Loved by millions of readers worldwide, let the first story in the greatest children’s book series of all time take you on an unforgettable journey. The hope and wonder of Harry Potter’s world will make you want to escape to Hogwarts again and again. The magic starts here!
Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin.
J.K. Rowling’s enduringly popular Harry Potter books continue to captivate new generations of readers. Harry’s first adventure alongside his friends, Ron and Hermione, will whisk you away to Hogwarts, an enchanted, turreted castle filled with disappearing staircases, pearly-white ghosts and magical paintings that flit from frame to frame. This gorgeous paperback edition features a spectacular cover by award-winning artist Jonny Duddle, as well as refreshed bonus material including fun facts exploring the origins of names such as Albus Dumbledore, Hedwig and other favourite characters. Get ready for the magical journey of a lifetime!
SORTING - SPELLS - SECRETS
Seven magical stories, one epic adventure.
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Praise for the Harry Potter books:
‘That rare thing, a series of stories adored by parents and children alike.’ – Daily Telegraph
‘A phenomenon … Grown men in suits have been spotted with them on trains. Parents squabble over who gets to read them to the kids, and teachers say a chapter can silence the most rowdy of classes.’ – Guardian
‘One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times.’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘Spellbinding, enchanting, bewitching stuff.’ – Mirror
‘The only thing wrong with it is that you can’t put it down.’ – Fiona Chadwick, 9 years old
‘It is very funny. I would love to be Harry and make up some magic spell to play on my teachers.’ – Tom El-Shawk, 11 years old
‘My mum loved it so much she would not let my dad read any of it to me.’ – Alexander Benn, 7 and 9¼ years old
‘It’s for all ages and it’s brilliant.’ – Katrina Farrant, 10 years old
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson
