Synopses & Reviews
Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.
Review
"A wonderful first novel....Harry is destined for greatness....Much like Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling has a gift for keeping the emotions, fears, and triumphs of her characters on a human scale, even while the supernatural is popping out all over." Michael Winerip, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Readers are in for a delightful romp with this debut from a British author who dances in the footsteps of P.L. Travers and Roald Dahl." Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"Obviously, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone should make any modern 11-year-old a very happy reader. The novel moves quickly, packs in everything from a boa constrictor that winks to a melancholy Zen-spouting centaur to an owl postal system, and ends with a scary surprise." Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World
Review
"This hugely enjoyable fantasy is filled with imaginative details, from oddly flavored jelly beans to dragons' eggs hatched on the hearth. It's slanted toward action-oriented readers, who will find that Briticisms meld with all the other wonders of magic school." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A charming, imaginative, magical confection of a novel." The Boston Globe
Review
"[T]he rapturous reception of the Harry Potter books is heartening, because J.K. Rowling is a literary artist, and these three books possess more imaginative life than the majority of novels that are published in this country in any given year. They are full of marvelous invention and humor and fun, but they have more than that." Lee Siegel, The New Republic (read the entire New Republic review here)
Review
"Rowling's wonderful ability to put a fantastic spin on sports, student rivalry, and eccentric faculty contributes to the humor, charm, and, well, delight of her utterly captivating story." Michael Cart, Booklist
Review
"A charming and readable romp with a most sympathetic hero and filled with delightful magic details." Horn Book
Synopsis
The wickedly funny debut novel tells the story of Harry Potter, who, having endured ten miserable years with his hideous aunt and uncle, is invited soon after his 11th birthday to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. There he learns of his distinguished wizardly pedigree -- and his frightening destiny. The first in the best selling series!
About the Author
J.K. Rowling was a struggling single mother when she wrote the beginnings of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on scraps of paper at a local cafe. But her efforts were soon rewarded with an award from the Scottish Arts Council enabling her to finish the novel. She has since won numerous awards including the ABBY Award (American Booksellers Award) in 1999.