Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Year 1: ...the Sorcerer's Stone
First published September 1998 in the US, illustrated by Mary Grandpré
309 pages, 17 chapters

Eleven-year-old Harry Potter is transformed into an unlikely hero when he discovered he's more than the Dursley's much put upon nephew. Harry enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to train as a wizard. He makes new friends (Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger), uncovers a mystery, and almost dies again.

Memorable moments: Hagrid knitting, Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley, the troll, quidditch

Favorite illustration: Fluffy (p. 262)- he looks much friendlier than he does in the movie.

The food: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (I've tried these!), Droobles Best Blowing Gum, chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, licorice wands, pumpkin juice, lemon drops

The pets: Hedwig, Scabbers, Trevor, Fluffy, Norbert, Fang (Hagrid has 3 pets. That doesn't seem fair to the other characters.)

Favorite Quotes:
"But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them" (179).

"'People will insist on giving me books'" (Dumbledore, p. 214)

Scene I wish had made the movie: Hagrid getting sick on the Gringotts cart

Activities from Sorcerer's Stone:
wizard chess
quidditch
Parties (Halloween & Christmas)
Dark Forest Scavenger Hunt
Shopping in Diagon Alley

Favorite new word: muggle

Reading Reflection: I first encountered Harry Potter in the summer of 1999. A friend of my uncle sent me the book. I was enchanted. I read the book quickly with enjoyment and put it on my bookshelf. Months later I was going to trade it in at a used bookstore. I decided to re-read it first. I still have my first copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I started reading the other books, hooked my friends on the series, made Gryffindor scarves, and the rest is history. I usually re-read the books once a year. The magic is still there. Watching the movies usually starts me off on reading the books again. The books are always better.

Now that I'm a youth services librarian, I'm looking forward to hosting my first ever Harry Potter party in November. Re-reading the books is part of my preparation.

I hope you've enjoyed my first Harry Potter Reading Project post. I'll return again in two weeks to discuss Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

If you want more information on all things Harry Potter, check out the Harry Potter Lexicon.

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