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Summary: Find a better book, I dare you
Review: First of all, Hogwarts was a great idea.Second of all the plot was top draw.J.K. Rowling is making a name for herself, and Harry Potter as well.I think this could possibly be the best book i have ever read.
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Summary: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
Review: First of all, I am 52 years old. While I have always been a big reader, I generally have not read children's book. However, having seen the Harry Potter books on the best seller lists for months, I finally purchased Sorcerer's Stone. I could not put the book down. While the plots and storylines are not complicated, they are completely captivating. Cover to cover the book is entertaining. I always thought that a wizard's land (Hogwarts in this case) would be a perfect idealistic place; when in fact it is full of good and evil, much like our real world. This thought captivates me as I begin Book 2. I found the Sorcerer's Stone enchanting; much like I felt when I read the Tolkien Trilogy. I highly recommend this book--you have got to love Harry Potter.
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Summary: Harry Potter - Not So Hot As It Claims
Review: First of all, I should warn you right now that this review will not contain the typical praise that most readers expect to find in a review of this world famous book. I have now read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first in the series, twice, and this review will be coming from a Christian perspective. On first impression, Harry Potter is quick enjoyable read. But after taking the time to seriously think about the content, the writing, and the message, I find something much more disturbing about Harry Potter than I found at first glance. True, Harry Potter has a couple of good qualities about it. First, the imagination that J.K. Rowling imputes into the basis of the story is rather fascinating to younger readers and can be found enjoyable along with its humorous dialogue. It is fun and entertaining. Also, Harry and his friends are loyal to each other and to their teachers. Unfortunately, its good qualities hardly make up for its bad ones. Probably what disturbs me the most is even though I shouldn't expect non-Christians to find problems with Harry Potter, I should expect Christians to see the problems with these books. And yet ... non-Christians and Christians alike are embracing these books as wonderful works of literature. Looking at the book in regards to the younger audience, this book is disturbing in many respects. Number one, Harry is NOT a good role model for children. This may shock many who read this, but I hope that perhaps you will take the time to read my reasons. First of all, Harry is raised by a terrible family of "muggles or human beings with no magical powers" who basically treat him worse than Cinderella. He lives in a closet under the stairs, is picked on by his cousin and his aunt and uncle, and lives a basically miserable life. He hates his family. Who wouldn't? He isn't taught to do anything else. But even when Harry becomes a wizard he isn't encouraged to love his family even when they are unkind to him. Is this right? Should we hate those who persecute us? As a Christian, I will have to say "no". Christ commands us to love our enemies. But Harry continues to hate his relatives and be disrespectful to them even if only in secret. Another problem with Harry is that he constantly breaks the rules. At school, he is constantly going out at night through the use of an invisibility cloak. Some might say this was a good thing because if Harry hadn't gone out at night he wouldn't have been able to defeat the bad guy. So, the ends justify the means? Well, they shouldn't. One time Harry is caught in the act of breaking the rules, and instead of being severely punished as he was told he would be if he broke the rule, he is highly rewarded. What kind of message does this send to young children who are still in the process of learning about right and wrong? Does this teach them to be obedient or to make decisions according to the wisdom of those in authority over them? Granted, Harry does have some admirable qualities such as selflessness and respect for his teachers. But which qualities will stand out more to children reading the books? You have to wonder. Oh, and on a lighter note, Harry is very loyal to his friends and they return that loyalty. Now looking at the book in regard to adult fans. Sure, it is a fun, quick read, and hopefully adults have the ability to discern the problems that can be portrayed, but the book is written at a third grade level. It is simple, shallow, and lacks anything to challenge the mind. We now live in a culture where we are rushing around so quickly that we can only take time to read mental chewing gum rather than books that have deep stories, good morals, and are works of true literary art. Harry Potter does not meet the standards.
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Summary: Harry Potter is amazing for readers of all ages.
Review: First of all, let me just say that the Harry Potter books are awesome. I'm 16 and love them, my 12 year old cousin loves them, and so does my 38 year old aunt. I've only read the first two and am working on the third. (My 12 year old cousin read all three in about a month.) These books are for people of all ages, I do however recommend that no one under maybe 10 read them, not because they're bad, but because they are longer books, and have some larger words. They do manage to make the reading go by quickly, and you'll never get tired of Harry. If you're up for some good, entertaing reading, and have a love of imaginative writing, then the Harry Potter are for you, not matter how old you are!
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Summary: This Book is Magic!
Review: First of all, let me say I am a female with grown children. I had heard all the "Potter" hype but bought the book on a lark to read on the plane (some friends who were teachers recommended it to me). By the end of the first chapter I was totally smitten; in fact, I couldn't put it down! This book reminded me of a combination of the old fairy tales I grew up with. Perhaps a combination of the brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. There are the sweet heros & heroines, the protaganists, the adventures, and the wonderfully happy ending! Character development is fabulous and Rawling's descriptions are perfect. I have also read this book to a couple of my 4th grade classes and my students were also mesmerized with the story. I would have loved to have gone to Hogwarts myself!
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Summary: a tall glass of butterbeer
Review: First of all, let me say that I'm a college student majoring inEnglish and these books are wonderful. I read the first one because itwas on our booklist for a "modern British Literature"class. As i read it I found it "un-put-downable". The plot is watertight and intricate. And as you continue to read the other 2 books in the series, you find the characters more complex and the plots more twisting and surprising. The author, J.K. Rowling is being compared to C.S. Lewis and I completely agree. Her tales, like Lewis, have a dark adult streak to them. Rowling is in league with not only Lewis, but Dahl's style and is in no way inferior. And sorry to say, Golden Compass doesn't appear on the New York Times Bestseller's list, but amazingly all three Harry Potter books do and have held spots one, two and three at the same time, beating out Jeffery Archer and John Grisham. It was the first time a "children's" book has topped the charts in years! What does that tell you? The books are marked by an inventive wit and vivid characterization. And there are undercurrents to the adventures, a sense of morality that is subtle and emotions that run deep.
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Summary: A book for everyone.
Review: First off I don't see why the US should changethe title of this book, the real title is "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Sure the Philosopher's Stone is "real", yep J.K. Rowling didnt' make it up, but still I see no point in changing it. Well enough ranting, this book is like my title say is for EVERYONE just because you a teen (like me) doesn't mean you can't read this book, some of my friends have read it too and they also like this book. There are so many twists and turns that you probably won't get the culprit until the end when it's all revealed to you and when I found out who it was it all fits together (this is the same with all 4 books and probably all 7 if I'm right). Oh to all those schools and people who want this book to be band for children, think first this book although deals with magic helps children to read (this might be the first book under 10's read which is over 200 pages), and for that reader tell you son not to take this book seriously, this book is just for entertainment and for the imagination nothing else.
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Summary: A fantastic story for all ages. A triumph of the imagination
Review: First off, I may not be exactly the demographic that you would think would read this book, or even give it a glance. After all, I am 20 years old, I listen to hip hop and alternative, and my favorite movie of all time happens to be none other than Scary Movie. So why should I care about a book that features a little boy who runs around with his friends casting charms and flying around on his broomstick? Hardly seems worth wasting my precious time. I have heard the name Harry Potter for a couple of years now, watching the evening news and the top story focusing on the mobs of people in line to buy the new novels whenever they are released. I used to laugh at those stories, while feeling sorry for all the grown adults wasting their time reading children's fairy tales. About one month ago, while I was sitting in a chair at my local movie house, I saw a movie trailer that featured the brought-to-life Harry Potter and his adventures. I thought to myself it looked interesting, and maybe I should give the book a try. Two weeks after that, my sister came to visit me and my parents on her way to Chicago. She showed me her collection of all four Harry Potter novels, and told me that I should give them a try. I then proceeded to tell her about seeing the trailer, and my burgeoning interest in Harry Potter. She wasn't finished with the latest novel, but she left me the first three for me to read. It took me a couple of days to get around to start reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but once I did I was hooked. Raised for the first ten years of his life by ordinary people without any magical abilities, otherwise known as Muggles, Harry Potter lives in a world where technology and science rules. Everyone drives automobiles to get from one location to the next, use telephones to communicate to each other, and where everyone is unaware that living among them is a whole society of beings who use magic in place of technology to improve their quality of life. Harry knows nothing of this hidden world, nor does he know anything about how his forgotten past links him to it. He lives a life of misery, mistreated by his aunt and uncle, and tormented by his sadistic cousin. They despise anything that has to do with magic, and do not want Harry corrupted like his wizard parents were. So when it is discovered that Harry has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his aunt and uncle are not pleased. What follows for several more chapters is an interesting first look at the world Harry has been denied his whole life, full of wizards, witches and spells, dragons and gold fortunes. His first year at Hogwarts will be rewarding for him in so many ways, yet scary and full of mystery. He makes new friends, but develops enemies. Yet overcoming all that is the human spirit, good against evil, which is what really this book is about. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is so much more than a magical fantasy or children's fable, it contains within it's pages the very fabric of imagination and wonder that we adults thought we lost. This novel is a very easy read, yet complex enough to keep adults interested to the last page and beyond. J. K. Rowling does a fantastic job of bridging the gaps between childhood and adulthood, childlike imagination and grown up realities. One is never to keen when first reading this, for we are entering a fantastic new world, unexplored and unknown by us, the same as Harry Potter is.
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY good book...
Review: First off, I would like to point out that it is the Hobbit that is boring--I should know, I read it long before Harry Potter. Second off, I would like to point out that this book is fairly well written, although I would not recoommend it to 8-9 year olds. Harry Potter is a boy who knows nothng of his parents--save for the fact that they supposedly died in a car crash. He was going to be sent off to the local public school until letters start to pile up in the mailslot--and his Uncle Vernon tries all sorts of humorous ways to get rid of the letters. Finally, Uncle Vernon,Aunt Petunia, Dudley and Harry himself head for a shack on a rock in the middle of the ocean, only to meet Hagrid, the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts, who has even more letters to give to Harry. Harry finally gets away from his Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin, and is on his way to Hogwarts. Ironically, the first person he meets while getting his supplies is the boy who eventually becomes his enemy--Draco Malfoy. Harry's first year at Hogwarts goes without a hitch, but he and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, get a little too nosy about the Three headed dog and the Sorcerer's stone, and get in over their heads. I gave this book 4 stars because for an 11-year old, first year "wizard", Harry Potter seems to be able to do more than he should be able to, accordng to this book.
I recommend this book to a slightly older audience than it is aimed for. Also, I would like to point out the fact that perhaps the only reason I read this book was because of the fact that many of my fellow Christians were going around preaching about how evil it is. So I just had to read it, to see if what they were saying is true. It is not evil. This book is nothing more than a fantasy story--FICTION--to be exact, meant for children to read. Those who write that this book is evil probably think that The Hobbit is evil as well. To each his own, but this book is still a recommended read on my list.
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Summary: try roald dahl instead
Review: first off, it's great that this series is inspiring people to read. unfortunately, like every over-hyped product, it disappoints and will probably be forgotten before next tuesday. if only this much publicity could be directed towards books with more heart, story, and intelligence. Who is this?: children's parents die horrible death, child is raised by mean guardians until child is taken away by mystical characters who show him how great of a person he is, all the while getting into silly hijinks with his friends and learning valuable life lessons. No, not Harry Potter, but James, from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach: a book with more humor, emotion, and story than Ms. Rowling could ever imagine. There are much better books than the Harry Potter series out there for kids. Try C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, or countless other authors. Don't get sucked into the hype machine. If you respect your children, look for a higher quality book than this. For those who have already read this book, take the excitement for reading you've gained and continue it-- go to the library or support your local book store--you'll realize that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
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