Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the typical story of an English schoolboy. A read of this is like reading the basic underlying story to...say, The Little Princess. But behind this is a twist, a catch not found in others. Yes, Harry is an orphan used and abused by his foster family, forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs; yes his parents died in unfortunate circumstances he had the fortune, or the destiny, to survive; but Harry is different from the characters prior to him in that he is a born wizard, soon to be swept away from his indifferent Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and his abusive, overbearing cousin Dudley by a flood of letters inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Wizardry, soon followed by an unusual guide: An enormous man on a flying Harley. What Harry endures and learns at Hogwarts reads like a typical children's novel but for a twist: classes in potions, incantations, and the History of Magic Throughout the Ages; sessions practicing and participating in a broomstick-mounted sport called Quidditch; the inevitable dealings with the school bully, all while racking up (or more often losing, in Harry's case) points for his dorm. Soon, Harry is in much trouble as he is compelled to hide a dragon for his biker friend; enchanted by a magic mirror; tempted into investigating a secret being guarded in the school's off-limits wing on the third floor--a secret guarded by his friend's three headed dog; involved in directly defending that secret from his hated, lifelong nemesis Voldemort and occupied with constant Quidditch practices, all while attempting to pass his first year's final exams. For all that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is intended for children and typical in its plot, it is different in its approach and surprising particularly in its dealing with the personage of the villain. It is a fun read, and a good way to pass a rainy day.

--Webmistress