Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
By JK Rowling
Publisher/Date: Scholastic Press 1997
# of Pages:309
Reading level: 5
Genre: Fantasy

Summary:

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy living with his Aunt and Uncle because his parents died when he was a baby. Then, one day, he gets a letter. His uncle goes to great lengths to keep him from reading it and the others that come. He even moves the family to a remote island for a night. That night, Harry's birthday, an unexpected visitor, Hagrid, comes to visit. He tells Harry that he is in fact a wizard, and that he has been invited to attend Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Hagrid takes him and introduces him to the hidden world of magic. He tells him about the wizard who killed his parents, Lord Voldemort. The day he leaves for school from the train station, he meets Ron Weasley who becomes his best friend. They get to school, and Harry learns all about magic, and joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He also meets Professer Snape, and Draco Malfoy who both hate Harry. He also meets Hermione, a smart girl in his house, and after he and Ron save her from a troll on Halloween, they become friends. There's something being hidden on the 3rd floor of Hogwarts, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione have the notion that Professer Snape is trying to steal whatever it is. Along with the troll, Harry also encounters the Mirror of Erised, Hagrid's dragon, detention, Fluffy, the 3 headed dog guarding the thing on the 3rd floor, a unicorn in the forbidden forest, the evil Lord Voldemort, and many clues to lead them to think Snape is trying to steal the thing. They find out the object is the Sorcerer's Stone which has power to give the owner immortality. The day of their last exams, Harry, Ron, and Hermione think Snape is going to steal it. The headmaster, Dumbledore, is gone, and nobody believes them. So they decide to stop him themselves. They get through all the different things guarding the stone, and Ron gets hurt. Hermione goes to help him and send a letter to Dumbledore, and Harry goes on the find Professor Quirrell is the one who is trying to steal it. Voldemort has been sharing his body, and they have a battle. Harry wakes up 3 days later in the hospital wing to find the stone is safe. He becomes a school hero, and goes home for the summer happy.

Who Benefits from Reading this Book?

Anybody who enjoys a good book will love this. It is full of adventure and mystery that keeps you reading. I think it's a good one to get kids interested in reading chapter books. Those who like fantasy books will also like this. I think kids will be able to identify with Harry and his friends. This book is just plain entertaining, and anyone who likes to read will benefit from reading this book.

What Problems Could this book Potentially Cause?

This book is controversial because it has themes that involve witchcraft. Some people have boycotted the Harry Potter series, and some think it's contents are evil. My opinion is, the genre is fantasy, so the reader has to be aware that it's made up and that magic isn't real. Also, this entire series is about the struggle of good vs evil. Good always prevails in the end, so I think the message is a good one.

My Reaction:

I love Harry Potter. I have ever since I first read it in third grade. I think it's a really good series that gets kids reading. It's so well written, and the plot is so intriguing that it keeps the reader reading. I find the story very entertaining. The entire series to this day are my favorite books. I would recommend them to anybody old enough to read them.