Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Genre:
Fantasy

Interest Level:
Ages 9-12

Reading Level:
Lexile 880L, Grade level 5.5 

Book Theme:
Fight of good versus evil

Books with Similar Themes:  
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Bibliographic Information: 

Rowling, J.K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Plot:

When baby Harry's parents are killed he is sent to live with his estranged aunt and uncle Dursley and cousin Dudley. The Dursley's hate Harry and force him to live in the cupboard and rarely include him in family activities unless they absolutely have to do so. When Harry's eleventh birthday nears he begins receiving letters that his uncle hides from him. The letters keep coming no matter what the Dursley's do to stop them and finally a man named Hagrid, who tells Harry that his parents were wizards and that he is one too and he has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. to train as a wizard. At Hogwarts he makes friends and quickly beings exploring his powers. He and his friends Hermione and Ron discover someone is trying to steal the sorcerer's stone hidden in the school attic and they decide they must stop the person before it's too late. At the end they discover the villain and prevent him from stealing the stone, making Harry and his friends the heroes of Hogwarts.

Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a delightful story that tweens will thoroughly enjoy. The story touches on many issues that are central to tweens, such as the importance of his friendship with Hermione and Ron, the important adult relationships in Harry's life such as his relationships with his professors and with Hagrid, the forming of school cliques like those in the Gryffindor House (Harry's house) and the Slytherin House (the house of Harry's rival Draco Malfoy), and establishing independence as he did from the Dursley family. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a book to which many tweens will be able to relate. It's a book that even the most reluctant of tween readers could love, and therefore one I highly recommend for all tweens!


Notable Tweens Characters:

Harry Potter: The protagonist of the story, Harry is a brilliant boy who initially battles with self-doubt and uncertainty but quickly proves to be brave, talented, and driven. He goes back and forth between being a social misfit and the Hogwarts hero on almost a daily basis, but like a true hero always comes out on top.

Ron Weasley: Harry's best friend, Ron is one of many Weasley children attending Hogwarts. He feels he has to live up to all of his family that attended before him, which makes him a bit uneasy and shy at times.

Hermione Granger: Harry's other best friend, Hermione is a highly intelligent girl who often gets labeled as a know-it-all. She is obsessed getting good grades and annoys most of her classmates, including Harry and Ron initially, although after awhile the boys discover she's one of the most loyal friends they could have.

Draco Malfoy: Harry's school rival, Malfoy is always trying to get Harry and his friends into trouble or make them look bad. Malfoy likes to make fun of Harry and Ron's families and anything else he can think of to make them mad.






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