Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K Rowling

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Rowling, J.K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. New York: Bloomsbury.

Harry Potter thinks that he is just a normal boy who is destined to live under the stairs at his Aunt and Uncles house avoiding his cousin and his group of terrible friends. The story opens with Mr. Dursley noticing really strange things happening on his way to work, people wearing weird clothes and owls out during the day. That night the headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore meets up with other professor outside of the Dursley home waiting for Hagrid (the game keeper) to bring little Harry. You find out that Harry's parents were killed by an evil wizard by Voldemort and he will be left with his Aunt and Uncle. After this you fast forward to Harry and his family getting ready for his cousins birthday party, Harry still has no idea that he is special though he has noticed that strange things happen around him. Letters start to arrive for Harry which his Uncle won't let him read or even look at. The letters start to arrive even on days that the mail isn't delivered and Mr. Dursley starts to panic trying to keep the secret from Harry. Eventually they are on an island where Mr. Dursley thinks that they won't be able to be bothered. However Hagrid finds them and Harry learns that he is a Wizard and he will be going to Hogwarts for school. The school year is full of events that would only happen to someone who wasn't normal, there were trolls in the dungeon, secret passage ways and crazy creatures. They find out that there is the philosopher's stone hidden in the castle and decide to try to find it before Voledemort does. With the help of his two best friends they do get to the stone however a Professor has gotten their first. Harry out wits the Professor, who has Voldemort in the back of his head and saves the day.

This book would appeal to all ages in the YA group. The fact that we like to pretend that there is magic in the world and there could be another world of people living amongst us. This book does allow the reader to enter another world which would be part of the books appeal. The only limitation that might make it more difficult for someone to have access to the book would be that the book was challenged at different points and it might not be in their library.

Rating: 5/5