Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.3/ Grades 5-8
Awards: ALA Notable Children’s Books 1999
Series:
- Book One: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Book Two: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Book Three: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Book Four: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Book Five: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Book Six: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Book Seven: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Similar Titles: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Poor,
10 year old, orphaned Harry Potter is friendless and loveless, abused and
enslaved, living in a cupboard under the stairs in the house of his intolerable
Aunt and Uncle Dursley, and their spoiled son, Dudley. Left on their doorstep
as an infant after the tragic death of his parents, he is forced to work as
their slave for room and board while attention, gifts and privileges are lavished
upon his brutish cousin. That is, until, the day approaches when Harry receives
a letter with a wax seal, the first addressed only to him. Intercepted by his
Uncle, Harry is unable to read his letter, no matter how many copies are sent and
after a string of odd, almost magical, occurrences, Uncle Dursley relocates the
entire family to a remote location he believes no one will be able to find. That is until midnight on Harry’s 11th
birthday when a large, hairy man on a magic, flying motorcycle, named Hagrid, arrives to tell Harry that he is a wizard, as
were his parents and that he is to attend the most prestigious school of
witchcraft and wizardry in the world, Hogwarts.
While
attending Hogwarts, Harry learns that all the things that made him odd in the
muggle world, make him exceptional in the wizard world and that the lightning
shaped scar on his forehead has a place an infamous place the history of the
wizard world, as well as that of its greatest enemy, the Lord Voldemort, or
simply “He Who Shall Not Be Named”. Armed
with new knowledge and new friends, Harry is in for the fight of his life as he
meets incredibly characters, discovers his own nemesis, uncovers the secrets of
the Sorcerer’s Stone and the key to his past that has put him in harm’s way
since the day his parents died protecting him.
This
introduction into the Harry Potter series is a quick and delightful read.
Filled with magic and naiveté, Harry and his friends truly come alive on the
page and make the story relatable to tween readers as well as teens and adults
as they find their place, their fight, and the bond of their own
friendships.
The
film adaptation of this book is almost word for word. However, as the series
progresses, more and more of the content is cut for time and often entire
scenes that are pivotal for story movement have been omitted. Don’t do yourself
a disservice. Read the books first. Then make up your mind as to whether or not
the book is better than the movie or if the books were really what made the
movies come alive.
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