J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Year 4)

Harry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron and the Weasleys.
He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream).
He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for hundreds of years.
He wants to be normal - even by wizarding standards.
And in his case, different can be deadly.

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Beginnig his fourth year at Hogwarts, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter and his friends eagerly await Dumbledore's huge announcement of the Triwizard Tournament involving two other European schools of magic. The Goblet of Fire will choose those 17 and above to participate in the tournament and there will only be one student of each school participating..
The bigger the surprise when the goblet gives a fourth name as participant and it is no other than the underage Harry Potter.

Seeing and feeling the signs of Lord Voldemort once again Harry has to face three difficult tasks, a crumbling friendship with Ron and last but not least the dangerous Lord Voldemort.

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The forth installment in this series really hits the mark going out of being pure children's literature. Dealing with problems every young adult faces sooner or later. What I liked about this very thick book is that it never got boring once with much darker elements and more action it's contents grew with our three heros.
As always Harry relies heavily on the help of his friends and teachers to survive.

Rating:
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Paperback: 752 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (July 30, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439139600
ISBN-13: 978-0439139601

J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban (Year 3)

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed> Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's it Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."
Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

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The news of Sirius Black having escaped from Azkaban fortress is a shock in the wizarding world. He is known of being the traitor and once best friend of James Potter, that led Lord Voldemort to the hidden Potters' and he is the murderer of 13 people with one single curse. The Ministry of Magic and the dementors, Azkabans terrible guards, are searching for him and because they know it is more than likely that Black will turn up at Hogwarts, the school becomes the most secured place on earth - so they thought.
Harry's new school year offers new subjects and and once again a new teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts: Professor Remus Lupin who soon becomes the most favorite teacher of all. Harry however has a lot more to worry about. For example there was this huge dog he saw when he fled the Dursleys' house and following this the reading his new teacher took from his tea cup, telling him about the Grim, a huge dog and the omen of death.

It is a challenging year at Hogwarts that not only tests Harry's capabilities as a wizard but also puts the friendship between Ron, Hermione and Harry to the test as well.

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This book offers a lot insight to the life, friends and enemies James Potter had at Hogwarts. It pretty much seems that this books is fundamental for the following books although I haven't read them yet nor did I see the movies. It explains a lot about Snape's disliking of Harry Potter as well.

Most certainly the reader will meet certain characters of this novel in the following books. I'll let you know - soon. ;-)

Rating:
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Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (September 11, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439136369
ISBN-13: 978-0439136365

J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Year 2)

Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys' had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls' bathroom. But then the real trouble begins - someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival then ever ? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told ? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects ... Harry Potter himself !

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It is Harry Potter's 12th birthday and it is his summer vacation with his dreaded family, the Dursleys. Nothing has changed and they still despise everything that has to do with magic. So Harry finds himself locked in a room with bars in front of the only window and a small cat door for his small food deliveries. He wonders what the little house-elf Dobby meant by warning him to go back to Hogwarts school. What did he mean something terrible is about to happen ?
Upon his decision to return back to Hogwarts and freed by his friends the Weasley boys, Ron, Fred and George, all literally seems to go wrong: Ron and Harry can't enter the hidden gate to the train platform, Harry breaks his arm and other small bothersome things hapen.
The annoying new teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts doesn't seem to be that clever either. He's famous because he wrote a lot of books about his adventures but than everytime he uses his magic something seems to go wrong. He's seeking Harry's presence which bothers Harry even more.

When the school is shocked at the finding of the petrified Mrs. Norris, the housekeeper's cat, and a message announcing the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, it leaves our three friends Hermione, Ron and Harry puzzled. Especially because at the same time Harry heard a voice no one else was able to hear.

When more students are found petrified, Harry rescues a student from a snake attack and learns he can speak Parseltongue, the students non "pureblood" students feel threatened by Harry because the legend says that the Chamber was built by Salazar Slytherin and his heir will be able to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the horror within. Slytherin was one of the rare wizards able to speak Parseltongue.

Harry and his friends are now pressured to find the Secret within the Chamber and do whatever they can to protect those that don't come of a pure wizard family.

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What makes this book very charming is that it continues where the last novel left us: Harry heading of for summer vacation with the Dursleys. No surprise thing haven't changed in the Dursleys opinion about magic but quite shocking that they lock the poor boy away.
Surprisingly I found a lot messages in this book. They went from child abuse, to obnoxiousness and very bad racism, leaving young readers certainly with questions parents should not be shy to answer. The point of racism has such a bad taste it almost made me sick but as life is, people deal with this every day and so this might be a good time to introduce our children into what is right and what is wrong. The way the topic is introduced to the reader is very bold and straight forward which I found is very nice.

Overall I found the book fun to read and Harry grows on me. I'll continue to read the other books in time.

Read my review to Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1).

Rating:

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Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (November 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0439554896
ISBN-13: 978-0439554893

J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (Year 1)

Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys', his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that's about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him ... if Harry can survive the encounter.

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Young Harry Potter lives in the house of his aunt and uncle Vernon and Petunia Dursley, enduring the attacks of his cousin Dudley for the last 11 years. His bed is cupboard and love & friendship are foreign words for him. The Dudleys' let him feel he is the outsider, the burden they never wanted, and he's now coming to an age to recognize how off things are in his life.
Little does he know the reasoning for his uncle and aunt to not let him read the letters that begun to arrive lately, but the Dudleys' certainly know, they don't want to have to do anything with what the letters implicate. They know how off Harry's parents were. Especially Petunia's sister Lily.

On his eleventh birthday Harry's life changes when he is taken away by a huge, giantlike man called Hagrid, who introduces Harry to his real being as a wizard. He learns that his parents were a witch and a wizard and died while fighting the dark Voldemort who ultimately killed his parents but wasn't able to kill Harry.

Harry becomes a student in wizardry at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and for the first time learns what friendship is all about. Fascinated by the magic surrounding him he learns the ups and downs of being a wizard. He finds friends like Ron Weasley and Hermione Grander and he also makes enemies. He is a natural talent in riding the broom and becomes the Seeker for the Gryffindor team and prevails as an excellent attribute to the team, leading his house team to the first win in years.

But all the happiness has it's shadowy side. There is Darco Malfoy, the mean little boy taunting not only Harry but also other students and Professor Snape headmaster of the Slytherin house, who's dark appearance not only frightens the students but who seems to deeply hate Harry for unknown reasons.

During the term the three children discover a secret trap door on the third floor of Hogwarts castle. Behind it lingers a huge three headed dog guarding a trap door. Professor Snape soon becomes a suspect of interest when Harry discovers that he has a huge bite mark on his leg and seemed to be the reason why Harry had dangerous diffuculties during one Quidditch cursed by Snape.

Rumors are that the dangerous Voldemort is returning, trying to get to whatever is hidden under the trap door, the assumed safest place on earth to hide something.
Ultimately Harry has to face what's hidden under the door and who's trying to steal something of major important for everybody's well being.

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Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (originally in the U.K. edition named Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone) has been published a little more than 10 years ago, the movie shown on TV a million times and here I am having just finished the first volume for whatever reason.

I understand the series was developed for children but later matured to fit not only a child's taste but also the grown-ups taste.
I went into the book without knowing what to expect and it left me wondering what all the fuss was about.
Initially I thought there is nothing special about it but I find myself thinking I'll pick up the second volume quite soon. The reason for that is, I know what is going to come due to watching the following movies plus I actually began liking the characters in general. The writing itself is flat but flawless, fitted for children without implicating any kind of horrific pictures in a child's head.

I liked it !

Rating:
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (September 8, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 059035342X
ISBN-13: 978-0590353427