Can children appreciate The Lord of the Rings?

[Aiwendil]

I was brought up on a diet of Lloyd Alexander, I have been read to for as long as I can remember. I loved the hobbit when I was around six but enjoyed the Lord of the Rings so much when I was ten that it instantly became my favourite book and remains so to this day. My childhood would have been a lot less interesting without it.

Just about the same for me. I was brought up on Lloyd Alexander, C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings has been my favorite book for as long as I can remember; I've read it countless times, and I only like it more each time. I think that children are generally far more intelligent and perceptive than they are given credit for. For a long time my family had the habit of gathering near bedtime and being read too, usually by my mother. As soon as I heard of the existence of the Silmarillion, I requested it as bedtime material. That was probably when I was in 3rd grade. Though I realize now that I had only the most superficial understanding of the plot then, I absolutely loved it from the beginning.

So read Tolkien to your children!

[ January 24, 2002: Message edited by: Aiwendil ]