As an infant, Harry Potter appears on the doorstep of his aunt and uncle after his parents are killed. Never accepted by the family, and never understanding the circumstances surrounding his parent�s death, Harry lives as an outsider, relegated to the cupboard under the stairs. Strange things always seem to happen when Harry is around, although he never understands why, until his tenth birthday approaches and Harry receives a visit from, Hagrid, a giant of a man. He arrives with an invitation for Harry to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the alma mater of Harry�s mother and father, who he learns were a witch and wizard. Harry learns for the first time they were murdered by the evil wizard, Voldemort, who is responsible for the lightning-shaped scar on Harry�s forehead.
After shopping for cauldrons, broomsticks, and books on wizardry, Harry boards the Hogwarts Express, where he meets Ron and Hermione, destined to become his best friends. All members of Gryffindor House, they struggle through many of the trials and joys of adolescence, but their primary focus becomes discovering what is being hidden at Hogwarts that Voldemort so desperately desires. Their dedication to discovering the secret leads them on a series of dangers and misadventures until it is ultimately Harry who must stop the evil lord.
Rowling�s setting is incredibly rich and fantastic, preparing the scene for the following books in the series. The concept of an entire community of wizards, circulating within the Muggle world, is made believable. Accessed from a busy London street, Diagon Alley is accessible only to wizards and witches, via The Leaky Cauldron, a �tiny, grubby-looking pub� that Muggle eyes seem to glide right over. Hogwarts itself, �a vast castle with many turrets and towers,� is described in delightful detail, with its moving staircases, live portraits, starlit ceiling, and ghostly inhabitants. "The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors." (p. 113)
The plot is a marvel, with twists and turns that are never contrived or unbelievable. The action in the subplots which weave through the book all contribute smoothly and convincingly to the larger story which Rowling is creating throughout the series. Magic is never used �willy-nilly� by the children � they must master each spell and they must conform to Hogwarts use of magic rules.
The main characters in the book are fully developed. Rowling takes much care in showing the reader who Harry Potter is. While a heroic figure, he still has to contend with his temper, sometimes has trouble obeying all the rules, and has his share of enemies. "Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy." (p. 143) Hermione and Ron, his sidekicks, are equally rounded characters, with their particular foibles and characteristics which remain consistent throughout the book. There are both major and minor antagonists, who are portrayed as thoroughly wicked. Malfoy is a consummate stinker, and Voldemort is the personification of evil. Although the �good guys� in the book (i.e. Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Hagrid) are virtuous, they are just �human� enough to be identifiable to readers.
Rowling has a style of writing that is in a league of its own. The details in the story make it especially appropriate for reading again and again. Heretofore unseen powers, conceits, contraptions, and sobriquets are delightful asides that add phenomenol texture to the story. �Howlers,� owl-delivery mail service, �moving picture� portraits, shifting staircases, invisibility cloaks, three-headed dogs, and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters are fascinating concepts that delight and amuse any age reader. Particular care is also apparent in the choice of names for the characters: �Snape,� �Scabbers,� the �Mirror of Erised,� and �Slytherin,� are examples of onomatopoeia.
Themes of friendship, loyalty, and courage are shown in Harry�s relationship with his friends and the dangers and challenges they must face. Harry spends the first ten years of his life as an outsider, with a hateful family who have no room in their hearts for an orphan boy. After his luck changes, the resiliency of youth is evident in his adoption of his friends and teachers as family, and Hogwarts as his home. The primary theme in this classic high fantasy is good versus evil. Harry is the stuff of legend and heroic epics: a common boy, placed in uncommon circumstances, expected to do extraordinary things. And like a true hero, Harry never lets us down.
J. K. Rowling Official Site:
http://www.jkrowling.com
Harry Potter movie Site:
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/main/homepage/intro.html
Scholastic's Harry Potter Site:
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/home.asp