Age 16

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Author: J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Scholastic Press (1998)

Binding: Hardcover, 309 pages

I resisted these books for years, thinking they were not quality. Boy, was I wrong. I absolutely love this series and have read it many times. One of the most impressive things to me is how good a writer Rowling is—she mentions things in book one or two, then fully develops them into plot twists in future books. The attention to detail, humor, characterization, and gifted storytelling combine with a novel setting to make each book a compelling read.

This first book introduces Harry to the wizarding world. I love the descriptions of secret passageways and quirky castle magic and Harry’s whole introduction to this life. An important point to note about this series is that books 1-3 are more benign. The story gets increasingly dark with subsequent books.

While my focus is chapter books, this picture book is worth mentioning. A friend gave it to me in college as we frequently despaired over the brazen lack of etiquette in society. In fact, we saw a disproportionate number of these very things happen on the streets of NY.

The pictures are awesome; the text is amusing (and informative). I chuckle every time I read it.