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Summary

Community summary are the opinions of contributing users. These summary do not represent the opinions of Alameda County Library.
Harry Potter never seemed to fit in anywhere. As an orphan who lived with his cousin, aunt, and uncle, he didn’t even really have a family. He had nothing, that is, until someone showed him a world of magic, literally. On a dark and stormy night, on the floor of a hut in the middle of the ocean, Harry Potter heard a strange creaking at the door. It was early in the morning on his eleventh birthday and his aunt and uncle had taken him off the map, made him untrackable by those trying to contact him. Still, Hagrid, the headmaster of Hogwarts’ trusted friend, arrived and took Harry away to where he belonged as a wizard, the wizarding world. A month later, Harry was on the train to Hogwarts, then he was at Hogwarts, and before he knew it, Christmas had arrived. By then, Harry and his best friends, Hermione and Ron, were searching for the identity of the mysterious Nicolas Flamel, for this would answer their bigger question: what was under the trapdoor on the forbidden third floor? Eventually they found their answer. Believing their evil professor, Severus Snape, was after the precious object to help a truly dangerous entity, they set off for the adventure of a lifetime. What they found under the trapdoor was more than they had bargained for. As a lifelong Harry Potter fan, or Potterhead, I greatly enjoyed reading the first book in J.k. Rowling’s famous series again. Knowing the entire story by heart, I loved finding little easter eggs, pieces of foreshadowing, or underlying metaphors. This book would rank high on my ten 25 favorite books, without hesitation. I recognize now how quickly the story moves along compared to the other books. The stories became more developed as the each book came out. Having read the other six books, I want to know more about Harry’s first year at Hogwarts. That is the only fault I can find in this wonderful novel. I have and always will recommend this entire series to anyone. Harry and his friends are so relatable, so human, that the reader feels as though they are part of the fantastic trios. The incredible story is so transporting, one might actually believe they have entered the wizarding world, and long for it as much as Harry when they are away from it. Every part of the story are compelling in different ways. It is a great birthday present to start someone on this awesome series. It has something for everyone.