Different Book Covers

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=harry+potter+and+the+sorcerer's+stone+book+cover&revid=698128503&sa=X&ei=6CvITfOgKo-2tgekwOixBA&ved=0CDUQ1QIoAA&biw=1259&bih=794

Discovering the Truth

There are different themes to the novel Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone, but one that is seen throughout the entire book, is the discovery of the truth. Harry discovers many truths that change his life forever.
Harry grew up believing that his parents died in a car crash, which is the reason for him living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He wishes for someone to take him away from that place as he does all the house work, gets the old clothes that does not fit his cousin Dudley anymore, barely gets fed, and is forced to live in a small cupboard under the stairs. The first lie is revealed to Harry when he is visited by Hagrid and receives his Hogwarts letter. Harry discovers that he's a wizard and cannot believe it at first, and discovers that his parents didn't die in a car crash but were murdered by a dark wizard named Voldemort. And that Voldemort tried to kill him as well but the curse rebounded and made Voldemort disappear, leaving only a lightning shaped scar: and that he is famous because of it.
Soon Harry enters the magical world and makes friends with Hermione and Ron. Later they discover that the sorcerer's stone is being kept at the school and that someone wants to steal it. Because of how Snape treats Harry and everyone else, they assume that Snape is the one tring to steal the stone. As the novel progresses, Harry learns more about his parents. How they were head boy and girl, his father a Gryffindor chaser, and that he looks just like his father James, except he has his mothers, Lily's eyes. This was a great dicovery as he never knew what his parents looked like or even knew their names.
By the end of the novel Harry discovers who is really trying to steal the stone and cannot believe it is actually professor Quirrell; who is actually sharing his body with Voldemort, following his orders. Harry is able to stop him and discovers the his mothers love for him was great, "to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved [him] is gone, will give [him] some protection forever" (Rowling, pg.372).
Harry discovers that Voldemort is trying to rise again and will do everything to come after him.


Work Cited:
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone. New York. 1997. Print.
Harry Potter and the sorcerer's Stone. Web. 6 May 2011. < http://www.metacritic.com/movie/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone >

Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore starts off the book by placing Harry, on the doorstep of the Dursley's, his aunt and uncle, after the death of his parents. You don't hear much from Dumbledore until Harry receives his faithful Hogwarts letter on his eleventh birthday.
Dumbledore's full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. In the first chapter of the novel he is described as "tall, thin, and very old, [silver hair and beard], long enough to tuck into his belt...[light blue eyes] sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice" (Rowling, pg.10). He seems to be a wise man, looking like a grandfatherly figure. After leaving Harry with his relatives, Dumbledore isn't mentioned until Harry opens a chocolate frog, which has a Dumbledore card inside. Here we learn that he's the headmaster of Hogwarts and the "greatest wizard of modern time,famous for [defeating] the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, [discovering] twelve uses of dragons blood," (128) and working with Nicholas Flamel. Also a side fun fact, that he "enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling" (128).
As Harry is sorted into Gryffindor he meets other witches and wizard that seem to think that Dumbledore is "mad" but "brilliant."
Dumbledore is a very knowledgeable person, since it seems he placed Harry with his relatives for a reason; which is found out at the end of the novel. He values bravery as he congratulates Harry for stopping Quirrel and Voldemort and awards him and his friends house points: ending in Gryffindor winning the house cup. Dumbledore seems to know everything that goes on in the castle, since he never seems surprised, and also seems to have a mischievous: always described as having twinkling eyes. Dumbledore also appears to be very patient as he is sometimes decribed as talking calmly to others. There is no doubt that Dumbledore is a great wizard who cares deeply for others and fights for the greater good.


Works Cited:
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York. 1997. Print.

The Author

J.K. Rowling is one of the most well known authors' for her famous Harry Potter series, which have soled more than $500 million copies and been made into several movies. There was a time when she wasn't always so well known.
J.K. Rowling's full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling and she was born on July 31, 1965, in Chipping Sodury. She had a genrally happy childhood and was often teased about her last name: sometimes being called "Rowling pin." But she does recall always liking the name potter(Which you can see ended up being the main characters last name). She began writing at an early age and was encouraged by friends that she would do well. Soon after graduating, Rowling went to the University of Essex to study french. After finishing off there, she went back to London and took various different jobs. It wasn't until 1990, that she got the idea of what is now Harry Poter. That very same year Rowling's mother died of multiple sclerosis.
Rowling incorporated events that happened in her life in the books; like when Harry's mother dies. In 1991, Rowling got a job as an english teacher in Portugal: there she met her first husband. Soon they separated, and Rowling returned to England in 1994 as a single mother, full time job, and trying to write a book. When she finally finished her first copy, they were sent to various publsher until finally it was picked up by Bloomsbury. One of the reasons it was picked up was because the daughter of editor Barry Cunningham liked it. After being published in 1996, the book took off. She was given grants to write full time and Scholastic wanted to publish in America. Then in 1998, Warner brothers got the film rights for the books, staying as close to the books as possible. On December 26, 2001 married the anesthetist Dr. Neil Murray. July 2007, Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows, the final book in the series, became the fastest selling book of all time.
Today she lives in Scotland with her husband Niel Murray and her three chilren.


Work Cited:
Phyllips, Rhodri. JK Rowling drops hints of possible eighth Harry Potter book. Web. 6 May 2011. <
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-505148/JK-Rowling-drops-hints-possible-eighth-Harry-Potter-book.html >.
Rowling, J.K. J.K. Rowling Biography. Web. 6 May 2011. < http://www.biographyonline.net/writers/j_k_rowling.html >.
J.K. Rowling Biography. 2011. Web. 6 May 2011. < http://www.biography.com/articles/J.K.-Rowling-40998 >.

Why?

You can say I'm kind of obsessed with the Harry Potter series. I have read the novels multiple upon multiples of times. It's funny, I was never much of a reader. I remember one time, in the seventh grade, trying to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, and never getting into it. I would re-read a sentence or paragraph over and over and nothing would filter in: unlike now, that when I read I have a movie playing in my head.
When I did end up reading the series again, I began on the fourth book and then later on read them in their order. The Harry Potter series are one of my favorite, if not my favorite books of all time. I guess I love these books so much because ever since I can remember I have always wanted to be a witch and have magical powers; plus the fact that its a fantasy, which is my favorite genre to read. I am so connected with the characters that I go through what they are going through. I even cried a few times in a couple of the books. I have decided to start with the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or what the original title is, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is the beginning, where it all began.