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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

(1998, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by J. K. Rowling, Illustrated by Mary Grandpré)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.
  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Magical start of bestselling Potter phenomenon.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Strong female characters, but all major characters are white. Positive message about the power of love and friendship.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Kids are in peril often, but at the hand of fantasy creatures most of the time. A three-headed dog chases Harry and friends. Harry and Draco see a dead and bloody unicorn and are chased by a hooded figure in the Forbidden Forest. Harry and friends fight a troll and knock it unconscious, are nearly crushed by a constricting plant, are chased by flying keys, and pummeled by a life-sized chess board. One character dies by turning to dust. Mostly friendly ghosts roam the halls; the ghost Nearly Headless Nick shows how he got the name. Flashback to the (bloodless) death of Harry's parents and much discussion about how they died and the one who killed them.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Parents need to know that this thrill-a-minute story, the first in the Harry Potter series, respects kids' intelligence and motivates children to tackle its greater length and complexity, play imaginative games, and try to solve its logical puzzles. It's 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.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Harry's new magical world and how it compares to the drudgeries he's been enduring at Number 4 Privet Drive. Which elements of the magical world did you like best -- and would you feel right at home as a wizard-in-training? Would you like to take a pet to school every day -- and, if so, which pet would you choose? What's the significance or Harry's scar, and why can't Voldemort touch Harry?

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Our Members Say

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  • What did you think about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?
  •  I think this book is

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See all 60 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    a bit scary but a great book, it might just be the book that gets you reading!!!

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    Educational

    im a wizard so this was very educational. I learned how to be a eleven year old dilinquet! yip yee!!!!!!

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    A good book.

    I loved this book. I good book for a family of all ages.

  4. I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 3.0

    Good book. Nice start to a brilliant fantasy series.

  5. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    a must read

    tis book is a good book for kids and young teens to read. but there is some vilonce and the reading and content will probably be to much for 7 year olds and younger. but 8 year olds even though the content is suggestive and it is a little challenging it think they should try reading it. and kids that are 9 and up should definetly read it!!!!!!!

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