Bird recently started off her 6-year-old daughter with the Jim Kay Illustrated Edition, which breaks up the chapters with beautifully detailed pictures.
You might not be able to predict what will be unnerving to your children—it could be Lord Voldemort, or the Dursleys might be deeply upsetting. It’s better to help your kids figure out how to cope with the suspenseful parts.
There are lots of characters in the series, and you can exhaust yourself coming up with a different speaking style for each one. Just do the major characters. Or, starting when he’s around age 8, your kid can assume some read-aloud duties.
Bird alternates Potter chapters with different books every other night and plans to go on hiatus before the fourth book, in which the series takes a much darker turn.
Head to your Gringotts vault, because your little Potterheads are going to want these enchanted items.
Use your kid’s chosen house to guide you to the best read. Contributing editor Colby Sharp recommends these books.
This article originally appeared in Parents Magazine as 'Happy 20th Anniversary, Harry Potter!'