Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)

by J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)

4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 · rating details · 958,637 ratings · 15,585 reviews

Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has already survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. But his hopes for a quiet term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safes...more

Hardcover, 435 pages

Published May 1st 2004 by Scholastic Inc. (first published July 8th 1999)

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Feb 09, 2008 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, harry-potter

Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of weeks, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as Crookshanks fan fiction.

Crookshanks swished his tail back and forth as he crept up the stairs to the boys' bedrooms. He knew the rat wasn't what it was pretending to...more Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of weeks, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as Crookshanks fan fiction.

Crookshanks swished his tail back and forth as he crept up the stairs to the boys' bedrooms. He knew the rat wasn't what it was pretending to be, but all of his attempts to alert the humans to this fact had failed. "I don't know why I even bother," he muttered to himself. "I could get along fine without any of them. Let the rat do whatever it is it's trying to do. So long as Girl keeps feeding me and scratching my belly, I'll - hello, what's this?"

He could smell the rat. Its scent was like nothing Crookshanks had ever smelled, and for all his time living in a magical pet shop, he'd smelled a lot. The rat did smell like a rat, yes, but there was also something else. Something... human. It was just like that big black dog he'd met on the grounds the other day. Every instinct in him had screamed to run away, but there was that smell. And even Crookshanks knew what they said about cats and curiosity. The dog had turned out to be more than just a dog, and it had convinced Crookshanks to help it. First order of business: retrieve a certain rat from the bedroom of the Red-Haired Boy.

The Boy wasn't in, but the rat was. Crookshanks circled the bed a few times. This time, maybe, he would be able to get the damn thing. He tensed for a moment and then leapt onto the bed.

By luck or skill, he was nearly on top of the thing when he landed. "A-HA!" he yowled. "Gotcha!" He pinned the rat under his sizable paw. "Where you gonna run to now, ratty?" he asked, sneering as best he could.

The rat writhed in his grip. "Please," it said. "Just let me go. You don't know what will happen if you eat me, it would be a terrible mistake!"

"A mistake, eh?" the cat said. "We'll see about that. I have a great big doggie friend who's just aching to get his jaws around you...."

He barely had time to finish his sentence when the rat went mad. It squealed and bit and slashed with its paws. And then, against all of Crookshanks' previous experience - it grew! It nearly threw the cat off the bed as it became much more massive - its legs lengthened and its arms stretched until it had reached a human size and shape. Crookshanks goggled. Of all the things he'd expected from this rat, this wasn't it. The human grabbed at him, but Crookshanks was too fast. He jumped off the bed and shimmied under the wardrobe, where he could see but not be seen.

The human looked around, breathing heavily. He was pale and thin, and still looked ratty. "Think, Peter, think," he said. "Gotta get out of here, but..." He stopped, glanced at the wardrobe, and grimaced. "You may just have given me my way out, cat," he said. And then he bit the ball of his hand.

Blood dripped out, leaving spreading red blotches on the sheets. "They'll think it was you," he said. "They'll leave me for dead and I'll be free to rejoin my Lord." He looked at the recently repaired curtains on Ron's bed. "It's not safe here anymore." He sucked at the wound to stop the bloodflow and then went to the window. Perched on the windowsill, he looked over at Crookshanks' hiding place. "If I were human," he said, "the fall would kill me. But as a rat...." His body rippled and twisted and shrank, and then there was an old grey rat on the sill. Crookshanks was pretty sure it winked at him before leaping off.

After a minute or two, Crookshanks wriggled out from under the wardrobe, his thoughts dark. The Red-Haired Boy was going to be angry, and so was the Girl. But more importantly, the Dog was going to be furious. It was barely holding on to its sanity as it was. Crookshanks shook his head. This was going to get worse before it would get better...(less)

108 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2007 pinkgal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: absolute-favorites, magic_fairytale-esque

It was September 1998; the third Harry Potter book had just been released. Pottermania? What's that? It was still unknown except to a vast population of younglings who'd read it... and I fell in love. Oh, how I fell in love. I fell in love with the poor, starved-for-affection, later known to be a twit Harry. I fell in love with the pretentious know-it-all Hermione. I fell in love with the awkward, grew-up-in-his-brother's-shadows Ron... and most of all? I fell in love with the snarky, unplatable...more

39 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2010 Brad rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, youth, out-loud, to-my-kids, faves

I know that many of you out there haven't gotten around to reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Much like Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch and Lucifer's worldwide bestseller The Holy Bible, you own a copy, it gathers dust, but its never been read. You've been thinking about it, though. You see it there on the shelf and you wonder, "Is this book for me?"

The following checklist will tell you all you need to know about Harry Potter and the Prisoner ...more

55 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: saniya-malfoy, borrowed, favorites

Of-course, this book was EPIC! =D
Its Harry Potter now. It has to be epic! *Rolling eyes but smiling widely* xD

64 likes · like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Micheline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: favorites, multiple-reads, hero-worship, magic-witches-wizards, classics, vampires-werewolves, fantasy, young-adult

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban has always been, in my opinion, one of the best books of the series. Even as far as the movies go, I feel that POA is by far the best book to film adaptation out of all 8 movies. Yes Harry Potter and Ron and Hermione are still fairly young in the third book, but I find they have matured quite a bit this time around. They're officially in their teens, and they've already had their fair share of adventures. This time around however, Harry has more to worr...more Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban has always been, in my opinion, one of the best books of the series. Even as far as the movies go, I feel that POA is by far the best book to film adaptation out of all 8 movies. Yes Harry Potter and Ron and Hermione are still fairly young in the third book, but I find they have matured quite a bit this time around. They're officially in their teens, and they've already had their fair share of adventures. This time around however, Harry has more to worry about than just Voldemort (as if that in itself weren't enough). Harry's Summer vacation at the Dursley's take a turn for the worse when Uncle Vernon's vile sister Marge comes to visit. She is completely horrible to Harry, and by comparison makes his Aunt & Uncle look almost human. After a disastrous visit ends abruptly (lol) Harry finds himself spending his last two weeks of Summer vacation in Diagon Alley. I always feel so happy about Harry being able to soak in his magical surroundings and do as he pleases...I mean how fun would it be to hang out in Diagon Alley?!

The writing in this one is above reproach. I read somewhere that JK Rowling said that when she had finished writing 'Half Blood Prince' she said she hadn't been that satisfied with a book since Prisoner of Azkaban, and I feel it shows: this is JKR at her best. There are so many new magical elements added in the mix this time : The Maurauder's Map, the discovery of the identity of the Maurauders themselves, the Dementors are absolute nightmares (view spoiler) , the Patronus charms are really cool, and always have me imagining what I think my own Patronus would be. I also really enjoy the visits the the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, the only all wizard settlement in London.

(view spoiler)

As usual, the book has the requisite Dumbledore & Harry heart to heart ending. And Dumbledore always contributes a hint at a key plot element that will come to play again later on in the story. (view spoiler) Re-reading is fun just because of those little hints. My first time through, I pretty much inhaled the series whole, so some of the little hints I had forgotten about. It's brilliant to see how it all fits together in the end...every little detail is woven into the plot for a reason. Not many authors accomplish such a feat, but J.K. Rowling does it seamlessly.(less)

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Jan 22, 2011 kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Now that I have three of these under my belt, it's time to take a break.

It's not that there's anything wrong with them. On the contrary, they're holding my interest too well.

See, I've got this homework stuff that I'm supposed to be doing instead of reading. But school is so boring all of a sudden, and home life is a bit strained, too, and it's so nice to escape. . .

No, I'm not a tween. I'm nearly thirty years old. But the same general issues still apply to me. This series has come to me at the...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, ya-fantasy

The waters are getting deeper in this volume, and a little darker...but the first readers were growing up between volumes when this was first published. These are some of the most well written books around. Kudos To Ms. Rowling.

This book stands out for a couple of reasons...not to give any spoilers, it stands out as introing us to a couple of important characters and also for the nonappearance of another. The characters stay true to themselves and we get to know them even better.

The characters i...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2009 Henry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, young-adult

Since everyone is probably already familiar with the Harry Potter series and with this book in particular, I'm not going to write any sort of summary. I am just going to say that of the three I have read so far, this is by far the best.
I felt that this book had the best and well thought out story line of the series so far. But keep in mind, I have only gotten through book three. Rowling also left no stones unturned by revealing the secrets behind all of the wizardry items and people introduced...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Miloš & Brontë rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-with-pa, read-to-us, harry-potter

Pa: So we finally finished Prisoner of Azkaban, you turkeys, what did you think?

Miloš: I thought that the time-turner was really cool.

Pa: How come?

Miloš: Because I liked how Harry and Hermione went to save Sirius and save Buckbeak, and how Ron woke up and said what happened.

Pa: How about you, Te? Did you like that part?

Brontë: Yeah, I liked it. I like how they were going back in time. And I love how Harry, at the end, didn't know it [the person who cast the Patronus] was him because he thought i...more

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Sep 04, 2007 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yomr

I am a word nerd, as most of my friends know (and most are themselves, which is why we are friends!). Among the things that bug me are people who mispronounce nuclear as nu-cu-ler (ahem, President Bush). If you are one of these people, stop it. Stop it now. There is only one "u" in the word. My husband is one of these people and is trying to reform. The one time in my life that GWB has been useful to me. I am also aggravated by foliage pronounced or spelled as foilage. Huh? That doesn't make sen...more I am a word nerd, as most of my friends know (and most are themselves, which is why we are friends!). Among the things that bug me are people who mispronounce nuclear as nu-cu-ler (ahem, President Bush). If you are one of these people, stop it. Stop it now. There is only one "u" in the word. My husband is one of these people and is trying to reform. The one time in my life that GWB has been useful to me. I am also aggravated by foliage pronounced or spelled as foilage. Huh? That doesn't make sense. And I prefer empathic over empathetic. I realize both are technically correct, but I suspect that empathetic got in there b/c the grammar gods threw in the towel.

What does this have to do with Harry, you ask? Well, Ms. Rowling, who is not, as we all admit, the world's greatest writer while being a helluva story teller, constantly, constantly, constantly writes "try and." This drives me insane. It's fine if she's writing dialogue since this is, in fact, what people say. But to write it as part of your story it should be "try TO." Stupid, but I had to vent somewhere.

Venting, mainly because I find writing about these books difficult. What is there left to say? Each one gets better and Prisoner of Azkaban is a huge leap beyond Chamber of Secrets (which is, as I've said before, almost the same book as Sorcerer's Stone). Love the development of the story, love Sirius, love Lupin, love how well Rowling can read and write about the teenaged mind. My 20th high school reunion is coming up and I'm not going for a million and one reasons, but it still has me thinking back to adolescence and pre-adolescence a lot, and she is right on the money. I only wish I could have gone somewhere as interesting as Hogwarts instead of the average American hellhole where I ended up. Wizarding thing aside, is it the boarding school aspect of it that seems so enticing? Can't tell.

Another question about Harry's world, though, and I'm going to jump ahead to Goblet of Fire to ask it. Why can't the Weasleys use magic more to make their lives better? Mrs. Weasley gets entire meals to come out of her wand, so why can't Ron just fix up his dress robes or the hole in his bedspread? Why does his stuff have to be such rubbish? Hermione fixes an entire broken pane of glass on the train and he can't magic his clothes to be nicer? It seems inconsistent to me, although I'm sure if I cared enough, there are chatboards galore that would explore these same questions with me. I don't care that much.

I also have, I must confess, the world's hugest crush on the film version of Lucius Malfoy. Love that blond wig! In the books, however, Bill Weasley just seems like the coolest guy going. Just wanted to share.(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2007 Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, contemporary-fiction, novel, reviewed, contemporary-fantasy

The first of her series where Rowling really catches her stride. Though her plotting is always a forced joining of unnecessary moments smoothed over Lucas-style by action and magic, in this occasion, the emotional and character exploration of such moments helps to lend them a certain importance. There is an irony here: that Rowling seems to profit from the reader leaning on Chekhovian Realism in a story where the psychology and meaning are so contrived and poorly-executed that it cannot be consi...more

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Apr 23, 2007 mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

this is the only harry potter book i'm going to comment on. simply, because this is the only one worth a damn. let's not lie.

i started reading the harry potter books one summer in college when i couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. my little cousins wouldn't shut up, and fundamentalists across the nation were waving their arms around about witchcraft. and i do love seeing the evangelical nation in a huff. the first two went down smoothly, fun stories, simple reads, but very obviousl...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Ash rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own, _jk-rowling, movie, 200bbc, audiobook, young-adult, favorites, 2011-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

7 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2012 Jeffrey Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I just don't know what to say. I loved the movies and am finding tht I love the books just as much, if not more. The book is always much more detailed than the movie but now that I'm reading the books I find a great appreciation for the director/producers of the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowlings wrote a masterful series about wizarding and magic that has translated well to the big screen. The books are fast paced, engaging and totally a fantasy escapism! I love her style and the pace. Three boo...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Jason Koivu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Shit got real!

For me, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was when the series got interesting. It certainly got darker and more mature. Torture, loss, a foreboding sense of dread and death itself descended upon this happy little world of magic where school exams and difficult professors were the worst things to worry about. It also introduced a reason for Harry to want to live: his godfather, a connection to his parents. Up until then there was little joy in Harry's life. Sure there was the...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: your mom

Reread, March 2013:

This always seems to come up in any conversation about which Harry Potter book is the best, the favorite, the most engaging. And I think it's because this is where things become less predictable, where that divide between the good guys and the bad guys gets blurry. And it's where Harry begins to realize that the world is a far, far more complex organism than he could have anticipated. Oh, Harry.

Reread, July 2007:

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Damieka {LivingInYABooks} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, favorites, fantasy, fangirl-worthy-books, cover-love, jk-rowling, my-feels, witches, ya, will-have-my-daughter-read

You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?

I love this book! I remember liking it before, but now I love it!

Harry is back for another action filled, tension building year at Hogwarts. And this time, a criminal is on the loose, after him. You can imagine how this will add to the story.

In all honesty, I think this is the first book to set the darker tone of the other books. It has some somewhat grueso...more You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?

I love this book! I remember liking it before, but now I love it!

Harry is back for another action filled, tension building year at Hogwarts. And this time, a criminal is on the loose, after him. You can imagine how this will add to the story.

In all honesty, I think this is the first book to set the darker tone of the other books. It has some somewhat gruesome, depressing scenes throughout it. It also adds the demenetors, which Rowling based on depression. I think it shows throughout this book how Rowling battled with depression and it shows how she dealt with loosing a parent. Rowling gets how it feels to loose some one dear to you. She makes it seem like she's not just writing about dead people because it's the seemingly "in" thing in YA. She writes like she knows what it's like to loose someone so close to you, because she does.

As for the dementors and depression, Rowling writes that like a pro as well. She understands how to capture the feeling of emptiness, the "cold hard feeling of abscence" as she once stated in an interview. She has writen a likely canidate for what depression would look like if it had a face to stare into. She wrote depression, in symbolism of course, as it is. And for that you have to give her props.

The characters: I loved them as always! Fred and George were just as funny as always, and they made me love them even more with the whole map and "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." thing. Hermione is a bit of a know-it-all, as always, but still an awesome and strong female character like always. She actually gives Ron and Harry some great advice throughout the book, much of which had they followed, they would have gotten in a lot less trouble at times. Ron was cute and funny and awesome as always. Dumbledoor was as wise and quotable as always. Harry was Harry, the boy who lived. Need I say more?

I don't know why I'm writing a formal review on this book, really, considering most people have read it. But I guess when I love a book as much as I loved this one, I just have to write a review.

So, I'm looking forward to spending another year with Harry in the next instalment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Other Reviews in These Titles: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Salymar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite, 2012-read

Dark, epic and just extraordinary. Two thumbs up!

Oh by the way, prior to the movie adaption of this film, I would like to give a small statement. Before you start reading the Harry Potter series, PLEASE: Separate the film from the book and you will be impressed. Totally. I remember watching the film but as a huge fan of the book, I must be very unrealistic. I knew there have been a lot of information left out in the film adaption. There were few parts of the book that I wish have been included i...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Mariel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: experimental goat charmers

Recommended to Mariel by: Sirius Black is my Harry Potter boyfriend

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save Buckbeak so that they can save Sirius. They go back in time so they can save...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: the-best-books-of-all-time, kids-and-teens, favorites, 3x-read, read-in-2013

2nd time read: 2001
3rd time read: 2013

Whether adult or child! What a great fun read!

2/12/13
I just totally and completely love this book and I'm not going to write your typical review but just some highlights of what jumped out at me during this re-re-read. :)

- I found so amusing the bits where Lee Jordan was giving commentary during the Quidditch games. He was cursing out Slytherin at one point and McGonagall was practically wrestling to get the megaphone from him. I just laughed out loud!

- I fo...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Ginny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Harry is a 13 year old boy, and is a young wizard. When he was 1 year old, his parents got killed by the most powerful dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. But when Voldemort tried to kill Harry as well, he failed and since than, Harry is very famous. He is a 3rd year student in Hogwarts, the school for Witchcraft and Wizardy.
Harry wants to go to Hogsmeade with his friends. But he can not because Uncle vernon obviously would not give him permission, and Harry does not have any other relatives. Even th...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Penelope rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books, heroes-i-admire, heroines-i-admire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Spoilers ahead*
This is definitely my favorite book of the series, so far. I can't believe ALL the stuff that is in it that wasn't in the movie! I love the history this story provides. It definitely made for a much richer reading experience; now I not only know about Harry, but I know a little about his family, and how they influenced his future, even before they passed away.

I really like that we took a break from the Voldemort plotline, and got a better look at Harry's parent's past. It added t...more *Spoilers ahead*
This is definitely my favorite book of the series, so far. I can't believe ALL the stuff that is in it that wasn't in the movie! I love the history this story provides. It definitely made for a much richer reading experience; now I not only know about Harry, but I know a little about his family, and how they influenced his future, even before they passed away.

I really like that we took a break from the Voldemort plotline, and got a better look at Harry's parent's past. It added to his character arc in such a unique way, because this is the first book that I have felt like Harry was able to be well and truly happy. Knowing even just these small parts of his past (and things like why his father was nicknamed prongs--so cool) seemed to add pieces to his own identity, enough to change his entire demeanor. And I was so happy for him, finally having Sirius and Lupin to look to as proper family--people who he knows really care about him. I love that part on the last page where Harry tells the Dursleys about Sirius, saying, "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of Wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though . . . keep up with my news . . .check if I'm happy . . ."

A few other things I liked are the Marauder's Map--which is the coolest thing ever invented--Dumbledore, who is just awesome--especially since he always knows everything, and how hilariously funny it was to imagine Lee Jordan (is the person? I don't have the book right now) announcing the quidditch matches. I also think the twist with the time-turner seemed much more thrilling in the book, than in the movie. I never doubted everything would be pulled off when I watched the movie, but there seemed to be a more immediate need for the time-turner in the book, and that translated into more suspenseful reading.

I gave this 4.5 stars when I first finished, because I was sure I couldn't have loved the book enough to be giving it 5 stars. But after trying to come up with something negative to say about it, all I could come up with was one thing. So I'm giving it the 5 stars it deserves. :) And about that one thing: Maybe I just missed this while reading, but my question is: if the Marauder's Map "never lies," why didn't Professor Snape see Harry and Hermione sitting at the edge of the woods after they used the time-turner, at the time when he saw Professor Lupin disappear into the tunnel? He should have seen them.

Although out of the entire book, I'll take that one inconsistency and move on. I was much too enthralled to be held up by one small thing.

This review was originally published on my blog: The reading Fever.(less)

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Nov 28, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: harry-potter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 09, 2012 Morgan F rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, made-into-movies, 1990s, re-read, completed-series, wizardry-and-sorcery, werewolves, own, good-sized, time-travel, read-2012

This is possibly my favorite book in this amazing series. I have read this book multiple times, and it keeps getting better.

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Mar 04, 2013 NovelStudy100A rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. J.K. Rowling

Plot: First, Harry runs away from the Dursleys. Finds out that an infamous prisoner of Azkaban named Sirius Black escaped to kill him. He goes to Hogwarts and faints on the ride due to a dementor. Harry has his classes and Ms. Trelawney predicts his death through tealeaves. Malfoy gets hurt from a hippogriff. So, Gryffindor plays Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin, loses in the first Quidditch match, and Harry loses his broom, because Harry faints from dementors. Then he sneaks into Hog...more J.K. Rowling

Plot: First, Harry runs away from the Dursleys. Finds out that an infamous prisoner of Azkaban named Sirius Black escaped to kill him. He goes to Hogwarts and faints on the ride due to a dementor. Harry has his classes and Ms. Trelawney predicts his death through tealeaves. Malfoy gets hurt from a hippogriff. So, Gryffindor plays Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin, loses in the first Quidditch match, and Harry loses his broom, because Harry faints from dementors. Then he sneaks into Hogsmeade and heard that Black is the one who betrayed his parents. After that, he receives a new and much better broom for Christmas from a mysterious person. Harry learns the anti-dementor from Professor Lupin. Gryffindor wins the next round against Ravenclaw. Meanwhile Ron and Hermione are angry at each other, because of pet problems. Black breaks into the school twice and tighter security is put on Harry. The hippogriff that hurt Malfoy is sentenced to death. Ron and Hermione settle their conflicts to help the hippogriff. Gryffindor wins the last/final Quidditch match against Slytherin. Harry, Hermione, and Ron have their exams. The hippogriff that hurt Malfoy is executed. The three friends is now lured into Shrieking Shacks by an Animagus called Sirius Black. Later they find out that Sirius is the good guy and the pet rat, who is an Animagus (a person that can turn into an animal,) of Ron is the real bad guy. Suddenly, they are cornered by dementors and are saved by a mysterious force. Soon, Black is captured and killed by dementor. Harry and Hermione travel in time to save Black and the hippogriff. Now, Black is riding the hippogriff to escape and no innocent souls are killed that day. Everybody goes back to their home and Aunt Marge no longer infuriates Harry, because he told them that Black is his godfather.

Theme: I believe the theme of this book is based on anger management and friendship. In the very beginning of the book, Harry is infuriated by Aunt Marge and blows her up. Later in school, he couldn't sleep well in another night when he heard false information about Sirius Black betraying his parents. Then, he finds out that Sirius Black is innocent while Ron's pet is Ron and Hermione is no longer friends, because of a pet problem. In the end, Ron and Hermione are friends again in an attempt to save the hippogriff, Buckbeak, that hurt Malfoy. Harry manages his anger and does not kill Sirius Black which turns out to be innocent. That's why the theme is on friendship and anger management.

Interesting parts: I believe that this book is engaging at most times and not engaging rarely at other times for a 6th grader. In the beginning where he explains his horrible life with the Dursleys, I felt like sleeping, because there is no action that engages a 6th grader. It is pretty suspenseful and engaging when Aunt Marge is reprimanding Harry, because the book shows Harry's inner thoughts like: "As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her," "But a reckless rage had come over Harry," "Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger," and "Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him(Harry) like one of Uncle Vernon's drills." In the end the tension is released when he inflates Aunt Marge magically and runs away. The story is also extremely engaging at Quidditch matches. Here are some quotes: "Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch" creating a helpless atmosphere, "He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second - then -" creating an excited mood, and "It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in" interests the reader into finding out what immoral things would both teams do for the Quidditch Cup. At the climax, this quote of Harry's really boosts the tension: "Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment...." Overall, this book is definitely engaging.

I rate this book a 5 star since this book is a great plot, informative theme, and engaging passages for a 6th grader!

------ISM Benford David-----------------------------------------------(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Rob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: harry-potter, audio-book, read-2012, read-before-goodreads

Executive Summary: It's been awhile since I've read this book. I forgot how much I liked it. I think I had remembered the movie more than the book. I bumped my original rating from 4 to 5. It might be my second favorite book in the series.

Audio book: Jim Dale is really growing on me as the series goes on. I've always thought him a good reader, but I'm really coming to love the extra effort he does doing voices for the characters. It really helps to bring the story to life (not that Rowling's wri...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Josie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Prisoner of Azkaban is where the story gets a little darker and the characters sort of come into their own. We are introduced to several new magical creatures (dementors, werewolves, animagi, and a hippogriff), and new magic too (referring mainly to Hermione's time turner, and the Expecto Patronum spell). J.K. Rowling describes everything in her books so greatly, it's as if she went to Hogwarts as a girl and is now writing about her experiences. How she comes up with all of the things she wr...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Kristine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 06, 2012 Amy Sturgis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 20th-century, ya-general, fantasy

I revisited this in preparation for teaching my "Taking Harry Seriously: The Artistry and Meaning of the Harry Potter Saga" course. Once more I am reminded why this is one of my favorite books -- perhaps my very favorite book -- in the Harry Potter series. Tightly plotted and beautifully realized, this novel broadens the scope of Harry's story considerably, setting it in the context of the Marauders' generation, revealing how old friendships and feuds inform the current return of Lord Voldemort...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english

Now I remember why I used to say that this is my favourite Harry Potter book.....
When I was trying to get into a great high school I had to interview with two teachers and they of course asked if I was reading anything. I told them that I've read all of the Harry Potter books (I think four of them were out already), and when they asked what my favourite was I said the Prisoner of Azkaban. And why? I said I like it more because the story is not about Voldemort. I must've said it in a funny way be...more

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About J.K. Rowling

Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initia...more Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.

Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.

Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.(less)

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Books by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)

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“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” — 19,966 people liked it

“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.
Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.
Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.
Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.” — 6,188 people liked it

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