Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The wizarding world woven by Rowling in her first volume of the Harry Potter series is inhabited primarily by characters who find its wonders unremarkable. Desensitized to what denizens of the non-magical, “Muggle” world would consider monumental powers and strangely capricious institutions, this parallel magical society is opened to orphan Harry Potter when he receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts, its premier boarding school, freeing him from the comically harsh home life of his aunt and uncle, the Durselys. Potter quickly discovers that he is a celebrity in this insular community, and in short order rejects false friends, finds true ones, and sets about uncovering a mystery which will lead him to confront the one who orphaned him. Keeping a quick pace, Rowling presents Potter as a character riddled with self-doubt as a result of his punishing upbringing at the hands of the Dursleys, certain that around each corner is his expulsion. However, life under such oppression has readied him to break the rules when he sees a need to, and the world of magic seems far more amenable to a virtuous rule-breaker than his adoptive family ever was. From the use of Lumos, the disjointed typeface used on chapter headings, to GrandPré’s cartoonish pastel illustrations to the occasional burst of nonsequitur whimsy on the part of otherwise staid but friendly adults, Harry Potter is designed to appeal to younger readers superficially, while drawing them on to more sophisticated storytelling than such surface silliness might suggest.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling; illus. by Mary GrandPré
Middle School
Perfection Learning Pre Bind
312 pp.
Published 1999
ISBN 978-0780797086
$20.25
Fantasy

Comments

Becoming a Comics Librarian and the Importance of Joining a Community of Practice

Originally published April 5, 2023 Library Developments Blog | Library Development and Networking Division Texas State Library and Archives Commission ***** As a freshly-minted librarian, I was hired to serve at THE high school bearing my district’s name alongside an amazingly zany, veteran librarian who knew the current collection inside and out as she’d been the one to revitalize it with bond money just prior to my arrival. To say that I was intimidated about what I could possibly have to contribute is more than an understatement. So when the moment of truth arrived and I was handed a “small” purchase order to get my feet wet, I. Was. Stymied! Her fingerprints were all throughout that collection, and what she didn’t read our assistant did . How would I ever fit into this team?! What could I possibly contribute?! To be honest… after teaching a core, tested subject for fifteen years, I was just beginning to read young adult literature regularly...

Decloaking Wakanda: Creating Space for BIPOC Nerds

On February 9, 2023, at the fourth Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), I had the exhilarating experience of guiding a discussion that focused on the need to connect with nerd culture and create a welcoming environment for the BIPOC fandom. The soul of this session had been several years in the making and built on countless heart-to-heart moments. So, I couldn’t imagine a better venue for seeing it actualized than my first JCLC. Furthermore, for this session, I had the honor of being in conversation with fellow nerds and comics librarians Jean Darnell and Deimosa Webber-Bey . To my eternal amazement, our talk was met with a standing room only reception, and afterward we were repeatedly regaled with tales of being turned away at the door. In hopes of capturing a small portion of that day's magic, this post grew out of that discussion. *** For the past 30 years, BIPOC nerds have existed in the cringe-worthy shadow of Urkel. What if, instead, they’d had portrayals such as ...

Standing TALL: Choosing to Apply to the Texas Library Association's TALL Texan Leadership Institute

After having attended the Texas Library Association's TALL Texan Leadership Institute, another library worker reached out to me with questions about my experience. Below are the answers that I provided in response to her questions. *** Why did you apply to Tall Texans? Originally, I heard about TALL Texans as a new school librarian - within my first five years - and at the time it was described to me as an opportunity to gain meaningful leadership training in the field of librarianship that was specific to the Texas Library ecosystem. Thus, it was something that I'd aspired to for quite awhile. However, as time went on I made my way toward leadership without having attended the institute and began to second guess the value of the investment. However, when I mentioned to my supervisor that I was mildly interested in attending, she strongly encouraged me to apply - stating that not only would the library pay for my tuition but that she believed I would particularly benefi...

CET Writes

Search This Blog