Harry is back in this well written sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! In the first book Harry begins his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he makes new friends, finds a new world and a new home, and keeps the evil Lord Voldemort from returning to human form. In this sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is awaiting the end of summer vacation. Unusual he wants it to be over so soon, right? Most kids love summer vacation, but not Harry because he is stuck on Privet Drive with the Dursleys- his uncaring and mean family.
Harry is counting down the days until he can return to Hogwarts and is trying to stay out of his horrible families’ way, and almost succeeds- until he is visited by Dobby, a House elf. Dobby warns him that terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts- and that Harry should not come back to school. And as it turns out, Dobby is right!
Not long before he is back at school, dreadful things start to happen. Kids are being turned to stone! Worse yet, is that everyone thinks Harry is behind all the attacks. Can Harry and his two best friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger uncover the truth before it’s too late?
I loved this book. It was even better than Rowling’s first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I could not put it down and zipped through it in record time. However, there are a few things parents should be aware of if they are letting their kids read the series. At its core, this book is about prejudice. Non-magic students, that is, students with muggle parents who have no magic themselves, are referred to as Mudbloods. It is a derogatory name for people with non-magic parents. Hermione is a muggle-born student, and faces being different.
Personally, I think it is handled by Rowling. She tackles the subject of prejudice in such a way that it is both realistic and sensitive to the hurt prejudice causes. Unfortunately, prejudice is a way of life and I applaud Rowling for including this in her books. Also, this book is much darker then the first book. Without giving away the story too much, there is a great deal of violence and dread surrounding the story, but I think it makes for great reading. However, it might be something you want to discuss with your kids if they are reading it on their own, or you are reading it to them. It is without a doubt a fantastic book, but it tackles some very grown-up issues.
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