Rating: 
Summary: A Great Read for adults of all ages!
Review: I was a little slow to catch onto the Harry Potter craze and I am so pleased to have finally done so. I actually read the original British edition of the book which I trust is the same as the American one with the exception that some of the language in the US edition has been "Americanized". I didn't read this with the thought in mind that this is a children's book. Coming at it from an adult perspective, I was thoroughly taken in and found it quite "unputdownable". I actually found myself wanting to skip ahead to the next page to find out what was coming next. It's been a long time since a book has made me do that. The central trio - Harry, Ron, and Hermione - is delightful as are the cast of colourful supporting characters, particularly Hagrid the giant who first alerts Harry to his magical gifts, Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts' chief wizard, and Malfoy, the bully Harry and his friends repeatedly come up against. The "action" sequences - particularly the Quidditch (the invention of this game is particularly creative) match and the sequence in the Forbidden Forest - are filled with narrative tension. I also love Rowling's descriptions and her names for people and places. The way she has her characters enter their "magic" universe is delightful as well. I will say though that there is more than a hint of menace (one might even say an underlying cruelty) running throughout the book that even I found surprising. (I can only imagine how younger children would react!) Harry, whose parents we are informed early on were brutally killed, is essentially abused by his uncle - forced to sleep in a cupboard, etc. A three-headed dog nearly bites the leg off one character. There is also a particularly frightening trek through the Forbidden Forest that results in some rather gruesome blood-letting. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" is certainly one of the best books I've read this year and in quite some time. I heartily look forward to the second volume.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I was as little uncertain whether or not this book would appeal to me. By page 2, I was hooked! If you aren't sure, buy it. You will love it. It's a great escape from reality and so easy to read! Can't wait to read the rest. (the book is better than the movie :-) )
Rating:
Summary: Delightful,magical, and not just for kids!
Review: I was at first reluctant to pick this book up, for fear that it would be too juvenile to be enjoyable. But, I was absolutely delighted by it! It hearkens to the masterful works of Roald Dahl; I found myself reminded of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and "James and the Giant Peach". Rowling has created a wonderful set of characters and circumstances here: Harry is an oddball who suddenly finds himself in a strange but accepting new world. Children will gain a sense of confidence in themselves from reading his adventures, and adults will remember what it was like to be the oddball, and empathize with this unique young man. I look forward to watching the charcter grow in his further adventures, and hope that Rowling keeps Harry Potter around for quite awhile.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Review: I was at my grandmother's house for a saytr(is that how you spell it?)and I heard everyone talking about it. Then, the next day, at home, my mom showed me a clippping about it in the New York Times. I went to my friend's house, and her mom lent me a copy of it(she said it was an awesome book). I took it home, and by the next day I was finished with it. It was one of the best books I've ever read. As soon as I finished, I read it again. And again. And again. Soon I'm going to order the sequel from Amazon.com. I have a secret hope that I'll get a letter just like Harry got, and go off to an American Hogwarts. I don't know whether the people at this site post every reveiw, but I hope they print mine, because it's from someone the same age as the main character, and someone who's the kind of of person I think this amazing book was aimed at.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful family read
Review: I was aware of some of the controversy surrounding this series and so decided to read it to my children myself, rather then letting my 8 and 10 year old read it alone. I am very glad I did. The story is captivatng from the start, and we all enjoyed it thouroughly. We took plenty of pauses and breaks to let the storyline sink in, stopping to discuss what was happening and why, and what we thought might happen next. My kids loved the challenge, and I liked watching them mentally engaged,their minds working. No one was bored. The storyline is fairly complex, with many characters and subplots. I strongly suggest this book be read as a family. We can't wait to start the next.
Rating:
Summary: Not just a book for kids.
Review: I was captivated by this "children's" book. It has been so long since I have read a book to my children that I was involved in or cared about. I kept nudging the kids to finish their work so I could read to them! The story line is close enough to real life that I didn't feel I was wasting my time with fantasy but inventive enough to keep me interested. I recommend this as a great read aloud.
Rating:
Summary: Great story for young and old.
Review: I was curious about these books for a long time. My nephews and other kids of my acquaintance all loved these stories, so I decided to try one. They are very good. The characters are very vivid, the story is full of action. Best of all it is readable by the young, but not sappy or stupid. I found myself really enjoying the story and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: I pitched it in the trash
Review: I was disgusted to see how many kids and even adults adore this book. It's among the worst I've ever read. Though poorly written, the main problem is the poor morality. Harry "hates" all of his enemies, for one thing. What kind of a message is that sending out? Then there's the lying thing. Harry saves the world by telling a lie, and gets lots of points for his house, therefore winning the school cup. Although it may not be such a bad thing to tell a lie to save the world, HELLO! This is fiction. J.K. Rowling could have found a better way for Harry to save the world.
(Let's not even go into the gross aspects of the book, like vomit-flavored candy, which, I suppose, is supposed to be considered humerous.) The overall message of the book is that if you're smart and brave enough you can break the rules, lie, cheat, cast spells on the people you dislike, and all the rest, without any danger of being thought of as bad. One last note to all those people who say it's no different than "Lord of the Rings" or the Narnia books--THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Only the bad characters in those books do bad things. In Harry Potter, the good characters also do bad things.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Review: I was enthralled with this book from the first page. I'm 44 and can't remember reading a book I am so enthusiastic about in years. I only wish I had a child to share it with but I'll just push it on my adult (and young in attitude) friends. What a pleasure to escape in such a magical and mysticle world for unfortunately too short of a time. Thank you Ms Rowling
Rating:
Summary: It was wonderful! Better than I had expected!
Review: I was expecting this book to be a kiddy book, but I got it anyways because I like magic and sorcery and stuff. I was wrong! It was great! I don't really have much to say, except for that and I give it two thumbs and two big-toes up!
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