When it hit shelves: June 30, 1997
What happens in the book: After murdering Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, evil Lord Voldemort puts a killing curse on Harry, then just a baby. The curse inexplicably reverses, defeating Voldemort and searing a lightning-bolt scar in the middle of the infant's forehead. Harry is then left at the doorstep of his boring but brutish aunt and uncle, the Dursleys.
For 10 years, Harry lives in the cupboard under the stairs and is subjected to cruel mistreatment by Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and their son Dudley. On his 11th birthday, Harry receives a letter inviting him to study magic at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry discovers that not only is he a wizard, but he is a famous one. He meets two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and makes his first enemy, Draco Malfoy. At Hogwarts the three friends are all placed into the Gryffindor house. Harry has a knack for the school sport, Quidditch, and is recruited onto the Gryffindor team as its star Seeker.
Perusing the restricted section in the library, Harry discovers that the Sorcerer's Stone produces the Elixir of Life, which gives its drinker the gift of immortality. After realizing that Voldemort might be after the stone, Albus Dumbledore had it moved it to Hogwarts for safekeeping.
Harry finds out that when she died, Lily Potter transferred to her son an ancient magical protection from Voldemort's lethal spells. This protection is what allowed Harry as an infant to survive Voldemort's attack. It also helps Harry keep Voldemort from possessing the Stone, which Dumbledore agrees to destroy.
The Players:
Albus Dumbledore: Headmaster of Hogwarts. He becomes Harry's mentor and father figure
Ron
Weasley: Harry's friend who comes from a large and economically struggling family
Hermione Granger: Another friend of Harry's and a smart witch, though her parents are Muggles (non-magical folk)
Draco Malfoy: Harry's nemesis. Comes from a lineage of wealthy wizards who not only support Voldemort, but also believe that magic should be performed by pure-bloods alone
Rubeus Hagrid: Half-wizard, half-giant and Keeper of the Keys and Grounds. Develops a close
friendship with Harry, Ron and Hermione
Severus Snape: Professor of Potions. An unfair teacher to those he doesn't like. Has a strong dislike for and animosity toward Harry
Lord Voldemort: A dark wizard. At one time the most powerful wizard, second only to Dumbledore
The Magic Gadgets:
Wands: Personalized sticks for performing magic
Broomsticks: Primary means of transportation, also used in the game of Quidditch
Invisibility
cloak: A rare and expensive item that makes the wearer invisible. Harry inherits one from his father
Remembrall: Clear orb that turns red if a wizard or witch has forgotten something
Sorting Hat: Magically determines which house (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin) a new student is assigned to. The hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts
Owls: Serve as mail messengers for wizards and witches
— Miral Sattar
Next Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
When mysterious letters start arriving on his doorstep, Harry Potter has never heard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They are swiftly confiscated by his aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a strange man bursts in with some important news: Harry Potter is a wizard and has been awarded a place to study at Hogwarts. And so the first of the Harry
Potter adventures is set to begin.
Publishers:
UK Print – Bloomsbury
US Print – Scholastic
eBook – Pottermore
Digital Audiobook – Pottermore
UK Illustrated –
Bloomsbury
US Illustrated – Scholastic
UK MinaLima edition –
Bloomsbury
US MinaLima edition – Scholastic
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series about an orphan boy who begins his studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The novel respects kids' intelligence and motivates them to tackle its greater length and complexity, play imaginative games, and try to solve its logic puzzles. Book 1 is the lightest in the series, but it still has some scary stuff for sensitive readers: a three-headed dog, an attacking troll, a violent life-size chess board, a hooded figure over a dead and bleeding unicorn, as well as a discussion of how Harry's parents died years ago and how he was raised by an aunt and uncle who neglected him. Some adult wizards drink, especially Hagrid, who drinks to excess more than once. There's little diversity at Hogwarts beyond a few students of color, but women have prominent roles at the school, and the smartest kid in class is Hermione, a girl. The 2015 lavishly illustrated, larger-format edition features a new cover (different from the original U.S. cover pictured here) and more than 100 full-color illustrations by Jim Kay (A Monster Calls) that depict shimmering ghosts amid breathtaking scenes of Hogwarts, character portraits, and pages from magical textbooks. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter Age-by-Age Guide.
Community Reviews
- Parents say (65)
- Kids say (378)
July 27, 2022
An amazing and tempting story
Harry Potter is a child who survived Lord Voldemort, but his parents didn’t so he was sent to live with his rotten and rude cousin. Lived with his cousin until one day a letter came, his uncle, Vernon snatched it away from Harry but soon more letters came. They had to move to a small rocky island. On their first night Hagrid a man who worked at Hogwarts came and thanks to him Harry was able to read the the letter that told him that he was invited to join the wizardry and witchcraft school. He agreed to attend Hogwarts, where he learned how to be a wizard.
This title has:
Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
June 30, 2022
Great book for kids and adults alike. Beautifully written :)
This book is great! Compelling and interesting with characters you will love and root for! The only kind of inappropriate thing is when Hagrid kisses mcgonagall on the cheek because he is drunk. Also, Harry is an orphan and his parents were killed by a dark wizard which might be upsetting to young children. However, it really depends on the child. This book is full of wonder, excitement, and magic. The ending is not obvious from the very beginning like some books, which makes it an exciting page-turner. There are also great role models, loving friends, and a theme that love can conquer all evil. Please read this book! Or read it to your kid! You will not regret it! You’re never too young or old to become a potterhead!
This title has:
Great messages
Great role models
What's the Story?
In HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, Harry Potter is left on his aunt and uncle's doorstep as a baby after his parents are killed. For 10 years he's forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs while his bullying cousin, Dudley, is spoiled rotten. The summer before the start of secondary school, a letter arrives with his name on it, no stamp, and a mysterious seal. Uncle Vernon snatches it away before he can open it, but it doesn't matter. More and more letters arrive and the family is eventually chased down to a rocky island by a large hairy man named Hagrid. Thanks to Hagrid, Harry finally gets to open his letter: an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And, surprise! "You're a wizard, Harry." It turns out that Harry is one of the most famous wizards ever, called the Boy Who Lived after he survived an attack from the evil Lord Voldemort. Not only did Harry survive the attack that killed his parents, but somehow baby Harry also managed to defeat Voldemort in the process. So that's how he got that lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.
Is It Any Good?
There are two kinds of magic in this phenomenal boy-wizard tale, the literal spell kind and the spell cast by a thrilling world for young (and old) fantasy readers to explore. While Harry Potter and his new friends Ron and Hermione get their first lessons in potion making and how to make a feather fly ("swish and flick!"), readers are getting lessons in delightful ideas like owls delivering the post, secret train platforms, pictures and staircases that move, sports played on broomsticks, and even odd-flavored jelly beans. Readers will want to grab their owl, cat, or toad (how can you choose just one?!) and hop on the train to Hogwarts immediately.
But it's not all fun with flying broomsticks. Harry Potter isn't called the Boy Who Lived for nothing. He's an orphan because an evil wizard killed his parents and wanted to kill him, and that evil still lurks at the school. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncover a plot to steal the Sorcerer's Stone of the title, more and more school rules must be broken (and some serious house points must be lost) to figure out who the enemy at school really is. Readers will enjoy the twists, danger, and kid wizard heroics that drive the final action.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about when kids knew they were ready to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Did you feel pressured to read it when your friends did? Were any parts too scary for you? How did you handle it?
Kids just getting into the series will find a whole world of Harry Potter available to them, from Chocolate Frogs for sale at the grocery store to theme parks. A die-hard Potter fan can spend a lot of money in their lifetime on merchandise and experiences. Do you think this is worth your money? Are there other ways you can celebrate books you love without raiding your piggie bank?
This series has been commended for getting so many kids to love reading. Which books made you start to love reading? Or are you still looking for them?
Book Details
- Author: J. K. Rowling
- Illustrator: Mary Grandpre
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date: September 1, 1998
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 309
- Awards: ALA Best and Notable Books, Common Sense Media Award
- Last updated: March 3, 2022