The new craze that has captured the hearts of childreneverywhere has recently drawn me in, too. I'm not referring toPokemon but to J. K. Rowling's premier children's novel, HarryPotter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It reeled me in at the firstchapter and kept my undivided attention through to theastonishing and creative conclusion. Overall, I was veryim-pressed by Rowling's talent at creating a captivatingchild's dream world.

As a young girl, I enjoyed novelsfull of zest, and Rowling's work is certainly full of that.Her unforgettable characters and delightful ability to createa fantasy world that is easy to picture are two of the bestcharacteristics of her writing. Harry, an orphan child of twowitches who, as a baby, re-markably saved himself from beingmurdered by the evil Lord Voldemort, makes a fabulousprotagonist. When, at age 12, Harry starts receivingmysterious letters from another realm, the story really comesto life. The reader is transported to the magical, mysticalworld of Hogwarts, the school for young witches. Harryencounters many challenges he must overcome to live up to hisrole as the powerful warlock who defeated Voldemort as a merebaby. It is not a surprise that Voldemort returns to take hisrevenge. Rowling creates an imaginary world that would attractany kid, filled with magic, dragons, secrets, friendship, eviladversaries and, of course, the boy who conquers itall.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is wellworth the short time it takes to read it. You will bethoroughly entertained and also probably gain a great deal ofuseful creative writing knowledge. I am looking forward toreading the two sequels. I recommend this book to anyone whowants to take a thoroughly enjoyable trip into a child's worldof imagination, adventure and the triumphant heroism of onesmall boy.