I have read this book more times than I can count over the last 30+ years, but this was my first time reading it aloud (to my youngest [12] and my oldest [23]). It was honestly even better this way, and I hope I'll get a chance to read it to someone else again in the future. 

There were a few instances where I had to add my own asides to explain things to the 12y/o, and also a few instances where I had to replace some slurs with kinder words (though with Miracle Max and Valerie, I failed to make my replacement rhyme and from then on just had him say "Slur! A Slur!"), but really there were fewer than you'd expect for a 50 year old book. 

Anyway, I will never not be delighted by this story, and can't recommend it enough. I do wish I could go back in time and tell young me that there was never any S Morgenstern, tho, bc she spent far too long looking for the unabridged copy of this book.