Wizards and Hogwarts! Muggles and Mudbloods! Quidditch and the Golden Snitch! These words were foreign to Harry Potter; a small, skinny, bespectacled boy with an unusual lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead - that is until mysterious letters and visitors appear to him and reveal a strange but fantastic secret. Uncertain of his abilities, the first three books, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, of this seven piece series explore Harry’s first three years at a secret university known as Hogwarts, and the bizarre, magical friends and experiences he encounters in his development as a WIZARD.

This tale of pure fantasy makes anyone who believes in magic a little clearer in those beliefs, and those who don’t believe, to ponder the possibility.

Harry Potter, created by Joanne Rowling, has taken possession of young minds all over the world. Boys and girls, from seven to seventeen, have journeyed with Harry in his voyage of discovery. Readers who can let themselves be swept from reality into a world of the unpredictable and unbelievable, cannot help but be overwhelmed by the story. Harry’s quest to discover his personal identity mirrors the quest of a young reader in their own personal discovery. However, Joanne Rowling also wishes the reader to ‘pluck’ from this tale of fantasy, themes and messages that can easily relate to real life experiences of the reader, for example, issues of friendship and loyality and the importance of doing what you feel is right.



Because Harry is a vulernable character with many human insecurities it is almost impossible for a reader not to relate with him on some level. Whether it be his nervous or anxious nature when his secret is revealed or his unquenchable thirsty for adventure and sheer determination, Harry Potter is a character that you cannot help but understand and sympathise with.

Joanne Rowling, as an author of children’s literature also has realistic expectations of her readers, both boys and girls. This can be identified through Joanne’s selection of characters and her breaking down of traditional gender stereotypes. Hermione, Harry’s female friend is not perceived as an irrational, irresponsible female, but rather a a caring, determined young girl, who, throughout all three novels, uses her mind as her strongest weapon against Voldemort. Ron is seen a fanciful sidekick to Harry, a mischievous, cunning young boy who goal is to stand out amongst the elite Weasley family of Percy, Head-boy and prefect, and George and Fred, twin brothers, who are both ‘Beaters’ of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Another strength, which stems from the fact that all three books were written by the same author, Joanne Rowling, is that the stories flow and intertwine to such an extent, that the adventures of Harry Potter in the first novel coax you to read the second and third novel.

One weakness in this Harry Potter triology is that as the series progresses, each book has more pages which means a longer story. The first book has 213 pages with I believe is a suitable length for primary children. However the second and third of the series has 251 pages and 317 pages respectively. This increase in length tends to drag the story along and even makes the plot more complicated especially in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Another weakness is that as Harry’s college experiences continue, creatures and images become too vivid and grotesque for primary children, for example the Dementors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which are described as creatures whose "wrinkled lips suck the life force out of those whom it kisses". Another weakness is the use of flashbacks to historical events in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which, if not discussed together with the children, can cause some confusion, especially when people from the past suddenly resurface mysteriously. The three novels must also be read in sequence, as details from the previous novels, may be pertinant to understanding the motives of Harry actions and adventures.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Ages 9 to 17

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ages 10- 17

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Ages 12-17



Brief Story Outline of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
and the first chapter from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.



Facts From Joanne Rowling About the Writing of Harry Potter



What the Critics Say



Rumours



Study Questions for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone



Harry Potter Quiz 1

Harry Potter Quiz 2

Harry Potter Quiz 3

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