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Summary: Not just for kids
Review: I'm in my mid-20s, and I just loved this book. I completely understand why kids love this series so much. Harry is the kind of character that anyone would root for, but he still messes up now and then and gets in trouble just like any kid. J.K. Rowling has an amazing talent; her writing is so fresh and witty. I would recommend this book to any age.
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Summary: The best book I ever read!
Review: I'm in the 7th grade, and I thought that out of the many books I've ever read, this was by far the best. Each chapter was so gripping, I couldn't put the book down, literally. I would always stay up real late to finish a couple of chapters. I can't wait to read the next 2 Harry Potter's! (Harry Potter 3 comes out in early October.)
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Summary: Okay, I Admit It -- I Read the Book Without the Dust Jacket
Review: I'm just like you -- I read and heard the hype that came along with the publication of book #4. I knew it was hype. But I thought, "why not?" Being the melancholy personality I am, though, I couldn't just pick up the series with book four, so I purchased all 4 books. And being the purist that I sometimes am, I even used the UK version of Amazon.com to buy the British titles (very little difference with the exception of a few words that appeal more to the British taste in language). Fearing some criticism from my other over-educated friends, I pulled the dust jackets and sat around the pool reading. Then, from the pool into the sitting room. And finally, staying up late just to finish the stories. The books don't offer the depth that a C.S. Lewis lover might desire -- but they are just plain fun reads. Everything we read doesn't have to test our intellect -- sometimes it pays just to read to relax and enjoy. Suspend a little reality. Read the book simply because it IS a fun read! You'll be glad you did. And before long, you'll find yourself cheering for the same people and games that your kids are pulling for. Besides, won't you be able to surprise your preteens when you can tell them that you TOO know where Hogwarts is? Enjoy yourself.
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Summary: A very pleasant read
Review: I'm looking forward to reading books 3 and 4 after reading 1 and 2. Anything that gets young people interested in reading on their own is a good thing. I read my brother's Amazing Stories in the late 50's: I had flunked 3rd grade and was just beginning to learn to read on my own. The texts at school were boring and ordinary, but science fiction was exciting and different. Good children's books from " The Wizard of OZ" to the Harry Potter books have been those where the young reader is carried away into the strange and magical world of the imagination! I hope someone better than Disney makes the first movie of these books!
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Summary: I could not put it down!!! A fantastic Book!!!
Review: I'm nine years old. I finished it in just a few days, and would have sat down and read it straight through if I could have. This is the first Harry Potter book I have ever read. Definitely has inspired me to read more Harry Potter books.
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Summary: It got me reading again!
Review: I'm not a kid anymore. I'm an adult now. But somewhere in between childhood and adulthood a curse was cast upon me. I stopped reading. I used to read all sorts of books when I was young (if Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys sound familiar to you, then you'll know roughly how old I am). I read whatever I could get a hold of and it filled me with a sense of wonder and imagination. Reading filled voids during the lonely times, and gave me something to think about during the happy times.It's kind of ironic that a children's book should make me fall in love with reading again. But this book did the trick. From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I slowly read the next book in the series, then the next and the next. Each book got progressively thicker, but that didn't matter. The stories come to life with humorous characters and this world of witchcraft and wizardry. I was beginning to imagine again! After reading the four books in the series, I said to myself "Hey, that wasn't so bad. I wonder why I stopped reading." From that point on, I started with The Hobbit, then The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Then I saw the movie trailer for The Bourne Identity which stars Matt Damon and I looked for the book it was based on. That led me to explore the world of espionage and international conspiracies according to Robert Ludlum. From here, I realized that I should probably balance my reading between fiction and non-fiction. So I read Good to Great, a business book by Jim Collins (the author of Built to Last), Jack: Straight from the Gut (about Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE), Made in America (about Sam Walton...). With a seamingly endless sea of titles to choose from and written by authors I did not know, I started one book at a time from each "famous" (atleast to the world around me) author. I've read current books by John Grisham, Jonathan Kellerman, Sandra Brown, Carol Higgins Clark, Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, and many many more. From this sampling, I've developed a sense of what I like and don't like. I've discovered what "formulas" these authors use. All this in a span of 5 months. I don't even realize how caught up I get when I describe to my friends the books I've read and the books I plan to read. It's truly an indescribable feeling to once again find the passion for reading. And it all started with this simple children's fantasy book. So would I recommend this book? Wholeheartedly! To kids and adults alike.
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Summary: Great Fun!
Review: I'm not a kid, but I loved this book. I'm partial to books and movies where kids save the day. I recommend the book to anybody over 7 or 8. Read it to your child and enjoy it together. If you don't have a child, borrow one, or just read it for fun. We all need a little whimsey in our lives.
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Summary: Yet Another Harry Potter Review ^_^
Review: I'm not going to sum the book up, or tell you about the story line, because it has been done in all of the other reviews. ^_^ All I want to say is that you are missing a great series if you aren't planning on reading any of the Harry Potter books. It's truely an age-spanning series, having fans ranging from my 7-year old cousin to my 11th grade classmates, and even to my mom and other older family members! This series is wonderfully imaginative and unique, and I know I'm impatiently waiting for the 5th book!
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Summary: Wow - I had to finish it after I put my kids to bed....
Review: I'm not kidding - I try to read to my children every night, and I usually follow along with them and shut the book when they go down, but after a few chapters, I didn't want to put this one down. A couple of times I read a few chapters ahead - I HAD to read the final chapter the other night even though I put my kids to bed... and I still enjoyed finishing it with them. My eight year old even cheered out loud at the end! This is a great book to share with your children. It is magical, fun, and has something for adults and children alike. What a way to get them into a story - with misfits everyone can relate to, where good does conquer evil, and it is OK to stand up for your friends, and even against them when you feel you have to. As we closed the first book and said goodnight, my oldest child was begging me to start on Book 2 - we will hit that one tonight and we can't wait!!
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Summary: A great kids' book that appeals to all ages.
Review: I'm not much into kids' books but when my mom brought home Harry Potter, I remembered it from the NY Times bestseller list. In bed one night I flipped open to the third chapter and after five minutes, reverted back to chapter one. After 11 years of torture living with his foster family (Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley), Harry is shocked to learn that he is actually a world famous wizard! When he was only an infant, a powerful, evil sorcerer killed his parents but was unable to destroy him. All that's left of the encounter is a lightening shaped scar on his forhead. The incident having driven the sorcerer into exile, Harry is a celebrity everwher he goes, from diagon alley(for school supplies) to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry befriends other schoolmates as they learn the arts of magic. While trying to keep his grades in check, Harry learns of a plot to undermine the scools headmaster. Harry risks his reputation and life as he does his best to get to the bottom of the situation. A captivating read, The Sorcerer's Stone contains the imagination of Roald Dahl, the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien, and the humor and suspense J.K. Rawling throws in to even it out.
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