Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A school for young wizards and witches has been done before but in this ambitious, many-layered, overlong first novel, Rowling creates a fresh and amusing school of magic in which there are lessons in Potions and the History of Magic and rugby is replaced by Quidditch - a kind of polo on broomsticks. The everyday friendships and rivalries of school life give a realistic base to the plot as new boy Harry settles in only to find himself confronted with the power of the evil magician Voldemort who killed his parents when he was a baby. Voldemort is determined to steal the philosopher's stone hidden in the school, thereby acquiring eternal life and riches. In the ensuing adventures, the themes of bravery and the need to understand the 'desperate desires of our hearts' are convincingly developed. Rowling is a most exciting and vigorous new talent.