosity in their brains, and you’ll have done a wonderful job.