I resisted reading this book for a long time, thinking that it would be 'too childish' to hold my interest. Then, one night back in 2007, I happened to be at my local Barnes & Noble during the midnight release party for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series. Seeing the enthusiasm of all the fans gathered there (some of whom were in full costume) made me curious, so I wended my way through the crowd (in the process wondering what "The Sorting Hat" was all about) and approached the first free cashier I could find, the first book in my hands. I was suddenly eager to discover what all the fuss was about!

Well, as they say, the rest is history. I not only promptly devoured Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but began acquiring, and also devouring, the sequels. I only stopped in the middle of the sixth book, when a very sad event made me unable to continue....but I hope to be able to go back and finish the series!

I picked up the first book the other day, and plunged into Harry's magical world once again. Once again, I was totally delighted and enthralled! Rowling's very fertile imagination seems to have no bounds; all the books in this series are full of magical events, as well as twists and turns, and one just never knows exactly what is going to happen next.

Rowling also has the uncanny ability to make her characters, as well as the magical world around them, seem so real! From the very first moment, the reader becomes immersed in this very quirky, wonderfully weird world, where nothing is as it seems, unexpected surprises await, and household chores can be accomplished by the mere wave of a wand (something I positively loved).

Harry, Hermione, and Ron are wonderful characters, and it's not the first time I have wished I had grown up with friends like them. It's great how well they mesh, too, especially since, at first, Harry and Ron constantly found Hermione so annoying.

Harry, of course, is the main hero. He starts out life with the odds stacked against him, what with his sad personal history, and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" wanting to kill him. In spite of it all, Harry remains courageous, and will not let his curiosity, innate optimism, and eagerness to learn magic be dampened by outward events.

Hermione could have been the main hero of this whole series, because she not only matches Harry (and her name is the female version of his) in all his great qualities, but is also willing to take that extra step to find out more. Books are very important to her, and I really liked her for that! She is also very thorough in her research, and has an excellent memory. Besides, she can really think on her feet.

As for Ron, he is that friend who remains steadfastly by your side, through thick and thin. He's funny, as well, and willing to attempt any adventure, despite his fears. Besides, he's an excellent chess player -- even beating his two friends at the game. In this first book, his chess-playing skills become extremely important in preventing a great catastrophe.

Then there's Hagrid....sweet, lovable, gentle Hagrid, who has a soft spot for creatures great and small, and loves Harry like a father, or perhaps a big, bumbling brother. He's pretty much like a giant teddy bear, and I SO wish I could hug him! He's had some rough times himself, but still remains as positive as he can possibly be. And, most important of all, Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster, trusts him completely.

Dumbledore is another of my favorite characters, but I won't say much about him because he plays a greater role later on in the series. What I did get to see of him, though, during both my first and second readings of this book, made me like him a great deal! He is definitely a father figure to Harry -- always wise, patient, and willing to give Harry the benefit of the doubt.

There were other great, more minor characters, as well, such as Professor McGonagall, who is really a very fair-minded person, despite her stern exterior, Quirrell, the stuttering professor, the funny Weasley clan, especially the mischievous twins, Fred and George, and Neville, poor, shy Neville, who is constantly losing his pet toad....

Then there's one character who is almost in a league by himself, and a rather hateful one, too: Severus Snape. Alan Rickman plays him superbly in all the movies. He gets the character's oily manner (his hair is even greasy) and incomprehensible attitude toward Harry just right. Rickman made it extremely easy for this reader to despise Snape! Even before I met him on the screen, though, Rowling had already succeeded in making me hate him.

Another character I love to hate is Draco Malfoy, Harry's personal nemesis. I'm surprised he isn't related to Snape, because he can be just as spiteful and horrible to Harry.

Amidst all of the typical boarding school activities and classes with such interesting names as "Potions", "Charms", "Transfiguration", and "Defense Against the Dark Arts", the three friends become very adept at amateur sleuthing, and uncover a secret at Hogwarts, one that students are not supposed to know about....

Of course, there had to be time for sports, as well, and I soon discovered that the magical world's version of soccer -- or is it a strange combination of soccer and basketball? -- with the delightfully odd name of "Quidditch", was not only great fun, but had elements of danger, as well, especially when a certain evil wizard nearly took one of the most important players out of the picture....

Rowling manages all the elements of her plot with great skill, leading her readers along the path toward the exciting, final discovery of the school's secret through tight writing, with not a word to spare.

I especially liked Dumbledore's final words to Harry. It was the power of love, he told the young wizard, that won the day. Some readers might criticize this as 'cheesy', but I thought it was altogether fitting to the story, considering Harry's background.

This is such a terrific story! No wonder it's loved the whole world over, by readers of all ages! This book definitely deserves all the praise it has garnered, and more. I know that I will want to read it many more times in the future! And of course, I will also want to watch the movie just as many times!

I bought this book for my 9 year old as his first “big kid” type of book. He has officially finished reading all of the Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books so moving forward I wanted him to have something that will challenge him and hold his attention. I was only slightly worried that he would get board since this will be the first book he has read that doesn’t have any comics or doodles throughout the pages to hold interest.

Let’s face it, Harry Potter needs no introduction. My book arrived in about half of my estimated shipping time in emasculate condition. My son has been reading it for about a week now and is coming up to the halfway mark. He even woke up extra early before school the other day to get some reading in (proud mama/bookworm moment).

Don’t forget to encourage you kids to read.

“I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read.” – George R.R. Martin

The beginning of an astonishingly epic story!!! While I was growing up, and I first heard about these books/movies, I was not allowed to watch or read them. But that all changed when I picked up a copy from a book fair back in 8th grade in the school library. Read it and have loved it. Loved it so much I had to continue with the other six entries in this series.

So as everyone here knows the whole story about Harry Potter by now, we are about to get an eighth entry but set in the 19 years after the events of Deathly Hallows. And we are also getting another movie set in the Potter universe but taking place about 70 years before the events of Sorcerer's Stone.

While living a life with his nasty aunt and uncle, young Harry's life is changed forever when he receives a letter from Hogwarts while being enrolled. Thanks to friendly half-giant Hagrid, Harry learns that he is famous because of his defeat of a Dark wizard named Lord Voldemort, who is revealed to have killed his parents.

The amazing storytelling from Rowling brings to life something beyond imagination itself which has captured the hearts of many for several years.

A great character example is Harry himself. Thus since he is probably the driving force for the whole story, he comes across several twists and turns in this and the six sequel stories that brings him to his ultimate destiny in episode 7. And with new friends and foes, Harry definitely is one we can relate to because at some point in our lives, we have been where he is when the story starts. And when he talks to the boa constrictor in chapter 2, I wanted to laugh when Dudley (his cousin fell into the pond) as the glass vanished.

So this is the introduction to a whole other world within our own with Diagon Alley, Quidditch, muggles and so much more. It is an excellent way to introduce readers to this magical world.

But another driving force throughout the whole series is that there is a whole slew of mysterious events in each individual entry. In this installment, Harry claims that his Potions teacher Professor Snape is after a magical relic called the Sorcerer's Stone. But as the story goes on it is revealed that the true villain (aside from Voldemort himself) is actually Professor Quirrell. Another thing I liked is while Voldemort is the true villain of the series as a whole, there are a few side characters in each entry who serve as the main villain individually. They either serve Voldemort directly or they serve the Ministry of Magic (in Book 5 more prominently).

The last thing I like about this and the other books is that it is about development. As the series goes on, we follow Harry, Ron and Hermione as they mature in each story. In this one, they have already met (around chapter 6) and are ready for what awaits them.

So thus begins the story of Harry Potter!!!