Book Description

Contains music from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. All editions are compatible and can be played separately of together. The included CD contains a beautifully performed demonstration meticulously produced to capture the essence of the original movie soundtrack. Titles are: The Chamber of Secrets, Dobby The House Elf, Family Portrait, Fawkes The Phoenix, Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry's Wonderous World, Hedwig's Theme, Moaning Myrtle, and Numbus 2000. Flute book and CD ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent for fans of the movie
I have been playing for three or four years and found most of the music, with the exception of the "Chamber of Secrets" theme, which has many accidentals, very easy to sight-read.The music is easily recognized as that from the movie in most cases - I'm not so sure how many could recognize "Moaning Myrtle" - and makes an excellent accompaniement for the soundtrack of the second Harry Potter movie.Not recommended for those who can play by ear well.

Wow!!! Not for beginners!!
I have been playing violin for quite a while and just bought this book. There is a version that comes with a cd which is very helpful. Their are note in 3rd, 4th and 5th position but they are transposed down for those who can't play them. The most recognizable themes are there (harry's wonderful world and hedwig's theme) and a few that are hard to recongnize, such as dobby's theme (this is why the cd is so good). Since their are not that many copies on amazon.com, be sure to check out your local music store. Mine had a book for every instrament and also came with paino accompaniment!! ... Read more

Book Description

The third of four deluxe coloring books for older kids, featuring sophisticated black & white line art, stencils and Harry Potter stickers.Older children will love coloring and tracing its intricate illustrations! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The third of four Chamber of Secrets art coloring books
You will find all of your favorite characters and scenes from the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in this third of four Chamber of Secrets art coloring books, each illustration rendered in vivid black and white detail. But wait - there's more. You also get a quite impressive set of stencils for your amusement and creative inspiration: the sorting hat, a broom (although I can't tell if it is a Nimbus 2000), the Golden Snitch, Harry's trademark glasses, a cauldron, Hedwig (Harry's snowy owl, but I'm sure you knew that already), and a Hogwarts coat of arms. Personally, I just like looking at the pictures, but if you are so inclined, there are many hours worth of fun awaiting those flourishing the ancient colored wands of Crayola. I don't know why the makers of this book put the best drawing of Hermione on a page facing Draco Malfoy in one of his more uppity poses, though - I recommend you make Draco look as ridiculous as possible in that particular drawing. ... Read more

Book Description

J. K. Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury in the UK in 1965. Such a funny-sounding name for a birthplace may have contributed to her talent for collecting odd names. Jo always loved writing more than anything and in 1996, one year after she finished it, Bloomsbury bought her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
... Read more

Book Description

The second of four deluxe coloring books for older kids, featuring sophisticated black & white line art, stencils and Harry Potter stickers.Older children will love coloring and tracing its intricate illustrations! ... Read more

Book Description

Have children ever really had a literature of their own? In Sticks and Stones, Jack Zipes explores children's literature, from the grissly moralism of Slovenly Peter to the hugely successful Harry Potter books, and argues that despite common assumptions about children's books, our investment in children is paradoxically curtailing their freedom and creativity. Sticks and Stones is a forthright and engaging book by someone who cares deeply about what and how children read. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Chairman Munchkin
I'm glad not to be alone in seeing the Harry Potter books as only an empty marketing success and Zipes is acute when he comments on the banality of "Americanized" culture continued today by media giants like Disney. But Zipes is guilty of the same mamby pamby moralism that he criticizes in others, if you've read his Oxford Book of Fairy Tales you'll find that it's an unimaginative collection of innocuous speech codes and flaky feminist paranoia which is tedious and boring. Much of the "homogeneity" he complains about in popular culture comes from the dictates of "least objectionable programming" which advertisers like and is not unlike the political correctness found in elite Western institutions, where Zipes hails from obviously. J.K. Rowlings caricatures are embarrassingly "diverse" as if from a from a sensitivity training pogram which good leftists like Zipes should respect after all. Zipes reiterates all the liberal platitudes which have become suburban marketing clichés. Although he doesn't exactly advocate body piercing or tattoos. Not yet anyway. In short it's difficult to see where Zipes complaints lie since corporate progressives are pretty much dictating his own taste.

Is there really such a thing as "children's literature"?
In this collection of essays based on speeches and lectures, the author - an admirer of Adorno - poses questions that should concern parents and teachers everywhere: Who decides what is "appropriate" literature for children? How are children introduced to this literature, and what do they make of it?

The first four chapters of the book, peppered with the somewhat off-putting jargon of literary theory, deplore the vertical integration of publishing empires, the marketing of books in association with toys, games, gadgets, T-shirts, etc., which results in "cultural homogenization" of the children. Adults decide "what's good for children" and use literature, among other tools, to manipulate and control them.

In chapters 5-9, the discussion gains momentum by using concrete examples of literature written for children. Changing attitudes toward Grimms' Fairy Tales and the "Struwwelpeter" stories of Heinrich Hoffmann have spawned multiple translations, bowdlerizations, dramatizations and parodies. The author shows how the "sexist" content of most fairy tales (the hero is almost always a male) has triggered feminist re-interpretations. Finally, there is no "authentic" version of fairy tales; all of them, including the ones collected by the Brothers Grimm, have been "contaminated", i.e. adapted and collated from multiple sources.

The final chapter on the phenomenal success of the Harry Potter books seems to be the one most American readers have focused on. It stresses the stereotypical aspects of the stories and the commercial hype that attended their release, and, again, their sexist nature - one of the author's pet peeves.

While some of these arguments seem excessively gloomy, all of them deserve our thoughtful consideration.

Zipes misses the point about Harry Potter
While I admire Zipes work in general, I think he's missed the point about Harry Potter. Zipes remarks that Harry is a classic boy scout, a straight arrow (...). He complains that the novels follow a tedious and grating fairy tale formula (...). The only difference between Harry and anyone else, according to Zipes, is that Harry has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead (178).

Zipes misses the point on the importance of the scar - the scar is the central metaphor of the series and the importance of scars and wounding says something about our culture's adoption of this particular hero.

A tad over-negative, but well thought out.
Zipes has good points to make. Some children's work IS watered down and/or derivative. The concept that we should really THINK about what our "Children's Literature" is saying to us is though provoking, as are his specific arguments.

The Harry Potter chapter was well done. Zipes dares to make the points that Rowling's work is sexist and elitist, that the characters are cliches, and that more people _say_ they have read them than actually have.

What I felt the book lacked was a concrete plan to improve the situation--then again I'm not sure that was what he was after.

A great read for students of literature in general!

Disappointing
I read the final chapter, on Harry Potter, as part of a class on Rowling's work. Zipes has a few good points to make, but they suffocate under needless jargon and tedious, evidence-free assertions about "cultural commodities" and the like.

Zipes's point, so far as I could make it out, is that Harry Potter became a "phenomenon" only because the books are incredibly conventional (a "hodgepodge" of pop-culture motifs) and formulaic. I agree that each novel follows a recurring pattern, even a formula, but Zipes never says why that's bad. (Perhaps it's obvious to lit-crit folk.) And the pop-culture ties, IMHO, lend texture to Rowling's parallel universe--which, I increasingly think, is not fantasy but satire.

Actually, Zipes goes further, seemingly asserting that ONLY a conventional work could become a phenomenon, given the "hegemonic groups" that run our culture. That's a big, interesting assertion, and I wish Zipes had fleshed it out with reasoning, details, and examples. It would help too to know more about these nameless hegemons. Who are they? How do they enforce their cultural supremacy? (In fairness to Zipes, he may address these points earlier in the book.)

Several readings of the Harry Potter chapter--and a thumbs-down from the prof, who read the whole volume--have left me thinking this is a book to skip. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Same book Different Launguage
I liked the Book. It was practicly the same In german as it was in english. the only problem Is That germans dont have all the words we do so it lost some Of its Fabulous Detail That we know J.K writes with. Its a good book but read it in english first.

Great Book
I first read the English version because I was visiting England. Then when I got back to Germany, I read the German versions. I loved both of them, but you really have to read the English versions for any other language to make sense.

Its Just Like reading it in English!
I read this book twice in English before I decided I should read it in other languages. It was so easy because I pretty much knew every word they where saying in English and German is not my foreign language (Spanish is) but I still learned LOTS of vocabulary it was fun learning some words and sentences in another language.

Ausgezeichnet!
Preface: I am not a native German speaker and I read the book in English before reading it in German.

While reading a book about flubberworms and magic potions is difficult from the standpoint of new vocabulary, it is so exciting and satisfying when you realize that you are enjoying the story and not just the struggle to understand a foreign language. This is definitely a good way to maintain or add to a good, but not perfect facility with German as a second language.

HERVORRAGEND!
I originally read this book in English, which is my native language and loved it. I later read the book in German to try and improve my language skills, and I got so caught up in the story, I forgot how difficult it was to read a novel in a foreign language! The plot is enchanting and the fantastic characters made the book a really enjoyable read. People, young and old, will fall in love with Harry all over again when they read about the dilemmas he encounters in his 3rd year at Hogwarts. For native German speakers, alle die Deutsche Kinde and foreign language students like myself, Harry Potter und der Gefange von Azkaban will be a favourite! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

This new edition of Harry Fraser’s classic book on glaze technology and practice discusses not only the calculation of glaze composition, but also the preparation and production of glazes. He addresses application methods and how to remedy faults that may occur. This comprehensive introduction to glazes and glazing features a new chapter on Health and Safety issues, and the book includes new photographs and a color section. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Close but not Harry Potter
This is a 1998 revision of a 1973 classic work on ceramic glazes. Although written by Harry, for potters, this (contrary to the adjacent review) has nothing to do with the Harry Potter of Hogwarts fame. Instead it contains a wealth of technical information about ceramic glazes. Information is presented clearly and concisely. If you really want to know glazes, you have to learn some chemistry, and Fraser presents the chemical information well. Many of his glaze recipes contain lead, however, and most contemporary craft potters shun lead glazes. If I could own just one book on glazes I would instead pick "Clay and Glazes for the Potter" by Rhodes -- but why would anyone own just one book on glazes, anyway?

This was the best book i have ever read in years
I loved this book so much. I've read each one 5 times. They were awesome. You would never know what would happen next ... Read more

Book Description

Garri Potter i tainaia komnata [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] The Russian translation of Harry Potter's adventures during his second year at Hogwarts. ... Read more

Book Description

The first of four deluxe coloring books for older kids, featuring sophisticated black & white line art, stencils and Harry Potter stickers.Older children will love coloring and tracing its intricate illustrations! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The first of four Chamber of Secrets art coloring books
Being a Pottermaniac, I have acquired several Harry Potter items that you wouldn't think a grown man would own. This particular item is actually a little surprising to me. When I was a kid, we had coloring books and that was it. Kids today have options I am only now discovering. This is an "art coloring book," one of four related yet quite different books published in conjunction with the release of the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. What you get is thirty-two pages of black and white illustrations (the only color images are on the front and back cover) featuring scenes from the film - but there's more. The book also comes with several sheets of tracing paper, hence the Trace a Scene portion of the title. Rather than touching any of the illustrations in the book, you can lay your tracing paper on top of the image of your choice, trace the lines which appear quite distinctly through the page, and voila - instant art that you can color in all sorts of ways. Why didn't they have this when I was a kid? If you mess up your budding work of art (as I used to do all the time), all you have to do is get another piece of paper and trace the image again. This is a particularly good idea in the case of Harry Potter because this is in many ways a collector's item (albeit a very modestly priced one which will never really be worth anything). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

J.K.Rowling did it again!
"Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens" is the German translation of the second Harry-Potter-book. I think I don't have to tell you anything about the story - see the reviews of the English version for details (besides: who wants to read more about the content of such a book than the back page offers - it would spoil some of the fun since the Potter books are in part a crime story!).

The translation is - judging from my reading experience - well done and worth reading. The language is not too complicated so the book qualifies as reading stuff for a foreigner wishing to practice his German reading skills. I didn't find any translation mistakes - the language sounded genuine German and was vivid and fun to read. The names (always a problem when translating) are not altered, so some of the flair that comes with the nicely selected names of the original is lost to the non-English reader. But this second book shows that this is the right way to go: there is a name-letter-puzzle which plays a key role in this book and translating that one would have been a very hard task indeed.

So the translation receives 5 stars, all well earned for the content as for the translation.

My final note goes to the discussion if this book is for adults as well as teenagers or not: anyone waiting for deep insights into the society, mankind and the world we live in will be disappointed when reading this book. But it is by far the best youth book I ever read, 350 fast pacing pages and I never regretted that I bought it. Nobody whants to read Joyce all the time. And when I turn too light reading stuff, I expect quality as well. Here is where this book has its place in the adult market. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

genious
very attractive and tensing! I loved to read it!! (but not my wife, because I had no time for a few hours...) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter has had his hands full during his first three years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As if excelling on and off the Quidditch field isn't enough, Harry has heard evil voices in the walls, saved lives, and fended off convicts. Between school sessions, he summers with the horrendous Dursleys, who seem to want nothing more than to crush our hero's spirit. Only time will tell how Harry will manage the certain dangers in store for him over the next few years. The first three titles of J.K. Rowling's magical, witty, exciting adventures are now available in a gift set, perfect for the legions of children whose big brothers and sisters (and parents) have made off with their copies. These gripping fantasy novels are on the road to becoming classics--don't wait to collect these lovely hardcover editions, illustrated by the talented Mary GrandPré. Each set includes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (89)

great books for adults and kids alike
I thought this books was really great! I am a college graduate with a degree in English, and am hoping to one day be a physician. I have read everything from Dickens to J.R.R. Tolkien to CS Lewis and yes they are great authors. ...to imply that an adult who reads childrens books does not have the comprehension to understand more complex story lines is absurd. I started reading children's literature again when I started college as a form of stress relief. I wanted books that have great plot, but are a simpler to read that "adult classics". Children's books, especially the Harry Potter stories have an intricate way of letting the reader's imagination run loose. These books, even though they are simple, are extremely well written. Great plot, great characters, great everything! I recommended these books to all my college friends and family members, and they loved them too! ...if you keep to the stringent idea that a book should only be read by the specified age guidelines, you are missing out on some of the greatest authors that include Lloyd Alexander, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl...I could go on

Imagination Feast
When I first heard about Harry Potter, from a friend, I thought, "Yeah, thats something I want to do, waste my time reading fantasy books." However, I soon learned that these books, were the best I had ever read. When I first started to read the books, there became a sudden rush to find every book about Harry Potter this, and Harry Potter that. There were also only 3 of these books. I thought, ok, I guess Ill read one of them, but I am almost positive I wont like it at all. I was wrong. I now own all 4 Harry Potter Books, and I have read Harry Potter, And the Sorcerer's Stone 5 times, Harry Potter, And the Chamber Of Secrets 5 times, Harry Potter And The Prinsoner Of Azkaban 5 times, and my all time favorite, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, 7 times. I now encourage any one I meet to read these wonderfully charming, funny, and fantasy-filled books. I hope that the author will write many more than 7 books, as that is as long Harry will stay at Hogwarts. Thanks J.K. Rowling- without you, I wouldnt have ever wished to be a witch! :)

AZKABAN
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a very interesting book that captures your imagination from the very beginning until the very end. This book starts out like every other Harry Potter book, but you quickly get involved in the plot. Early in the book you discover Harry's parents died (which is one of the main secrets of the Harry Potter series). Many new characters are introduced into the book. Some of them become instant favorites and you immediately hate. J.K. Rowling makes the new characters seem believable even though they are strange and mysterious. One of the new teachers was one of Harry's father's friends, so Harry quickly becomes friends with the teacher and finds out many things of his father. Before the year ends, Harry is forced to confront the man who is supposedly responsible for his parent's deaths, but the mortal combat ends in a conclusion that you would never suspect. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too.

This is a great book for wizard lovers everywhere.
This outstanding book is very thrilling and will keep you at the edge of your seat. It is also fascinating and full of magic. Almost everyone will like it especially young children into wizards and magic. This book will make you begging for more, and features many unexpected twists and turns. Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban is one of the best fantasy books of all time. JK Rowling has outdone herself this time.

Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban
Harry Potter, a thirteen year old wizard, is stuck with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dursley at #4 Privet Drive. Harry always gets the blame for things he doesn't do. He isn't allowed to do anything with magic, including his homework from Hogwarts. He can't stand it at his uncle's house, so he runs away and ends up staying with The Ministry of Magic. There he can do a lot more things, having to do with magic.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are Harry's two best friends. They do everything together, until this year at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon find out that Sirius Black (wizard who killed a lot of people) is on the loose. When Harry sneaks into Hogsmeade he learns more than he should know about Sirius Black. Back at Hogwarts, the Quidditch matches are going good, until the dementors come, only for one game.
Hagrid (Harry's first real friend) owns a hippogriff named Buckbeak. Draco Malfoy fakes an injury and Buckbeak is sentenced to death. Harry, Ron, and Hermione promise to help save Buckbeak, but because of an argument between Ron and Hermione, Hermione is the only one who helps. After that happens Hermione, Ron, and Harry are stuck in a room with Sirius Black, with no way out. If you like action books, then this is for you. If you want to find out what happens to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, instead of a friend telling you pick up the book and read it. ... Read more