This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

'Harry Potter' Series by J.K. Rowling: In the Stacks

In June, we will be looking at a few of the popular young adult series. We will be covering the Harry Potter series, the Pretty Little Liars series, the Twilight series, and the Uglies series.

The Harry Potter series of books is an excellent set to read with children. While some of the younger ones may not be able to read the entire books themselves, they are fun and interesting ones to read as a family.

The magic of wizards will amaze and astonish the little ones, but the ability to relate to Harry, a young child who is trying to figure out how he fits into this world and make his own path in it, is something that children and young adults can relate to as well.  As Harry grows we see his struggles with adolescence and the pressure of being the son of two very famous wizards. 

I enjoyed this series. I thought it was just the right length, with just enough to keep me intrigued and guessing throughout the books. I liked the believability of the story and characters, even though it is set in a fictional place. I thought the way that Rowling was able to make the characters lifelike and likable was a great combination to really bring them to life.

Find out what's happening in Homewood-Flossmoorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Don’t let the size of the books put you off.  All of the books are long, with the later ones getting longer and longer (The final book has over 750 pages)! However, they are quick reads and the story flows so nicely that you will have them done in no time.

The books follow Harry for seven years, starting shortly before his eleventh birthday. It tells of his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the friends and enemies he makes while there. We see Harry, his two friends Ron and Hermione, and a cast of other characters learning the basics of witchcraft and wizardry as they deal with the normal and not so normal events that are going on around them.

Find out what's happening in Homewood-Flossmoorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The books in the series, in order, are (1) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, (2) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, (3) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, (4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, (5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, (6) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and (7) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

 

 

X

 

 

X

Book on CD

X

X

X

X

 

X

Foreign Language

 

 

 

 

 

French

Spanish

Cassette

 

 

 

 

 

X

Braille

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

X

 

X

X

 

X

Book on CD

X

X

X

X

 

X

Foreign Language

Spanish

 

 

 

 

French, Chinese, Arabic, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

X

 

X

X

X

X

Book on CD

X

X

X

X

 

X

Foreign Language

 

 

 

 

 

French, Chinese, Arabic, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

X

 

 

X

 

X

Book on CD

X

X

X

 

X

X

Foreign Language

Spanish

 

 

 

 

French, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

X

 

 

X

 

X

Book on CD

X

X

X

 

 

X

Foreign Language

 

 

 

 

 

Arabic, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

X

 

X

 

 

X

Book on CD

 

X

X

X

X

X

Foreign Language

 

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian, German, Polish, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Chicago Heights

Flossmoor

Homewood

Park Forest

Steger-South Chicago Heights

Other SWAN libraries (can be ordered)

Regular, format

X

X

X

X

X

X

Large Print

 

 

X

X

 

X

Book on CD

 

X

X

X

X

X

Foreign Language

 

 

 

 

 

German, Polish, Spanish

Cassette

 

 

X

 

X

X

Braille

 

 

 

 

 

X

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?