Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Scholastic. 1998.
Well, I blogged about the most recent movie in the Harry Potter saga, so I figured I should write a review of the book that started it all.
Harry Potter lives with his mean aunt, uncle and cousin who shun and verbally abuse him. On Harry's 11th birthday, a particular awful day when you're not loved by your family, a giant named Hagrid, to Harry's surprise and the horror of his family, takes Harry away. Eventually, Harry winds up at Hogwarts School of Wizardry where he learns how to be a wizard and he learns more and more about why he is a very special wizard. He becomes friends with Ron and Hermione, joins the his house's quiditch team and dedicates himself to finding the where abouts of the Philosopher's Stone.
Something that is appealing about Harry is that his life always seems to be the pits, thus making him empathic. First, he's stuck with his awful relatives. Then he discovers he is completely different from them, and not only that, he is special amongst his new found people. However, being special is a double edged sword. This story sets up how Harry will have to balance between holding great responsibilities as a mythic hero of sorts while being true and dependable to his friends.
A fun read for 4th to 9th graders.
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