the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This book chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), and leads to the long-awaited final confrontation between Harry Potter and Lor Voldemort.

A note of caution to parents: This story is dark, and much too violent for younger kids. Parents should know that this one is creepy, with the most explicitly violent scenes of any book in the series. Much too brutal for grade schoolers. Also, unlike earlier Potter tales, the vocabulary in the 7th and final book requires at least a 6th-grade education. Nonetheless, it is one of the best in the Harry Potter series. Rowling wraps up her many plot points, and reveals the fates of her characters in ways that may initially surprise readers, but afterward when you think about it, it seems inevitable. And how she does it is so inventive! Many moments and whispered remarks from the earlier books foreshadow what happens in Book 7, and devices that had little importance in previous books--such as Sirius's flying motorcycle--now play key roles. Rowling has created yet another gripping tale, and deftly ties her entire epic together with the skill of a true literary master. Additionally, book 7 treats its title character with the complexity he deserves. It portrays the (now) young man as disillusioned, full of doubt, and overwhelmed -- a tortured soul who, though a responsible leader in an all-out war, often seems to want nothing more than to sweet-talk Ginny Weasley.