WRITING TOEFL ESSAYS BOOK REVIEW HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

WRITING TOEFL ESSAYS

BOOK REVIEW

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Children have always loved books that challenge their imagination and appeal to their sense of humour. The success of the Harry Potter books is probably due to the fact that the author meets these two demands so successfully.

At the beginning of the book we meet the hero* Harry, who is a pupil at Hogwart's boarding school. The staff and pupils at the school are archetypal figures: the goody-goody student, the bully, the unfair teacher who always picks on certain students. What makes this school different is that it is a school for wizards and witches, and the everyday lives of all those at the school are permeated by magic.

The plot is gripping - a murderer has escaped from the prison of Azkaban and is at large in the school. He is being hunted by the Dementors, terrifying hooded figures that suck out the souls of their prey. Harry and his friends are forced to fight against the forces of darkness. Each chapter of the book ends in a cliff-hanger, which keeps the reader desperately turning the pages to see what happens next.

The characters are very well drawn and most readers can identify with them easily. Harry is the hero of the book but he is also sensitive and vulnerable. His best friends are Hermione and Ron; Hermione is the typical school swot but she is also loyal and resourceful; Ron is full of fun and mischief and sticks by his friends through thick and thin.

What lifts this book above others of its type and makes it an ideal read for children is the wit, humour and sheer ingenuity with which it is written. The author has moved beyond the usual formula for children's books and come up with wildly inventive, funny scenes mixed with truly frightening ones. The story is totally convincing for children because she makes the world of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as real as life at a normal school, but much more fantastic and exciting. If you are wondering what to give a young relative for a gift, look no further. Any child would be delighted to get a copy of this amazing book.