Guide to Using Harry Potter in the Classroom

Hardcover Pages: 309

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. New York: Scholastic, 2001.

Paperback Trim Size: .87 x 7.58 x 5.08/1.06 x 6.70 x 4.20

Paperback Pages: 312/384

Awards: Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 1997 Gold Medal 9-11 years, FCBG Children's Book Award 1997 Overall winner and Longer Novel Category, Birmingham Cable Children's Book Award 1997, Young Telegraph Paperback of the Year 1998, British Book Awards 1997 Children's Book of the Year, Sheffield Children's Book Award 1998, Whitaker's Platinum Book Award 2001

Summary: First installment in the Harry Potter series, wherein Harry, living with his cruel aunt and uncle, discovers that he is a wizard and enters Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Magic, mystery, and fun ensue as Harry hones his gifts and faces the wizard who killed his parents.

Personal Response: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a lighthearted, funny, and exciting escape. It is easy to see why children, as well as adults, enjoy it so much.

Quality: 4Q - The book is written very well, with only a few slow spots that might have been helped by more terse phrasing.

Popularity: 5P - The book's sales, not to mention merchandise and movie sales, have been phenomenal.

Audience: The publisher's web site indicates that this book is targeted to ages 7 to 13. However, it has captured adult audiences as well.

Rationale for Using in the Classroom: This book introduces young readers to all of the elements of fantasy novels: suspense, the supernatural, humor, and adventure. It is also an uplifting story about the triumph of a boy who is seen as "different" and mistreated by those around him. At its core, the book is a fun good vs. evil story. In no way does it encourage the practice of witchcraft or entice readers to adhere to the beliefs that Harry and his friends do. Readers at the book's target audience age level know the difference between fantasy and reality. This book does not blur those lines; rather, it makes for a healthier imaginative experience and helps readers to identify the elements that make this and other books fantasy.

Introducing to Young Readers: One way to introduce this book to young readers might be to talk about all of the different worlds we get to experience through reading. Refer to other books that students have read as examples of the myriad of settings, circumstances, and extraordinary elements that books bring to life. Another approach might be to show a short segment of the movie based on the book to get readers interested in the story. The teacher could also come to glass dressed as a character from the book. Perhaps in costume as one of the Hogwart's instructors, (s)he could teach the class as a "guest teacher" and really get students into the Hogwart's atmosphere by introducing the characters, concepts, and new words that exist in the book. One could also pique the class's excitement by leaving a few notes in the style of the "letters from no one" that Harry receives on desks around the classroom, giving clues about the book that is about to be studied.

Booktalk: The most exciting section of the book to read aloud as a booktalk would be the chapter on the game of Quidditch. Involve the class to take on the roles of the players, and read aloud as if it is a sports game on the radio. This may help students in understanding the complications of the game better than reading the chapter to themselves. In addition, the chapter occurs at a point in the book where readers might be getting weighed down by the book's length. Performing this chapter with the class will add the excitement back into the reading and help with that last push to the end.

Activities:

1. Discussion: If you could have just one of Harry's magical powers or tools, what would it be and why? Who is your favorite "teacher" at Hogwart's? What types of people might be considered "muggles" in the real world? What parts of the story are most like real life? Which ones are too fantastic for the real world?

2. Writing: Write an alternate ending to the story. Write a letter to home from Hogwart's. Write about Harry from the point of view of another character. Imagine that Harry is applying for college and write a letter of recommendation for him.

3. Without using the film or other illustrations, draw pictures of how you imagine a character or object from the book might look, or draw a new cover for the book.

4. Have a character look-alike contest.

Alternatives:

1. Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass - A good alternative for girls who cannot/do not want to identify with a male protagonist. It is a bit darker than Harry Potter, but still very clearly a fantasy novel that does not blur the lines between reality and mysticism. This book is more open-ended, for those who enjoy suspense between books in a series.

2. Agatha Christie, Ten Little Indians - A more straightforward murder mystery, this is a good alternative for readers or parents who have issues with the fantasy elements in Harry Potter. This book has the same suspense elements and buildup to a denouement, but lacks the adventure, humor, and general fun tone of Harry Potter.

3. Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising - This book has a somewhat historical/ medieval setting that some readers may enjoy more than the modern setting of Harry Potter. Also part of a series, it follows almost the same formula as Harry Potter, but might be a better alternative if a reader has already read the assigned book or finds it "babyish" due to its commercialization.