This summer, our S*T*A*R volunteers have taken up the pen to provide some book reviews! See what your peers are reading and find some great new summer reads. Today’s review comes from teen volunteer Annemarie.
Annemarie’s Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first book in the Harry Potter series that started it all…
Harry Potter is an 11-year-old boy who doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest of his peers. For one, he possesses magical powers that he doesn’t know of– “Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?” (page 58.) Harry has yet to learn why he’s so famous in the Wizarding World and embark on a magical journey to Hogwarts, a place Voldemort would never dare to go. Or would he?
“Yer a wizard, Harry!” – Rubeus Hagrid
When an item in a vault is stolen, and a bunch of mysterious things happens at Hogwarts, this sets the trio off in a mystery of a lifetime- finding magic in every crack and corner.
Kids as young as 7-9 years old may enjoy reading this book with a parent. As the book series continues, the themes definitely get darker. So I’d recommend maybe 10-11 years old for a good chunk of the series (books 4 – onwards), as the books definitely get more intense.
Overall, I’d give this book a 10/10 rating. As I’m reading this series again, I can see myself in Harry Potter’s shoes when I was his age and can definitely relate to a lot of the things he feels and is going through. It’s like I can almost see myself and how I was back then. The Harry Potter series definitely has a special place in my heart and it will for generations to come.
