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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

  • 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

This review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was written by Tara L. Rivera

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.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • 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?
Did this review help you decide?

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More on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Book Summary

Harry's magical parents were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort when he was just a baby. Miraculously, he survives with only a lightning-bolt scar as a mysterious reminder. Harry is taken to live with his nasty relatives -- muggles, or non-wizards -- who hide the truth about his parents. Ten miserable years later, he gets a visit from a genial half-giant named Hagrid with an invitation to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

At Hogwarts, Harry makes friends, fights trolls, learns how to play the fantastic aerial school sport, Quidditch, and uncovers a three-headed dog that guards a secret. Meanwhile, he must contend with Professor Snape, who hates him, and Draco Malfoy, a bratty student. When a mystery arises about the Sorcerer's Stone, which is supposed to possess the powers of immortality, Harry discovers that Voldemort is trying to steal it so he can regain his powers.

Is It Any Good?

How can a parent compete with video-game addiction and the mindlessness of the Cartoon Network? With the wildly popular Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has solved that dilemma by proving once and for all that kids really can love great books. Twists and turns make this story resemble a junior Grisham thriller in which loose ends are expertly tied and more threads become compellingly unraveled.

Part of Harry's appeal is that he could be any ordinary 11-year-old boy, an underdog readers will root for: small and skinny, with unruly hair, plus glasses held together with Scotch tape. But he is also bright and competent, and he discovers he has an aptitude for magic -- and Quidditch. Rowling has also taken everyday situations such as going to school, playing sports, and doing homework, and convincingly combined them with fantasy to create a world more accessible to tweens than J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. From the school-supply lists ("students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad") to Quidditch ("like soccer in the muggle world ... played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls"), the book is packed with entertaining details and creative riffs on modern life.

Publisher’s Details

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., Publication date: 01/01/1998
Number of pages: 309, Price: $8.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 5-8, Read Alone: 9-12

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 5.0

    ah-mazing

    this is the classic harr potter, the begginning. if u havnt read the series u need 2. the book is awesome and is about harry who has been treated horribly by his aunt, uncle, and cousin, dudly. then he learns he is a wizard and suddenly he is famous, rich and, well, magical. he becomes best friend with ron, a redhaired, freckly, kid who comes from a poor but large famly. and hermione, a complete bossy know-it-all. the story continues on in perfect plot and clues r hidden all over the story. its impossible 2 read the book and not finish the series. i would reccomend it 2 anyone i could and 1 of my friends luves it now that i told her 2 read it. it gets a little violent, but not 2 much. one charachter gets hurt both emotionally and phisicall. its still THE (not one of the, THE) best book.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    One of my favorites!

    One of my favorites! I could read it over and over again!

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 7 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    love

    REVIEW: i am currently reading this book and let me tel u, its great. i was juss telling mii mom about how i would love to read the very next one. HIGHLITES/CONCERNS: i put on highlights, that it was verry educational because i think the book really gets you ready for your child (to parents) to get ready for Hogwarts Wizarding School! and i put the rest 4 no reason but theyr true. :)

  4. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative message
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages

    grrrrrrrrate

    I am 8 and love this book sooooo much I think the author who wrote this was very good at it.I also think that the movie is very good too.

  5. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    perfect for people that can read well

    i love it! its been a family book for a while. there is a little violence but thats mainly when they break a rule. but for a good reason like saving someone. it has good role models. each character has their own personality which i like. i started reading them when i was five and i loved them ever sense.

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