[.ca] Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1) (ISBN 0807281751)

From Amazon.com:
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson

A delightful romp through a magical world of--ah, screw it.:
The Good: This book is an easy read. You just can't put it down. The vocabulary is not simple, but the book is well-written enough that a caveman could enjoy this book ("NOT COOL!" /geicoreference). The characters are fully realized, all speaking with their own cadence and dialect; the good guys aren't perfect, and the bad guys aren't hopelessly flawed (many, in fact, are more cunning than the good guys). The plot is nicely complex, but not convoluted. And the messages are good, too: good people and bad people both get what they deserve; you have to work at things to do well; and all people are worthy of your respect until they *prove* they aren't. The Bad: The book is perhaps a little *too* simplistically written, but then I am legally able to drink alcoholic beverages, vote, and join an organization that allows me to legally kill people, and this is written for people of Harry's age (roughly 11). As well, at the end of the book, by necessity due to the number of twists, "exposition syndrome" rears its ugly head. The Ugly: Rereading it a few years after I first did, and after reading Order of the Phoenix quite recently, there are a number of fascinating references to future books that are just throwaway references in the book. The problem with Rowling's mysteries is that they're always like that--you have to take a few very tiny clues she mentions only once and then read for inferences between the lines. The Verdict: Read this book.

Meh:
When J. K. Rowling wrote this book, she still wasn't in the writing style and was just... average!!! This book is a very worth while read, but still is missing something. PLEASE, decide for yourself, but NOT ANYTHING like the other Potter books. AVERAGE.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone CD story:
This CD stunk! I was so excited to get this for my kids, but when I listened to the CD, it was total screwed up. The CD jumps around so bad first time listener would be so confused, they would not know what was going on. I mean, Harry is just hoping he does not have to go to Duddley's birthday at the zoo, when suddenly, Harry, Hermonie, and Ron are opening the door where fluffy is sleeping. This type of jumping happens all over the CD. Dont waste your money!

Excellent book:
This is the first time I read the book. I've seen the movie and decided to read the book. I especially liked the beginning where Harry was getting all the letters and how the bad guy couldn't kill him. I look forward to reading the next 6.

Best Series I've Read:
Hey, So I just finished book 7 tonight. This is the only series of books I've been able to finish in my 23 years of life. It is AWESOME. You won't got wrong with these books. Enjoy them, they are a short read by the time your done.