Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Rowling

I mentioned a few posts back that I'm taking a class on the Harry Potter series. So far we've just been required to read a hero's journey (I was assigned the Odyssey, the other part of the class got Arthurian Legends) and a few fairy tales. Even though I haven't officially been assigned any reading by Rowling yet, I decided to get a head start, and since my books arrived a few days ago I saw no reason to put off reading about my favorite boy wizard for another week!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

JK Rowling 

Weird things always seem to happen around Harry Potter, much to the annoyance of his Aunt and Uncle. On his 11th Birthday he receives the best gift he could have ever hoped to get - the information that he is a wizard, and will be leaving the Dursleys to go to a magical school called Hogwarts. Even with his new found identify Harry still has a lot to learn, starting with the fate of his parents, who were not killed in a car crash like he had been told, but instead by Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard who has ever lived and ending with some Potions lessons under the hateful Professor Snape.

I have always been impressed by Rowlings writing. In a short 305 pages she is able to create a complete world of witches and wizards, with shops, schools and laws. It is always a magical experience to rediscover the wizarding world with Harry.  Once at Hogwarts, Harry meets a slew of interesting 11-17 year olds, and makes some great friends.

Of course, who could forget the adventures Harry has. Even his 11 year old self is an accomplished hero. He wins two Quidditch matches, defends his friends and conquers gets past a 3 headed dog and an evil professor without much damage. He even has some emotionally journeys that are well beyond his age bracket when he discovers the mire of  Erised and must come to turns with the fact that he will never have a real family.

While Sorcerer's Stone isn't my favorite of the Harry Potter books, it does provide a great base for the entire series and leaves me hoping that my Hogwarts letter is just 10 years late.

Side note: I've posted three different versions of the covers before, but I just came across these "new" 10th anniversary additions and they're pretty awesome.