Harry Potter Book Series

The first novel that launched the career and the International smash series by this wife and mother who lives in Scotland. Her many awards include: an Anthony Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. The first four books in the series for Ms. Rowling were honored with the Hugo Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the White Bread Children's Book Award, the Nestle' Smarties Book Prize, among others. And oh did I forget to mention she has also been named an Officer of the order of the British Empire.

That must be code for the Order of the Phoenix.

In the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and his friends; Ron and Hermione follow the clues and continue to battle the evil Voldemort as he uses the first of his Horcruxes to preserve himself from death and ultimate defeat.

In the third installment of the Harry Potter series you will see a ratcheting up of intensity as Harry, Hermione, and Ron, continue their wizarding education at Hogwarts, while a dangerous criminal (Sirius Black) has escaped from Azkaban.
This third book also introduces the duplicitous nature of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Fudge clears Harry for inflating Marge while he was at the Dursley's. But that was only to cover the Minister of Magic's butt. The Minister shows his true colors later on and in book four & five. (The Order of the Phoenix)

The three friends are joined at Hogwarts by the Dementors (a nasty wraith-like creature that is utterly without emotion); the Azkaban guards responsible for keeping the prisoners in the prison. They are after Sirius Black but have a strong and negative effect on Harry as well.

On a personal note; for me this book marked a real change in Harry as the Dementers seem to seek him out, he begins to find clues to his parents life at the time of their death, and Professor Snape's extreme dislike for him.

Book four, in my opinion, marks a coming of age of sorts for Harry Potter. He got pretty good tastes of darkness and danger in the first three books, but GOF really brings it home for Harry. Rowling shows us what Harry is made of morally. She gives us a realsense of his integrity as, not only a human being, but as a wizard finding his way in an adult wizarding world. The last six chapters of GOF are some of the most gripping, difficult, heart wrenching, and frustrating chapters of the entire series. At least for me.

This book (GOF) sets the stage for the final three. Now you might say, well no kidding, but there is more to it then just one book leading to another. There is so much subtle information in book four that it is mind boggling.

This year at Hogwarts finds Harry as a contender in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, (even though he is too young; someone enters his name without his knowledge) an ancient contest between three Wizarding Schools of the wizarding world. We are also introduced to the Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort, who make a rather frightening appearance at the Quidditch World Cup.

Someone has produced the "Death Eaters Sign" (The Dark Mark) in the sky over the crowd as several Death Eaters are terrorizing some muggles that are helping out at the "World Cup."

Harry continues to find out that the wizarding world can be a dark and dangerous place. Those that smile at you are not always your friends.

Snape and Malfoy ratchet up their dislike for Potter as Harry gets himself into jams that require more clout than he possesses. But we also learn the depth of moral values that Harry possesses in multiple instances, not the least of which is a great sense of fairness and right and wrong when faced with life altering events.

There are many different distractions along the way for Harry as he tries to ready himself for each event of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

As far as I'm concerned, The Order of the Phoenix is the definitive book of the series, as we (finally) see the steel inside Harry Potter. Hermione has always had backbone as well as brains, and Ron is... well, Ron.

Hogwarts has a new Defense against the Darks Arts Professor by the name of Dolores Umbridge. She can only be described as an insidious, horrible person. Her little-girl laugh is so sickly sweet and nasty, just like her disposition. She maneuvers her way to the Headmasters position with the help of Cornelius Fudge and begins to make rather ugly changes within Hogwarts. Sort of like the Obama administration actually... oops, sorry; I hate when I do that.

When Umbridge makes it clear that she is not going to train the students against the Darks Arts, Hermione convinces Harry that he should train the students. Thus, Dumbledore's Army is formed.

If you have stalled in reading the series, you must continue on with "The Order of the Phoenix."

In the sixth book, Dumbledore begins to tutor Harry Potter and show him how Voldemort has managed to consolidate his power into Horcruxes.

As this is the final book in the series you will have to read it if you want to learn any secrets. Rest assured there are things that happen in this installment that will simply blow you away, and No! I will not give any hints.