Harry Potter Reviews,
Awards
and Distinctions
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The books are listed below in reverse chronological order, with the most recently published book first. Click on the book jacket above to go directly to the CCBC review and other information for each title. For each book, we have provided the CCBC review, citations for other professional reviews (starred reviews are indicated by an *), and a list of major awards and/or best-of-the year distinctions it received. Where possible, we have included links to the original review or list.
Wisconsin residents: many of the reviews cited below are available full-text in Badgerlink. (Professional reviews from journals such as Booklist and School Library Journal are also available from several online booksellers.)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 2007. (ISBN 0-545-01022-5)
Reviewed
by CCBC Librarian Megan Schliesman:
J.K. Rowling brings her seven-part, sweeping story to its dramatic conclusion
in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a tense and spellbinding
narrative that moves at breakneck speed, despite its bulk, toward the inevitable
final
confrontation
between now-seventeen-year-old Harry and the evil wizard Voldemort. This time
around Rowling deviates from the pattern that is so familiar in the others—there
is no return to Hogwart’s for Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the start of
the school year. Voldemort and the Death Eaters now control the Ministry of Magic
and the school. And so while the dwindling members of the Order of the Phoenix
battle on like the resistance fighters they are, and while thousands of innocents
face persecution and death, the three friends are committed to completing the
task Dumbeldore set for Harry—hunting down and destroying the Horcruxes
that harbor pieces of Voldemort’s splintered soul. Rowling does follow
the cycle of the seasons that has been so much a part of the passage of time
in the previous stories, offering this comforting familiairty as she chronicles
the
distress
in
the
world
she’s
created and the three friends’ dangerous, uncertain journey. And she continues
to weave her spell of magic—blending an imaginative and inventive
plot, teasing humor, and complex, fascinating characters
into an irresistible story. As Rowling's narrative moves through fall and
winter into spring, she is preparing both Harry and readers for its conclusion,
which
comes
in a
dazzling, ferocious battle involving all those they have come to either love
or
despise. At the center of it all is the young wizard who is willing do whatever
it takes
to save all that he holds in his heart. A little more explanation of one or two
elements essential to understanding the final outcome may have been in order,
but ultimately it’s all there to be discovered and understood. Rowling
has
done
both her story and her readers justice as she brings her smart and incredibly
satisfying
tale to an end. Professional Reviews for Deathly Hallows
Booklist (online July 23, 2007)Horn Book Magazine (will appear in print in the September/October 2007 issue)
New York Times (July 19, 2007)
School Library Journal (will appear in the September 2007 issue)
Publishers Weekly (July 21, 2007)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.
Arthur A. Levine
/ Scholastic, 2005. 672 pages (ISBN 0-4397-8454-9)
Reviewed
by CCBC Librarian Megan Schliesman: The
much anticipated Book VI in the Harry Potter saga
proves to have been well worth the wait as J. K. Rowling continues
the arc
of her enthralling story. With random violence and murders reported
regularly in The Daily Prophet, things have changed in the
wizarding world since the Dark Lord, Voldemort, returned to power.
But Rowling’s
plot echoes changes in the western world in recent years, and while
no
one is desensitized to fear and violence they are learning to live
with it. As a result, even though Mrs. Weasley carries the clock
that tracks the fate of each of her family members wherever she goes
and all hands point to “mortal peril,” things feel far
less ominous for most of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince than
they did in Book V. That’s due to changes in Harry,
too, who has emerged from the anger, uncertainty and adolescent angst
that consumed him in the prior volume with greater equilibrium, depth
and maturity, and greater focus and determination to be Voldemort’s
undoing. Now sixteen and returning to his sixth year at Hogwarts,
Harry, along with his friends, finds the school provides some sense
of normalcy even as the world both inside and outside of Hogwarts
adjusts to living in fear. For much of the book, building romantic
tensions, complete with petty jealousies, insecurities, matches
made and broken, and plenty of snogging, are as demanding of the
sixth years’ energies
as what’s happening beyond the gates, on the Quidditch field,
or in class. But the pace never lags in this page-turner that juggles
multiple surprises and mysteries, along with the usual fair share
of sparkling humor. Harry is driven in the quest for answers, and
readers will be too. But many questions will continue to tantalize
long after
the
book has ended, including those that arise in the frantic climax.
One of the problems worrying Harry for much of this story is Draco
Malfoy’s behavior. A bully at 11, 13 and even 15, now Draco
is being secretive, and that feels much more sinister than his sneers
and airs of superiority ever did. In part that’s because Draco,
along with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and others have crossed an invisible
line. No longer children, they stand on the brink of adulthood with
almost all pretence of innocence gone. Perhaps nothing symbolizes
this more than Harry’s relationship with Dumbledore. Once the
headmaster sought to protect Harry from the truth; now he has made
Harry his partner in seeking it out. It is also symbolized by the
loss of someone beloved before this volume ends—and Rowling
handles that loss with great deftness and great sensitivity to her
audience, meeting many young readers, whether or not they have experienced
the death of someone close--right where they are at. One of Rowling’s
remarkable traits as a writer is that each successive book has contained
perfectly timed revelations that fit into the plot of the larger
story—the seven volume story—in a way that makes it clear
things could be no other way. But we are surprised nonetheless, because
each is such an extraordinary new element to contemplate. (In
Book VI,
the most stunning example is the Horcrux). Rowling
has managed her complex plot over the course of six volumes with
few falters even as she makes each book a compelling story on its
own. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, that story
is largely driven by the complexity of the plot, and, as in other
recent volumes, there are some terrific characters who barely make
an appearance,
such
as Neville
Longbottom
and Luna Lovegood. But while readers can choose to fill in the gaps
on missing characters, they can’t fill in the gaps on essential
plot elements Rowling must build toward and reveal. It’s a
delicate balancing act, to be sure, but Rowling once again gets it
right.
(Age 9 and older)
©2005 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Professional Reviews for Half-Blood Prince
ALAN Review (Fall 2005)Booklist (August 2005), page 1948
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (October 2005), page 114
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2006)
Horn Book Magazine (Sept./Oct. 2005), page 587
Kirkus (August 2005), page 800
KLIATT Review (September 2005)
Library Media Connection (February 2006), page 68
New York Times (July 16, 2005)
Publishers Weekly (July 2005), page 77
School Library Journal (September 2005), page 212
VOYA (October 2005)
Selected Awards and Distinctions for Half-Blood Prince
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2006
Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2005
Booklist Editors' Choices, 2005
CCBC Choices 2006, Fiction for Children
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2005
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 2003. 870 pages (ISBN 0-439-35806-X)
CCBC
Review (from CCBC Choices 2004): As
with the four previous Harry Potter titles, J.K. Rowling takes readers on satisfying,
stimulating excursion
into her richly imagined world in
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But much has changed in Book
V. The cover of the U.S. edition reveals quite a bit about that change since
the start of the previous volume. There is no smiling boy pictured, and no rich
palette of contrasting colors. Instead, an older, more serious Harry gazes over
his shoulder, the
scene cast in somber blue tones. And from the opening chapter on, it's clear
that things are different, and that Harry is different, too. The usual over-the-top,
comi-tragic scenes of Harry's life at the Dursley's are toned down, replaced
by more ominous tidings. Harry's usual transition, from frustration in being
stuck at the Dursley's to delight when he is reunited with his Hogwarts friends,
is far less pronounced. It's complicated by his self-righteous anger over a summer
of isolation from the wizarding world at a time when Lord Voldemort has risen
and so much is at stake. That anger possesses Harry on and off throughout the
novel. It is one of the
ways J.K. Rowling is addressing the transition of her main character from courageous,
open-hearted boy to a young man weighed down by all he has seen. Harry is also
struggling, like many adolescents, to adjust to changes that he doesn't always
understand in his relationships with friends and mentors. The truth is that teenagers
aren't always easy to be around, and Harry embodies that truth, his overwrought
emotions seemingly justified one minute, self-centered the next. But while Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is certainly less lighthearted than the
overall tone of its predecessors, it's not a dark and ominous story. Hope--and
Rowling's humor--still shine. The author is adept at sly wit, broad humor, and
satire. Older readers may especially appreciate her sharp, sometimes chilling
commentaries on government. Her inventive imagination has created surprising
new material in a world that already seemed complete. (Remember those horseless
carriages at Hogwarts?) She also expands the cast and range of characters. While
some familiar faces, like Dumbledore and Hagrid, aren't seen as often as we've
come to expect, others, like Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom, are shown
in a new or brighter light. Newcomers like the Ravenclaw student Luna Lovegood
and the Auror Tonks enliven the mix that, as always, includes Harry's best friends,
Ron and Hermione, each with a few surprises of their own. Rowling also continues
to
develop the intricacies of the ongoing plot of good versus evil, answering some
of the looming questions from the past while raising others about what is to
come. The overall fast-paced novel lags more than its predecessors at the start
but picks up quickly, building to a riveting climactic battle followed by a prophecy
revealed. The
sense of urgency that marked the close of Book IV is absent here. But Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix still leaves us wondering what now
awaits the world of magic so many have come to know and love. What new surprises,
challenges,
and changes, will Books VI and VII hold? (Age 9 and older) ©2003 Cooperative
Children's
Book Center Professional Reviews for Order of the Phoenix
ALAN Review (Fall 2003)
Booklist (July 2003), page 1842
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (September
2003), page 31
Horn
Book Magazine (September/October 2003), page 619
Horn Book Guide (Fall 2003), page 374
KLIATT (September, 2003), page 12
New York Times Book Review (July 13, 2003), page 13
*Publishers Weekly (July 14, 2003), page 28
School Library Journal (August 2003), page 165
VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates (August 2003), page 240
Selected Awards and Distinctions for Order of the Phoenix
ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2004
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2004
Booklist Editors' Choices, 2003
CCBC Choices 2004: Fiction for Children
Voice of Youth Advocates: Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror,
2003
WEMA
Golden
Archer Award,
2005 (Middle/Junior High)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 2000. 752 pages (ISBN 0-439-13959-7)
CCBC
Review (from
CCBC Choices 2001):: Harry Potter returns for his fourth year at
Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but not before attending the World
Quidditch
Cup with his best friends Ron and Hermione and Ron's family. Spirits are high
as wizards and witches from around the world gather in Britain to attend the
match. But events at the international sporting spectacle foreshadow possible
bad times ahead when the Dark Mark, the sign of evil Lord Voldemort, is seen
in the sky overhead after the championship. It is the first time the sign has
appeared since Voldemort disappeared after killing Harry's parents years before.
J.K. Rowling's fourth Harry Potter novel, which the author describes as "pivotal" in
the planned cycle of seven books, continues what has become her trademark blend
of highly imaginative plotting, wonderfully realized characters, spirited humor
and compelling dramatic action. The now comfortingly familiar routine of life
at Hogwart's School is never without surprises for Harry, who is now 14, or for
readers. But Rowling adds a fresh twist to Harry's fourth year with the introduction
of an international wizarding competition that brings students from schools of
witchcraft and wizardry in two other nations to Hogwarts for the year. When Harry
is called upon to be a contestant in the competition, no one is more surprised
than he, and it seems certain that his name was put forth by someone wishing
him harm. The first boy-girl dance for Harry and his friends also complicates
life, as adolescent desires and uncertainties make for funny, poignant interactions
among students. By now readers know Rowling's main characters–and many of the
minor ones–quite well, and the result is a plot-driven adventure that builds
swiftly to another gripping–and chilling-- climax. The lines are drawn more clearly
and powerfully than ever before in the ongoing struggle of good–as seem through
the actions of Harry, headmaster Albus Dumbledore and others at Hogwarts--versus
evil, as represented by the heartless, inhuman deeds of the dark wizard Voldemort
and his followers. But intriguing and complex questions remain, about the intentions
and motivations of individual characters, and about the fate of all in Rowling's
superbly realized world. And in the midst of all the action, Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire offers more mature readers who are eager to dissect
the intricacies of the plot and ponder what is yet to come the opportunity to
also think about issues of economic and social justice as they play out in that
magical world–and resonate in our own. (Age 9 and older) ©2000 Cooperative Children's
Book Center
Professional Reviews for Goblet of Fire
*Booklist (August 2000), page 2128
Horn Book Magazine (November/December 2000), pages 762-3
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2001), pagge 78
Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2000), page 1123
Kirkus Review (August 1, 2000), page 1123
KLIATT (September 2000), page 48
New York Times (July
10, 2000), p. B1+
*Publishers Weekly (July 17, 2000), page 195
School Library Journal (August 2000), page 188
VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates (October 2000), page 273
Selected Awards and Distinctions for Goblet of Fire
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2001
Booklist Editors' Choices, 2000
CCBC Choices 2001: Fiction for Children
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2000
Voice of Youth Advocates: Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, 2000
WEMA Golden
Archer Award,
2002 (Middle/Junior High)
Young
Adults'
Choices, 2002 (International Reading Association)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 1999. 448 pages (ISBN 0-439-13625-0)
CCBC Review (from CCBC Choices 2000): J. K. Rowling just seems
to get better and better with each new entry in the Harry Potter series and this
volume, without a doubt, is the most compelling
book yet. From the outset we learn that Sirius Black, a notorious criminal that
even the Muggles know, has escaped from Azkaban prison. Worse yet, he is after
Harry Potter who has just returned to Hogwarts School for a third term. Sinister
Azkaban prison guards called Dementors have been placed all around the entrances
to Hogwarts, ostensibly to keep Sirius Black away from the school. But to Harry
the Dementors seem to pose as much as a threat as the escaped prisoner -- he
faints from fright every time he sees one. So concerned is he about the effect
they have on him that he seeks out the assistance of Professor Lupin, the new
Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, who helps Harry face his fears. We have
just as much humor, excellent characterization and intricate plotting in this
novel as in the previous two but here Rowling introduces for the first time a
layer of psychological depth, as Harry, now age 13, begins to come to terms with
the death of his parents. As a result, the novel has a more somber and slightly
more mature tone than its predecessors. Still, the rousing story will keep Potter
fans turning the pages and the mind-blowing twist at the end of the book is likely
to inspire repeated readings, of this volume if not the entire series. And, of
course, everyone who reads it will now be anxiously awaiting Book Four. ©1999
Cooperative Children's
Book Center (Age 9 and older)
Professional Reviews for Prisoner of Azkaban
ALAN Review (Winter 2000), page 35*Booklist (September 1, 1999), page 127
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (October 1999), page 68
Horn Book Magazine (November/December 1999), pages 744-745
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2000), page 86-87
Kirkus Reviews (September 15, 1999), page 1506
New York Times Book Review (September 5, 1999), page 12
*Publishers Weekly (July 19, 1999), page 195
School Library Journal (October 1999), page 158
VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates (December 1999), page 349
Selected Awards and Distinctions for Prisoner of Azkaban
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2000
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2000
Booklist Editors' Choices, 1999
CCBC Choices 2000: Fiction for Children
2000 Hugo Award Nominee: Best Novel
Notable Children's Books
in the Language Arts, 2000 (National Council of Teachers of English)
Publishers Weekly: Best Books of 1999
Voice of Youth Advocates: Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror,
1999
Voice of Youth Advocates: Books in the Middle: Outstanding Titles
of 1999
WEMA
Golden Archer Award, 2001 (Intermediate)
Young
Adult Choices, 2001 (International Reading Association)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 1999. 341 pages (ISBN 0-439-04486-4)
CCBC Review (from CCBC Choices 2000): In his
second year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, 12-year-old Harry
Potter continues to learn
about
his destiny as the greatest wizard of his generation. New challenges and adventure
seem to lie in wait for him at every turn of the twisting staircases and corridors
of Hogwarts. What is the meaning of the mysterious whispered messages only Harry
can hear: ". . . so hungry . . . for so long . . . kill . . . time to kill .
. ." Who is attacking the selected students and, one by one, turning them into
petrified human pillars? Do all the answers lie in the rumored Chamber of Secrets,
if such a place even exists? With his mates, Ron and Hermione, Harry sets out
to find solve these mysteries, using intellect, rudimentary magic, and a little
bit of luck. Readers of the first volume of this extremely popular series, Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Levine/Scholastic, 1998), will recognize
the setting and many of the characters. In addition, they will be pleased to
meet some new cast members, including Dobby, a self-deprecating, gossipy house
elf and Gilderoy Lockhart, a self-important best-selling author who's come to
teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Ingenious plotting, dazzling
humor, and an overall inventive vision are fast becoming the hallmark of J.K.
Rowling's highly appealing novels. (Age 8 and older) ©1998 Cooperative Children's
Book Center
Professional Reviews for Chamber of Secrets
ALAN Review (Fall 1999), page 37*Booklist (May 15, 1999), page 1690
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (September 1999), page 28
Horn Book Magazine (July/August 1999), page 472
Horn Book Guide (Fall 1999), page 299
Kirkus Reviews (June 1, 1999), page 888
*Publishers Weekly (May 31, 1999), page 94
*School Library Journal (July 1999), pages 99-100
VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates (October 1999), pages 272-273
Selected Distinctions for Chamber of Secrets
ALA/ALSC
Notable Children's Books, 2000
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2000
Booklist Editors' Choices, 1999
CCBC Choices 2000: Fiction for Children
Children's
Choices, 2000 (International Reading Association)
Publishers Weekly: Best Books of 1999
School Library Journal: Best Books, 1999
Voice of Youth Advocates: Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror,
1999
Young
Adults' Choices, 2001 (International Reading Association)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J. K. Rowling. Illustrated by Mary Grand Pré.Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic, 1998. 309 pages (ISBN 0-590-35340-3; paperback 0-590-35342-X)
CCBC Review ( from CCBC Choices 1998): Harry Potter is a skinny,
spectacled, 11-year-old orphaned child living with a comically hard-hearted aunt
and uncle
and obnoxious, bullying cousin when he gets the summons that changes his life:
he has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The news
might have been less shocking to Harry if he'd had even an inkling that he possessed
the power of magic, but Harry did not know that witches and wizards existed,
let alone that he himself was a candidate for study at a boarding school where
magic is taught. The mysterious world of spells and potions, gremlins and dragons,
flying broomsticks and magic wands unfolds simultaneously for both Harry and
readers of this highly imaginative, satisfying novel. Boarding schools, even
ones for witches and wizards, are not without their share of snobs and bullies,
but despite this, Hogwarts is a friendly, welcoming place to Harry, and it quickly
begins to feel like his true home. Harry's initiation into Hogwarts' social and
academic life, along with the other first-year boys and girls at the school,
is the reader's initiation, too, and the discoveries to be made are delightful.
Rowling has conjured a fully realized world of magic, complete with centuries-old
history and tradition, sparkling language, rules of conduct, athletics, and,
of course, the requisite battle between good and evil in which Harry and his
new friends become involved. The author conjures up drama, excitement, and mystery
in this wonderfully funny and not-too-scary first novel. (Age 8 and older)
Professional Reviews for Sorcerer's Stone
ALAN Review (Winter 1999), page 32*Booklist (September 15, 1998), page 230
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (November 1998), page 110
Horn Book Magazine (January/February 1999), page 71
Horn Book Guide (Spring 1999), page 73
Kirkus Reviews (September 1998), page 1292
New York Times Book Review (February 14, 1999), page 26
*Publishers Weekly (July 19, 1998), page 220
*School Library Journal (October 1998), page 145
VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates (December 1998), page 370
Selected Awards and Distinctions for Sorcerer's Stone
ALA/ALSC
Notable
Children's Books, 1999
ALA/YALSABest
Books for Young Adults , 1999
ALA/YALSA Best of the Best 100 (Selected from BBYA 1966-99)
ALA/YALSA Top Ten Books for Teens, 1999 (Ranked #1)
Book Links Lasting Connections, 1998
Booklist Editors' Choices, 1998
Booklist: Top Ten Fantasy Novels for Youth
CCBC Choices 1998: Fiction for Children
Children's
Choices, 1999 (International Reading Association)
Notable
Children's Books in the English Language Arts, 1999
Parenting Magazine: Reading Magic Books, 1998
Publishers Weekly Best Books, 1998
School Library Journal: Best Books, 1998
School Library Journal: One-Hundred Books that Shaped the Century
Voice of Youth Advocates: Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, 1998
WEMA Golden Archer Award 2000 (Middle/Junior High)
Young Adult's Choices, 2000 (International Reading Association)
