Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry Potter, Book 2
Potter sequel is a creature-packed page-turner.
Parents say
Based on 37 reviews
Kids say
Based on 152 reviews
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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 Chamber of Secrets is the second book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series about an orphan boy at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you're flying through the Potter books faster than a Quidditch seeker because kids have been begging, note that after Book 2, the series gets more complex and scarier, and a break between Book 2 and Book 3 may be warranted, especially if you're doing a read-aloud party with siblings of different ages. Harry Potter Age-by-Age Guide as well as details in individual reviews will help you decide. Also of note: this one is tough on kids who are afraid of monsters like giant snakes and spiders. Both attack school kids in tense scenes. Some kids (and a cat) end up in a coma-like state, and two students nearly die in the book's climax. There are also a lot of ghosts, but they are often more silly than scary. Something not in the movie (that otherwise sticks very close to the source material) is Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party, where decapitated ghosts throw their heads around for sport. Main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione are rewarded for their bravery, but after quite a bit of rule breaking. The story is full of positive messages about friendship and that our choices show what we truly are more than our abilities and backgrounds. This book is also available in an illustrated edition with art by Jim Kay.
Community Reviews
Creepy sequel is great for tweens and older; some language, violence
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Creepy sequel is great for tweens and older; some language, violence
Report this review
What's the Story?
In HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, Harry's summer at his aunt and uncle's house is bad enough when a house elf named Dobby shows up. Dobby warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts, that something dangerous is going to happen, and when Harry won't listen, Dobby performs a hover charm and dumps Aunt Petunia's prize pudding on the floor in the middle of a dinner party. Harry doesn't know what's worse: the threatening owls from the Ministry of Magic accusing him of performing underage magic or getting locked in his room with bars on the windows. When his best friend Ron Weasley and his brothers embark on a midnight rescue in Mr. Weasley's enchanted flying car, Harry's summer is saved. Then September 1 arrives. Ron and Harry are in a panic because they can't get through to Platform 9 ¾ to catch the Hogwarts Express. They decide the only way to make it on time is to chase the train in the flying car. When they get to Hogwarts, their not-so-brilliant plan lands them in serious trouble, but it's nothing compared with the trouble brewing at school. A message appears on a castle wall in blood proclaiming that "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened," and students wandering the corridors alone are ending up in mysterious coma-like states. It's no wonder Dobby didn't want Harry to return to school.
Is It Any Good?
While this sequel doesn't have the impact of the Potter origin story, it's an exciting creature feature with an engrossing mystery to solve. Many, especially older readers, consider this the lesser of the Potter books, but for younger readers, this is an ideal way to ramp up for the rest of the series. The fear is of external forces -- monsters -- not the less tangible, like how the Dementors in Book 3 embody fear itself. And the mystery builds in a more straightforward manner with steps Harry, Ron, and Hermione take to uncover clues: brewing a potion, playing the spy, and breaking all kinds of school rules in the process as they do.
All that said, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets preps young fantasy fans to take on the meatier stories to come. The monsters sure are scary, and the scenes in the Forbidden Forest and the Chamber of Secrets are thrilling. What was Hagrid thinking telling Harry and Ron to "follow the spiders"? And as for the mystery, efforts to solve it may be methodical but the Chamber of Secrets has quite a few secrets to reveal -- some that only come to light in Book 6. Mouths will be hanging open in that climactic moment when the Heir of Slytherin is revealed at last and appetites will be whetted for more Potter mystery and excitement to come.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the big scary monsters in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Are you afraid of monsters? Does reading about them make you more afraid? Ron really hates spiders. How does he deal with his fear? What does it say that someone with such a fear is still in Gryffindor, the house for the bravest witches and wizards?
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 diehard 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?
Will you read more of the series? Are you ready for the stories to get darker and more complex? Will you read some other books in between or plow right through as some kids do?
Book Details
- Author: J. K. Rowling
- Illustrator: Mary Grandpre
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Courage, Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date: June 20, 1999
- Number of pages: 341
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Awards: ALA Best and Notable Books, Common Sense Media Award
- Last updated: June 3, 2022
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