Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright: 1997
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 309
Reading Level: Ages 9 to 12 (Barnes and Noble)
Summary: When Harry Potter turns eleven he finds out he is a wizard who survived an attempted murder by the darkest wizard of all time, Voldemort. No one knows for sure what happened to Voldemort after he tried to kill Harry. When Harry leaves his horrible, non-magical Aunt and Uncle's house to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he makes new friends and has new magical experiences. When he and his friends find out that the school is guarding something very valuable and that someone is trying to steal it they start trying to figure out what the item is and who is trying to steal it. He and his friends discover that it is the Sorcerer's Stone which gives immorality to the person who possesses it and believe that it is one of their teachers, Professor Snape, who is trying to steal it. When the headmaster, Dumbledore, is called away on the night that the theft is going to take place Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, go down to confront the theif. They have to make it through a number of tasks to get to the stone but the theif has beat them there. Harry ends up facing the theif alone and discovers that it is a different teacher, Professor Quirrell who has Voldemort living like a parasite off of him. Voldemort's face is in the back of Quirrell's head which has always been covered by a turban so no one would know. Harry ends up getting the stone and Quirrell attacks him to get it but when Harry touches Quirrell's skin it burns him. Harry goes after him to touch him and just when Harry thinks he is going to die because Quirrell has attacked him, Harry blacks out and wakes up in the hospital wing. Dumbledore explains that he got there just in time, that Quirrell is dead, Voldemort has left and that Harry and his friends are safe now. Harry and his friends win the House Cup for Gryffindor, their family of sorts at the school by getting awarded points for their brave acts. Harry returns to his Aunt and Uncle's house looking forward to the next school year.
Who would you recommend this book to? I recommend Harry Potter books to everyone! They are my favorite books!
Potential problems or conflicts: Some parent have issue with Harry Potter because they believe it focuses too much on witchcraft and wizardry.
My reaction: I love this book! I have read it many times now and just keep re-reading it because it is so well written and has such a good plot. I think that Harry Potter is one of the best written series in existence and the first book is a great start to the saga!