Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (c) 1998 by J. K. RowlingI recently finished (again) reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling, published in 1997 in the U.K., (as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) and 1998 in the U.S., the first book in the Harry Potter series, and an absolutely delightful story.

Harry Potter has spent his childhood with the Dursleys, his mother's sister and her husband and son, and they are the only family he has known for as long as he can remember, his parents having died when he was a baby.  They have treated him terribly, making him living in the closet under the stairs, and being generally unkind. They especially get mad when he talks about anything acting in a way it normally wouldn't; Uncle Vernon, for example, shouts furiously at Harry simply because Harry mentioned a dream he'd had in which there had been a flying motorcycle.

But all this changes when Harry meets a fellow named Rubius Hagrid, who presents him with a letter to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry.  He is a wizard, it turns out, something his aunt and uncle had tried to hide from him. And he's able to go to school at Hogwarts. But are his problems over? Goodness, no. They're just beginning! Even so, he faces them with courage and determination, and the help of Hermione and Ron, two friends he meets at school.

I enjoyed the book immensely, and recommend it to both children and adults who enjoy magic, fantasy, and fun!