50 books to read before you die discussion

My 9 year old son wants to start the Harry Potter Series. I have zero interest but I feel like it's a substantial enough read that maybe I should read with him. Not read to him or read aloud, but read simultaneously so he can talk about it. My selfish worry is putting all the books on my to-read list on hold. Any opinions on this one?

The Harry Potter books are good, even for an adult. If you've seen the movies, they are fairly true to the books. The series follows Harry and his friends through the equivalent of high school, so the characters are a bit older than your son. But if your son can do it, you can do it. You may find them surprisingly enjoyable. I did. The first three or so are a bit repetitive, more of the same, but mid series it starts getting darker.

I think I’m going to go ahead and read them along with him. They wouldn’t be my choice but hopefully I’ll enjoy them once I’m in it and I’d really like him to be able to discuss them as he reads. I think he’ll be fine the first few books when Harry is fairly young. Im wonder how to go about dishing them out to him. Upon release, Harry aged along with the readers. I may try to get him to hold off between each book like that...but I know I would want to finish a series right away if available :D

Julie, take your to-read pile and stack it up nice and pretty--think of it as your illicit mommy stash. Make sure it's nothing you won't mind dropping in the tub. Then read HP along with your son. My advice would be to let your son control when to start the next book. He may want to read straight through, or he may get bored and want to move on to something else. The later books are fine for young readers--anything that isn't interesting or is too subtle or complicated, they just filter out. Like watching Rocky and Bullwinkle. A lot of kids read the books more than once, like, annually all the way into college. Each time they read it, they are more mature and are able to comprehend more of what's going on, so they grow up with Harry anyway even if they don't have to wait for the next book to come out. If you tell him he must be Harry's age for every book, I think you will only mystify him. Imagine him having to explain to his eleven-year-old friends that he isn't allowed to read book 7 until he is eighteen. Let him read at his own pace; you'll find plenty of fodder for discussion. And before you know it, he'll be dipping into Mommy's stash. Then, when he's in college, he'll be calling you every Tuesday to talk about Infinite Jest.