I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was 10 and it changed my life. I had always enjoyed fantasy, but could not find books that satisfied, and movies in the '80s did not match up to what is possible today. Then I got my hands on The Hobbit ... and mind blown! The world-building, the complexity, the depth, the culture, the languages, the songs, the maps, the Elves, the Dwarves — let alone the Hobbits! — it quite literally changed my life. I was already a reader, but I became an insatiable reader after this, consuming the Lord of the Rings like I was starving, then moving on to other great fantasy authors, but it all started with Tolkien and The Hobbit. I also started playing Dungeons & Dragons at 10, which was inspired by Tolkien! Not only could I read the books, but I could pretend to Live. In. Worlds. Just. Like. Middle-Earth! Booooooom! (That's the sound of my mind being blown once again.) I have read The Hobbit at least a dozen times now. I wrote my senior thesis about it for AP English in high school. I referenced it heavily in my AP English exam. And, yes, I am now writing fantasy novels. I gave all of my kids The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, aside from spending thousands of hours playing D&D and other RPGs with them. I would heartily encourage any parent to give their children the gift of Tolkien, starting with The Hobbit. There is no higher recommendation that I can make.