It would be difficult to make an acceptable review site, especially one focusing on children’s literature without mentioning Harry Potter. I have read this entire series, and the story isn’t really complete until that last book. I must admit though that I thought the first book far surpassed the others in quality. That being said, while the writing might have annoyed me immensely, especially for the fame this book series received, it was addictive. I couldn’t wait until I had free time to read more about Harry and his friends.

The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, as it was originally titled, begins the story as all the books do, in Harry’s muggle home. Muggles are non-wizards, but Harry doesn’t even know what that means. In fact, the story begins when Harry is just one year old. The first wizard characters we meet are Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall – two very powerful wizards. Harry’s parents have just been murdered by the most evil wizard their world has ever known.

An important device used in this story to give the reader knowledge of the wizarding world is that Harry himself doesn’t know he’s a wizard. So the author uses this ignorance to help explain the wizard world to the reader. His aunt and uncle have not told Harry the truth of his parent’s death and his DNA in order to knock the ‘weirdness’ out of him. But word does reach him on his 11th birthday, and no muggle could stop this source – the half-giant Hagrid.

When he finally reaches Hogwarts, he has already made one friend who quickly becomes his best friend, Ron. Eventually, through a slight crisis involving a troll, they also become friends with Hermione Granger. Both characters provide much needed information, stability and comedy to the books. Everything surrounding Harry is darkness, seriousness and uncertainty. (Side note: I dont think the two “side-kicks” ever got the air time they deserved, especially as the story develops.) As the book continues, the trio find out about a possible theft of a valuable stone that could give someone immortality. Do they successfully stop this item from landing in the wrong hands?

The reputation of these books is remarkable and astounding to me, because I didn’t feel like the writing was all that amazing. I could accept it in the first book as it was intended for younger children, but I didn’t feel it matured or even met the first books level as the characters aged and storyline got darker. The series both entertained and annoyed me.

These books are not some of my favorites, but you need to read them to see what catches childrens attention. I have a feeling though that the author was simply lucky that she wrote a fantasy book just as that was becoming the mainstream genre. Too harsh? (shrug)… I dunno.

Kate

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book 1) by J. K. Rowling
(c) 2000, Raincoast Books
Publisher Reading Level: Young Adult
ISBN: 155192398X
223 Pages