Module 2 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Module 2 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Book Summary –
Harry has lived all of his young life as a normal little boy whose parents died when he was still a baby.  He then gets the shock of his life: he’s actually a wizard and has been enrolled by the wizarding community in Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!  His adventures begin as he is introduced to this secret community where everyone seems to know his name.  He makes friends with Ron and Hermione as he is sorted into Gryffindor House, and they soon realize that the man who killed his parents, and also killed him, is looking for the sorcerer’s stone in order to become immortal.  The three race to stop him from getting the stone, which is conveniently located on Hogwart’s grounds.

APA Reference –
Rowling, J.K. (1998).  Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone.  New York: Scholastic.

My Impressions –
I love this book!  Rowling has created an entirely new world unlike any other.  It is so easy to imagine one’s self swept away in the adventure of Harry and his friends.  The fact that there is a bit of a surprise ending only adds to the appeal of this book, and indeed this series.  There are so many tales of morality and magic intertwined, that anyone, regardless of age, should enjoy this book.  It is a great first book in a series as many more adventures are set up in this one book.

Professional Review –
Harry Potter has spent 11 long years living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, surely the vilest household in children's literature since the family Roald Dahl created for Matilda (Viking, 1988). But like Matilda, Harry is a very special child; in fact, he is the only surviving member of a powerful magical family. His parents were killed by the evil Voldemort, who then mysteriously vanished, and the boy grew up completely ignorant of his own powers, until received notification or his acceptance at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once there, Harry's life changes dramatically. Hogwarts is exactly like a traditional British boarding school, except that the professors are all wizards and witches, ghosts roam the halls, and the surrounding woods are inhabited by unicorns and centaurs. There he makes good friends and terrible enemies. However, evil is lurking at the very heart of Hogwarts, and Harry and his friends must finally face the malevolent and powerful Voldemort, who is intent on taking over the world. The delight of this book lies in the juxtaposition of the world of Muggles (ordinary humans) with the world of magic. A whole host of unique characters inhabits this world, from the absentminded Head Wizard Dumbledore to the sly and supercilious student Draco Malfoy to the loyal but not too bright Hagrid. Harry himself is the perfect confused and unassuming hero, whom trouble follows like a wizard's familiar. After reading this entrancing fantasy, readers will be convinced that they, too, could take the train to Hogwarts School, if only they could find Platform Nine and Three Quarters at the King's Cross Station.

Mitnick, E. (1998). Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone. School Library Journal, 44(10), 145-146.

Library Uses –
The librarian can have the students decide which house at Hogwart’s that they would be sorted into and explain the reasons why this house would be the best house for them.