Fiction_L Archives Harry Potter Discussion Group Dates: 11/17/99,1:18 PM  through  11/19/99,9:41 AM  (2 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to November 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Bev Copeland" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 11/17/99, 1:18 PM

Our library is planning to have a discussion group for both children and
adults, based on the Harry Potter books. We already have in our possession
the Discussion Guides from the Scholastic.com website and have found that
very informative. However, we'd like to make our discussion as Harry
Potterish as possible. Has anyone out there done this kind of thing yet? Any
ideas or suggestions for us? Thanks.


Bev Copeland
Children's Dept.
Morton Grove Public Library
Morton Grove, IL
(847) 965-4220
[removed]@mgk.nslsilus.org
<A HREF="http://www.webrary.org">http://www.webrary.org</A>
Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect
official Library policy.

FROM: <[removed]@galegroup.com>
REC'D: 11/19/99, 9:41 AM

Coincidentally, just this week I led a discussion on Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone for a small (5 people) group of adults. These are the
questions I used. They're pretty much geared toward adult discussion, but
some might be adapted for children also. I also used some of the questions
from the Scholastic Discussion Guide, some of which I altered a bit and
some of which I didn't. Hope these help!

Ellice Engdahl

"The views, opinions, and judgments expressed in this message are solely
those of the author. The message contents have not been reviewed or
approved by the Gale Group."


Discussion Questions
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

What did you think of the book overall?

What did you think of the plot? Did the pacing seem effective?

In chapter nine, Harry disobeys a direct order from one of the teachers at
the Hogwarts School and takes off on a broom. However, in Harry's case, it
brings him the honor of being chosen as the "Seeker" for the Quidditch
team.
Can you find other instances in the story where Harry's actions lead to
quite
opposite results from what is expected? To what extent is the book's plot
advanced by such surprise turns of events? How much unpredictability would
be too much?

Many great fantasies begin with a very realistic, sometimes mundane,
setting
before transporting the reader to the more fantastic setting and then
returning to the more realistic setting at later points in the story.
Sometimes the contrast between the two settings underscores the changes
experienced by the main character. How does this work in Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone?

Besides Harry Potter, who was your favorite character in the book or which
character did you find most interesting, and why? Was there anything
notable
about the female characters as opposed to the male characters?

What did you think of the character of Harry? Did he seem believable?

Many novels of high fantasy borrow from the traditional stories of fairy
tales, myths, and legends. The dog, Fluffy, which guards the trapdoor at
Hogwarts School resembles Cerberus, the three-headed dog which guards the
underworld of Greek mythology. What other creatures from traditional tales
are paralleled in the story?

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have been compared to other children's
fantasy books such as the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, P.L. Travers' Mary
Poppins books and Roald Dahl's fiction. Do these comparisons seem
accurate?
Why or why not? What books does this one remind you of and why?

Some people have complained that the publisher of the Harry Potter books
made
a lot of changes to the original British versions, ostensibly so that
American readers could better understand some of the references. Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, for example, was originally titled Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Do you have any thoughts about this
kind
of editing?

All three Harry Potter books have spent a lot of time on nationwide
bestseller lists, including the New York Times bestseller list, which means
not only children are buying and reading them. What about the book do you
think appeals to adult readers?

Is anyone going to read the other Harry Potter books?


"Bev Copeland" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG> on 11/17/99 02:21:21 PM

Please respond to [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org

To: [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org
cc: (bcc: Ellice Engdahl/GRI/International Thomson Publishing)
Subject: Harry Potter Discussion Group


Our library is planning to have a discussion group for both children and
adults, based on the Harry Potter books. We already have in our possession
the Discussion Guides from the Scholastic.com website and have found that
very informative. However, we'd like to make our discussion as Harry
Potterish as possible. Has anyone out there done this kind of thing yet?
Any
ideas or suggestions for us? Thanks.


Bev Copeland
Children's Dept.
Morton Grove Public Library
Morton Grove, IL
(847) 965-4220
[removed]@mgk.nslsilus.org
<A HREF="http://www.webrary.org">http://www.webrary.org</A>
Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect
official Library policy.

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