Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by: J.K. Rowling (modern fantasy)

Harry Potter thinks he is just a normal kid whose parents died in a car crash, but little does he know the real reason he is stuck living with his awful relatives, the Dursleys. It is not until a giant named Hagrid comes to visit Harry on his eleventh birthday, that Harry realizes his true identity as a wizard and also finds out the real reason of his parents death. He then enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a first year student to learn all there is about becoming a wizard. To Harry's surprise, he is a legend in the wizard world for surviving an attack by evil Lord Voldemort on the night he killed Harry's parents. Harry meets his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger while at Hogwarts, leading into their first adventure together.  Soon, they discover that everything isn't what it seems at Hogwarts as they sneak around trying to unravel the mystery behind Harry's past.


I really have enjoyed reading all of J.K. Rowling's books in the Harry Potter series. They are all filled with enchantment, suspense and danger, a great combination for upper elementary readers to remain interested in her books. There are several ways to incorporate Harry Potter into reading and writing lessons but I have chosen one for my future classroom. You could have students create their own trading cards, drawing pictures of characters, scenes and events from the book.  This gives students an opportunity to get creative with their drawings and practice their art skills. On the back, have students give who, what, when, where, why, and how details highlighting important concepts and making sure they comprehend the text. Allow students to share their cards with others by reading aloud, asking questions, and trading cards. This activity enables students to practice recalling facts and details, summarizing, establishing sequential order, and presenting work orally.