Friendly rivalry among dormitories at the boarding school, and antics of school mates all seem too familiar. Nimbus Two Thousand, the latest flying broom, which allows him a star position on the Quidditch team, the most popular game of the wizard s society. Mixed in is the growing peril of Sorcerer s Stone, which transforms any metal into gold, and produces the Elixir of Life, which gives the drinker immortality. The climax of all this provides a series of clues that challenge both Harry Potter and the reader. Woven throughout is a fascinating view of the wizards world and how they fit into contemporary culture.
Communication is by owl-delivery, and their own special newspapers.
It s a people that exists beside, yet hidden from modern British society. Rowling was a single mother living on public assistance, when she began the story on scraps of paper at a local cafe. Grants from the Scottish Arts Council enabled her to finish the book. The instant popularity of Harry Potter has changed her life drastically. A sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , has already hit British stores and will be available in the U.S. in September 1999.