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Summary: A Classic for the Ages to Come
Review: "Harry" is the "Huck Finn" for the Millenium generation. Kids as young as 5 years old can listen to this story a chapter at a time and can't wait til the next chapter is read. Older kids are challenged by vocabulary and newly defined words. As they grow, they will re-read these books and notice the depth of the story and the eternal struggle of good against evil. Especially in these trying times, good triumphs over evil, and a child helps to that end...empowerment! Someday, as parents, they will relate to their offspring by introducing them to our "Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Dumbledore, Snape, Fluffy, Hagrid and then there are the Muggles.......as classic as "Nancy Drew"or the "Hardy Boys" solving mysteries, Harry Potter is a triumph of J.K Rowling's brilliant imagination!
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Summary: AWSOME
Review: "Magic is a thing to wonderful to discribe".Thats what I thought when I sat down to read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.I was wrong. J.K. Rowling accomplished a wonderful book " byond words".Filled with mystery,adventure and magic I highly recomend this fabulus book.
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Summary: Harry, your my hero!
Review: "The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe" , "The Faraway Tree" and books by the amazing Ronald Dalh were the stories that enriched my childhood. But now years on i feel like i'm a child again. I've just read my first Harry Potter book. Comparisons with other classics are reasonable and the media hype is warranted. J.K. Rowling's series is truly wonderfull.The Sorcerer's Stone is perfect for young readers. The language is suitably readable, but more important are the fun cast of characters and exciting plot. This tale is so well crafted and engaging that parents will find themselves sneaking a read after the children have gone to bed. They have even published a special edition featuring an adults cover so adults can read this "kids" book without embaressment . I'm hooked!
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Summary: A present-day ALICE IN WONDERLAND type adventure
Review: "Who could ask for anything more?" I, too, am amazed that this book can transcend ages as it does. I'm nearly 60 and was fascinated by the way Rowlings captured my fantasy...after all these years. Having taught elem. and jr. high reading for over 30 years, I can just imagine the fun I'd have with reading this one aloud to my students. They're in for a real treat...
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Summary: This was an AWESOME book!
Review: 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' was simply a magical book. It presents a fascinating concept about there being two kinds of people in the world while at the same time, it's a fictional story about a young boy enjoying a different kind of life. He's surrounded by incredible creatures and many different kinds of fun such as Quidditch matches as well as his mischeivious enjoyment in things such as wandering around with his Invisible cloak. This is an amazing story, a must-read for children and adults!
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Summary: Hogwart Hysteria
Review: (. . .) Joanne Rowling is one of that extremely rare breed of animals that many others aspire to. She tells a bloody good story. This fact is often forgotten when her work is held up as "children's" stories. Well let me state at once in that case I must still be a child as I enjoy every word she has written. If she can get children back to reading books rather than watching TV, she ranks very high in my estimation. The first of her works on the phenomena known as "Harry Potter" is called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone. This book is the first of a proposed series of seven, all of which are anticipated to be films of gigantic moneymaking proportions. How then will the film live up to the expectations of thousands and thousands of young fans who know every word of the books? It is always a notoriously difficult task to convert a favourite book to film. I suppose that in all honesty I cannot think of a single example where I prefer a film to a book. The medium of film makes the transition impossible and it is exactly the case in this instance. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and some of the scenes are, to coin a phrase from Ron Weasley, "bloody marvellous". There will be very few people who are unfamiliar with the Harry Potter story, but for those who have recently returned from Mars, it is the story of a boy who discovers that he is in reality a wizard who lives in the world of Muggles (that's you). It is necessary that his magic education require that he attend the world famous school of Hogwarts, from where his adventures begin. You will notice that I do not include myself amongst you common Muggles....the very idea. Knowing the story makes this film truly awe inspiring, as your mind is trying to recall what is going to happen next, and some of the scenes are exactly as you imagined them. The Grand Hall at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat, the Hogwart Express, all marvellously captured and depicted on screen. My favourite scenes are the quidditch match and the chess game. The quidditch match, and other scenes, was shot at Alnwick castle, which is only a mile or so from where I live. If you watch as the quidditch players are flying round, you will see scenes of the Northumberland countryside. The film captures the excitement of the game perfectly; in my day it was an honour to be picked for the first team, but we did not have the advantage of the Nimbus 2000. Words cannot describe the marvellous wizards chess game. Imagine huge chess pieces which attack and fight at your command. The realism of the animation is truly breathtaking. The cast are all flawless in their interpretation of their various characters. I pick out those of which were my favourites, but no doubt you will have your own once you have seen the film. I am sure that I will run out of superlatives in a very short space of time: •Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. It was said that Rowling selected him because he was exactly as she had imagined Harry Potter to be. He is exactly as I had imagined him to be also, but probably because he is a ringer for the illustration on the book cover. Be that as it may, his performance was perfect and I am absolutely certain that he will develop the character as each film is produced. He will probably be typecast and forevermore be Harry Potter but there are worse things in life. •Maggie Smith as Prof. Minerva McGonagall was for me the star of the film. Her portrayal of McGonagall is perfect as is to be expected of an actress of her calibre.
•Robbie Coltrane as the enormous Hagrid, makes the part his own very early in the film. He is exactly as I had imagined him to be and the humour of the character shines through...oooohhh I don't think I should have told you that.
•Richard Harris as Prof. Dumbledor...perfect. The deep voice and quality acting bring the endearing Dumbledor to life.
•Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley and Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger, have two pivotal roles in this and subsequent films. They are to grow up with the young Harry Potter and will become stars in their own right. I place my cap in the ring now and say that Rupert Grint is one of tomorrow's top stars in the movie world.
•Alan Rickman plays the difficult part of Snape perfectly. Is he evil? Or not? Those who have read the books know exactly, and the rest of you will have to shell out to find out. Other parts, which will come to the fore in subsequent films include: Zoe Wannamaker (Madame Hooch), Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley), John Cleese (Nick the Nearly Headless Ghost) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy). The part of Peeves the poltergeist was reputedly dropped from the film on the grounds of time, a pity, as I believe Rik Mayall took the part. Do I advise you to see the film? Unquestionably yes. I make the following proviso however, that you see the film before taking the very young. Some of the scenes are not, in my opinion, suitable. The film has been given a PG, and quite rightly so. Also beware, the film is a massive 2½ hours long. The only things that I found disappointing in the entire film were the wands. A wand is a slender, highly complex and delicate instrument. In the film they looked quite frankly like sticks of wood. Ah Well nothing is perfect.
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Summary: Its all good
Review: (...) J. K. Rowling had me enthralled from the first page there is endless escitement from the start its one of those books you just cant put down. Harry Potter is an interesting character that jumps out of the page at you. J. K. Rowling uses descriptive writing that makes you feel that you are part of the world of Harry Potter. I loved it, its a book i would recommend to all ages.
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Summary: Nicole's Review for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Review: (...)
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor,including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel,Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. His parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is a famous survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence. Soon enough,however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure humorous, haunting, and that's when the suspense begins. This book came of interest to me because of it's mithical illusions and twists. I become attatched to books with extreme amounts of visuals and wild, creative adventures. I recommend this book to anyone interested in impulsive adventures.
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Summary: A review for Christians and concerned parents
Review: (...)I would like to offer my opinion on the Harry Potter books, based on my status as both a Christian and a parent. There’s so much hype and hyperbole surrounding these books that it may be difficult for parents and Christians to sort through it all. Are they filled with the occult, as some claim? Are they leading our children into witchcraft/occultism? Do they teach disrespect, irreverence, disobedience? What follows is merely my opinion, which I have constructed after much contemplation, prayer, and consultation. What are the books about? Most people know the basics--orphaned boy whose parents were killed by a dark wizard (Lord Voldemort, He-who-must-not-be-named) is raised by his horrible aunt and uncle, discovers at age 11 that he is a wizard and has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he begins his magical training and makes many friends. The first book deals mostly with Harry becoming acclimated to his surroundings and his classes. There’s also the mystery surrounding a package that Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore has had moved to the school--none other than the Sorcerer’s Stone (based on the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone, also the title of the book in Britain). And who keeps trying to cause bodily harm to Harry--nasty Potions teacher Severus Snape, who seems to hate Harry? Or someone else? Could this have anything to do with Lord Voldemort, barely alive since his attack on the infant Harry rebounded on him, leaving the dark wizard near death? Part of the fun of the story is the myriad twists and turns with which Rowling imbues the plot, leaving readers guessing. The book has some plot inconsistencies and the characters aren’t well-defined, but as the series progresses, (and Rowling becomes more comfortable), things get better. Rowling’s fantasy world swarms with clever, quirky ideas: “living“ chess sets, Every Flavor Beans (yes, EVERY flavor), Quidditch (a combination of soccer and basketball played on brooms), pictures that literally move, and much more. Humor abounds; even adults will finding themselves snickering. Devotees of classical literature and mythology will enjoy some of the references and character names. There are even a few Christian elements in the story (Harry’s mother was named Lily--a symbol of Easter ; Harry’s wand is made of holly and a feather from a phoenix, both sometimes used as Christian symbols; Harry is in Gryffindor House, whose symbol is the Lion, sometimes used to represent Christ (“The Lion of Judah;” see Aslan in “The Chronicles of Narnia.”);Lord Voldemort is associated with serpents, the symbol of the Devil).
There are many lists online. So what is all the fuss about? Should parents and Christians be concerned? Well, yes and no. The positive: Harry is a good protagonist--courageous, clever, fiercely loyal, and self-sacrificing. He often risks life and limb without hesitation. Despite years of abuse growing up, he’s generally good natured and sympathetic. Kids can easily relate to his underdog status--he’s short and skinny for his age, has to wear glasses, and comes to school feeling lost because he grew up outside the wizarding world. Trust me folks; there are far worse role models for your kids. The negative: He doesn’t always tell the truth, and does have a tendency to break the rules (we see less of that as he matures). Usually, Harry is forced to pay the consequences (such as losing a large number of points for his House in the school’s yearly competition) but not always. This is a good place for parents to discuss right and wrong and obedience with their kids. So, what about the magical elements in the book? Do they make Harry and his world evil? That’s open for debate; though I offer a few insights that might help: Harry’s magic is inborn, performed with a few words (usually clever variations on Latin words); there are no pentagrams or chants, no sacrifices, no dealings with spirits. There IS a ditzy Divination teacher at Hogwarts, who appears in the 3rd book, but she--and her class--are played for laughs. The magic involved is utilitarian, not supernatural; but to some, magic is still magic, and forbidden. Again, this may be a good point for discussion with your kids. There’s also been some flap about one of the Sorcerer’s Stone’s creators, Nicholas Flamel (fictional here, but he DID exist, and tried to create a Philosopher‘s Stone). Nicholas is 665 years old, and will die in the next year...making him 666. Hmmm....a Satanic reference? More like coincidence. Rowling based the books in the early 1990s, and the real Nicholas Flamel would have been about 665 years old then. Also, Harry DOES NOT summon the dead. Through a magical object--The Mirror of Erised--Harry sees his heart’s desire--the parents and family he barely knew. He does not interact with them. There is a scene in the Sorcerer’s Stone that may disturb younger kids: While in the Forbidden Forest, Harry spies a slain unicorn...and someone drinking its blood in order to stay alive. But as a centaur points out to Harry, this is considered a monstrous crime...only the most evil individuals would resort to such measures. Still, parents might want to be wary of this scene. If you have concerns about these books, read them with your kids and discuss what you agree and disagree with. Will these books bring kids into the occult or teach kids disobedience? Only if parents allow it! Make it clear to kids that this is pure FANTASY. Kids are going to want to read these books; what they take from them is up to their parents and guardians. This could be an opportunity to bond with your children. For further reading, there are articles in Christian and parent-oriented magazines and online. There’s also Connie Neal’s book "What’s A Christian to do with Harry Potter?" I hope this review helps. I am sorry it’s so long.
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Summary: Great Reading Adventure
Review: (This is written by my son, Kean) I liked this book because of it's magical setting.At a school called Hogwarts the students learn spells,potions,transfigureation,and charms.They learn how to fly on a broomstick and play a game called Quidditch. Among the students is a boy called Harry Potter who is famous. But Harry has a terrifying secret in front of him, If harry can survive the encouter. I recommend this book to people young and old.
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