Website Review

Harry Potter, official site

A couple of downloads. The first was automatic, and a really cool Flash intro - not too long, but definitely cool-looking. Only got a little spotty with my 56k modem.

The second download had a wait with a golden snitch flitting about the screen. I tried to click on it, and realized just how tricky those snitches really are!

This site is really very entertaining. My kids joined the email list and didn't get a ton of email from them, so I am pretty happy about that.

Definitely a high-graphics, aesthetic, Harry Potterish sort of website. A must for any true fan. :-)

Book Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)

This book was very clever! The plot had more twists and turns than the last, and I was very surprised and pleased towards the end, as every mystery began to unfold. The pacing of this book was great -- I couldn't put it down, it just got more and more exciting and the end was thrilling.

I would highly recommend than anyone reading this starts with the first book in the series (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), and reads them in order. There are a lot of characters, and the plot is rather complex, and I would imagine that it would be easy to miss out on some of it if the books aren't read in order.

I am impressed with the humor in these stories, and I think they are great for children. My 9 year old son loves these books, and I love them just as much as he does!