Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (paperback)
by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first in a life-changing series. Life-changing? Yes. Once you meet Harry and his friends, you will become a HP fan for life. In the first few chapters, we learn about Harry’s dismal life pre-Hogwarts, living as an orphan with his abusive aunt, uncle, and cousin. Strange things happen to him, but he doesn’t learn about being a wizard until Hagrid rescues him from his family and tells him about his loving parents and the world of magic. Harry attends Hogwarts and makes friends with Ron, and later Hermione, who become loyal companions. They learn about Voldemort, an evil sorcerer who killed Harry’s parents, and has come back to kill Harry. With the help of Hagrid, Dumbledore, and his professors, Harry adapts to being a wizard and learns to trust his magical family.
What I liked about this book was my lens. This summer, I decided to reread the Harry Potter series. I read the first few books in 1999, and then read them in real time as they were published. While I have read this book a few times with my class, I haven’t actually read the rest of the series. Reading this on my own (without reading as a teacher) has brought back my love for Harry and his friends, and I am very excited to reintroduce this to my class with a new vigor.
What I didn’t like about this book was that it was hard for me to get into it without thinking of my students’ comments, knowing that some of them hated it, and learning several of them skipped through chapters without appreciating it! It made me wonder if I should read this with my class, because I don’t want them to think of the movies and then be disappointed by the book. However, knowing how many I did turn on to the series, it is worth it.
Book 1 of 20 (summer goal)
(Book 47 of 2018)
turn off the tv 