Shortly after Harry runs into his old teachers and professor Snape (the new headmaster) appears. The other teachers and Snape fight and Snape flees. Meanwhile Dumbledore's army (led by Neville Longbottom) prepares the castle for war, and evacuates all students under 17. In the end of the fighting Harry and Voldemort face off in the Great Hall and Harry triumphs over Voldemort and kills him once and for all.

The first observation of the meaning behind Harry's scar is that it makes him different. Harry Potter looks just like any average teenager, except for the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. In fact, Harry thought he was an ordinary person until he discovered the extraordinary history behind his scar. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster mentions author Vladmir Propp, who studied folktales and separated the classic story of the hero into steps. One of the first steps in the process is that the hero must be blemished in some way. Whether he be scarred, lame, or disfigured, he must bear some form of mark that sets him apart. The story of Harry Potter, who received his scar as a baby, seems to apply to this formula. Essentially, Harry's scar makes him unique, it is a physical manifestation of what makes Harry Potter so special.

Another interpretation of the meaning behind his scar could be that it stands as evidence of the damage life deals out. In literature, the most simple blemish can tell a deep personal story. Harry's scar is a constant physical reminder of the incident in which both his parents were killed by his nemesis. The scar perpetually connects Harry to his past. Not only to his traumatic experience with Voldemort, but also to his loving parents who died to protect him. Later in the story it is explained to Harry that he escaped death because his mother gave up her life for him, thus, while it is a reminder of a painful event, the scar is also a sign of his mother's limitless love. It is a symbol of the goodness in his life as well as the bad. Harry stands as an illustration of the way life leaves scars on all who experience it.

There is one more analysis of the meaning behind Harry's scar. According to Thomas C. Foster, when an author calls attention to a physical problem, it suggests that this aspect of his identity will come into play. Foster uses the story of the Oedipus to explain this theory, though I find that Harry Potter shares a few similarities. Both heroes received scars at birth and did not discover the true history behind them until much later.However, the lightning bolt on Harry's forehead seems to be like a badge of honor, visible proof of having survived a great battle and of his destiny to wage more battles in the future. It is this slight imperfection which forever marks him as a hero.

   Here is what I am trying to get so many people to understand.  If you open that book, relax, and read, you can actually see in your head what is going on.  There are so many places you can visit and so many exciting adventures you can go on with out ever having to leave the comfort of your home!   Fly along with Eragon and Saphira as they battle the Empire, help Harry Potter in his fight against Voldemort, ride along with Alex Cross as he works to catch a serial killer.  Meet Huck Finn and his friends, enjoy life with Penelope Keeling in the Shell Seekers, the possibilities are endless.  Look around you, there are books written on just about any subject you can imagine.  Tried reading before and couldn't get involved? Maybe it was the author, or the genre.  Try something else.  My husband never liked to read until he picked up one of James Patterson's Alex Cross books. Now he reads whenever he gets the chance.  My dad and brother started reading more after reading Jurassic Park.  The most exciting thing for my right now is that my oldest son, who complained every time he had to read, has developed a love for reading and is now hooked on Harry Potter! I have always said that I am addicted to the written word.  I always have to have something to read and am usually reading 2 or 3 books at any given time.  I have found several books that could not hold my interest.  For instance, I loved Eragon, but Eldest could not keep my interest, I finally finished it several months after starting it, now I can say, with out a doubt that Brisingr is the best of the entire series so far. 

    There are authors that I truly love to read and buy just about everything they publish, and others who I enjoy but I can live without their books.  A great author is one who can capture your imagination and draw you into the story, leaving you breathless and wanting more when it ends.  I believe that it is very important for kids to learn to read and enjoy books.  It is not enough for them to read it as an assignment for school and then forget everything they read.  I think more kids would read if they could read books that capture their interest and keep them wanting to read until the end, and still be able to say, " WOW! What a ride!"

    So go ahead, pick up that book, encourage your kids to pick up that book, and come along for the ride!

Fan-fiction

Before the seventh book: A mild albeit active community with plenty of dedicated readers and an equally generous writing community.

After the seventh book: A roaring sea of hungry readers failing to catch up with an exponentially increasing writing community.

There was no doubt fan-fiction would finally make its mark once the seventh book hit the stores. The millions of dedicated readers were left wanting for more. Surely they couldn't go long without tasting the pleasure of fan-fiction. Thousands and thousands of stories flooded various websites and it was just an appetizer for those who were finding it too hard to say goodbye.

Podcasts

Before the seventh book: An enjoyable past time that also gave us some food for thought by providing analysis of the books and the movies.

After the seventh book: Still as engaging, although some podcasts have wrapped it up, and are now putting out episodes occasionally.

Fansites

Before the seventh book: A boom in user traffic as the final book neared. Even the non-obsessive fans couldn't resist taking a peek.

After the seventh book: Recent surveys have indicated that the number of visitors have decreased. The forums aren't as active as before. But they are not entirely abandoned by their loved ones.

Movies

Before the seventh book: Fans were ecstatic to see their favorite characters brought to life on screen and some hardcore fans also dissected every frame to find out clues that could help predict the ending.

After the seventh book: They still generate the same frenzy and most people view it as the final offering for the fandom.

Conventions

Before the seventh book: A platform for fans to meet an interact with each other. A thrilling and fun way of meeting with each other and discussing various aspects of the series.

After the seventh book: Still held with just as much excitement. The latest of them being Terminus which was held at Chicago, Illinois earlier this year. These conventions have the potential of sticking around for many more years, and will be seen by many as an annual tribute to the series.

Miss JK Rowling

Before the seventh book: No other living author has managed to do what JK Rowling has done. To engage an entire generation of people and create a folklore that will forever be ingrained in the history of literature. Need statistics? How about this one. The first 24 hours saw a whopping 32 crores of Deathly Hallows being sold out.

After the seventh book: Still as modest, maybe even more. Despite the ugly legal battle she had to dig into( with one of her own fans ironically), reports state that she has begun work on her next book. So the question remains, will lightning strike twice at the same spot? JK Rowling says its quite unlikely. However her fans think otherwise.

1.The first one I thought of is Harry Potter. I mean who hasn't heard of it? It's about this teenage kid who defeats the greatest Dark Wizard of all time in his first year, stops a memory and kills a giant snake(Basilisk) in his second year, rescues his god father from a fate worse than dead in his third, wins a tournament against school wizards of age (adult wizards) winning a lot of money and baffles and stalls the completely resurrected Voldemort and escapes from him in his fourth. The next year he helps a secret group thwart Voldemort and watches Dumbledore, the only one that Voldemort feared, duel him. He learns about Voldemort's past and watches a dark wizard kill dumbledore and then Harry injures a few of the dark wizards. Finally in his final year, he goes out on the run and destroys what makes Voldemort immortal before killing him.

2. The second one I thought of is the Inheritance Cycle. Some people have heard of it but not that many people have read it. It's about a boy who watches a dragon hatching becoming it's rider. In the first book, Eragon, Dragon Hunters, the Ra'zac, find news of a strange stone, the dragon's egg. They hunt the boy, Eragon, to his farmhouse but he left and the Ra'zac kill his uncle and destroy the building. He ends up with a storyteller, learning magic words, growing a bond with his dragon rescuing an elf, joining the resistance movement and killing a shade. The next book, Eldest, he goes to the elves learns magic while his cousin, Roran, escapes from the Ra'zac. Eventually Eragon is summoned back and must fight for the resistance movement. He is shocked that one of his friends who was thought dead is the new dragon rider for Galabatorix. He fights and loses but his friend gives him mercy and only takes his sword. In the third book, Brisingr, Eragon and Roran go to the Ra'zac's hideout to rescue Roran's love. They come back and Eragon is summoned to the dwarves to help elect a new leader. Then Eragon goes to the elves and finishes his learning and gets a new sword. He returns so that he can help the resistance movement capture another city.

3. The third one is Redwall. I cannot give a overall description because the author writes the book in a random order and they go past to future and such. I can also not give a description because each book is like a series itself. For this you have to read it yourself in published order.

1.Redwall

2.Mossflower

3.Mattimeo

4.Mariel of Redwall

5.Salamandastron

6.Martin the Warrior

7.The Bellmaker

8.The Outcast of Redwall

9.The Pearls of Lutra

10.The Long Patrol

11.Marlfox

12.The Legend of Luke

13.Lord Brocktree

14.Taggerung

15.Triss

16.Loamhedge

17.Rakkety Tam

18.High Rhulain

19.Eulalia!

20.Doomwyte(Coming in October 16, 2008)

I hope this helped you. Please comment

The book, for those of you who may have had your head stuck in a sand-pit since 1997, focuses on the adventures of Harry Potter, a mistreated orphan who is whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not only is the book about magic spells, eccentric wizards and witches and flying broomsticks, but we also follow Harry as he experiences starting at a new school and making new friends - something that many children are themselves able to identify with.

One of the beauties of J.K. Rowling's writing is that she uses a language that is straightforward but not overly simplistic to the point of being patronising to the younger reader. As I'm sure most of you have read at least some of the Harry Potter series you will probably agree that the author has a strong narrative style to her writing and a strong plot that keeps you reading to the last page.

The Old Kingdom Trilogy - By Garth Nix

One of the best book series I have ever come across! The story is set in a world that has a fascinating mix of technology and magic, divided into two different realms by a great Wall. The Old Kingdom is a land of magic and Ancelsterrie is a land of technology. Anyway, a girl called Sabriel, heir to the Abhorsen, goes to a school across the Wall, away from her homeland, The Old Kingdom. When her father goes missing, Sabriel must cross the Wall back into the Old Kingdom and embark on a dangerous mission to find him again. The series continue some years later with Lirial, a Clayr and Sam, Sabriel's son. Both are on a mission: to stop an evil plot that somehow involves Sam's school friend, Nick. A great read, full of magic.

The Keys to the Kingdom - By Garth Nix

Another Garth Nix favourite - this is also set in a different universe, literally called "The House", and it is where the Earth and all the other universes came from. The hero of the story is Arthur, who is destined to die of asthma, but is saved by a magical key in the shape of a clock hand. He has been chosen to claim the rest of the keys from each of the Trustees in The House, and has to leave Earth altogether. Another great book.

The Books of Pellinor - By Alison Croggan

In a world that is threatened in the shadow of the evil Nameless One, there is hope when Maread, a young slave, discovers she is a Bard when another Bard called Cadvan finds her and helps her escape. She soon finds that she is The Fated One, destined to defeat the Nameless One. She and her mentor Cadvan pursue the Treesong, which is the key to restoring peace to the kingdom.

Cherub - By Robert Muchamore

Cherub is a great series for people that love Alex Rider. It's about a boy called James that is recruited into CHERUB, a branch of British Intelligence. The purpose of Cherub is use children undercover instead of adults, so they wouldn't be suspected. The first book details his recruitment, and the rigorous training he endures. As the series progresses, he goes on numerous undercover missions and makes new friends. The series is currently in its 10th book, named "The General". This is a must read for people who love spy novels.

Tomorrow when the War Begun Series - John Mardsen

This one had me to the last page. Tomorrow when the War Begun is about a group of teenagers that go out camping in the Australian Outback for a couple of days. When they return, they find everyone has disappeared and the animals dead. They soon realize that there has been a military invasion and eventually have to fight for their lives. The series traces their exploits from hiding out to sabotaging the enemy's plans.

Harry Potter - By J K Rowling

Everyone knows Harry Potter, and it seems almost pointless to mention it here, but it's one of my favourites. As we all know, Harry was told that he was a wizard and that he was going to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He also learns the secret of his parent's death 10 years earlier and the origin of his mysterious scar. The series document his years at Hogwarts, along with his many encounters with his nemesis, Lord Voldemort.

Mortal Engines - By Phillip Reeve

This story is set in the future, where all the cities move on traction wheels and "eat" smaller towns. The story follows a young man called Tom, who lives on London. When he is caught up in an assassination, he is thrown out and left in the wasteland with the assassin, named Hester. They make friends and they strive to stop the deployment of an ultimate ancient weapon that can destroy anything.

Molly Moon - By Georgina Bying

Molly Moon was brought up in an orphanage, but her life changed when she finds a hypnotism book and learns to control people. She flies to New York in search of adventure, but is blackmailed by a crook to rob Shorings Bank. Molly finds the support of her childhood friend Rocky and together they outwit his scheme. In further books, Molly learns how to stop time, time travel and even mind read!

His Dark Materials - By Phillip Pullman

His Dark Materials is a great series, and the first book was made into a movie (albeit a bad one). The series is set in a different universe that is similar to our own, but in many different ways. The main character is Lyra and her dæmon Pan. When her friend Roger goes missing, taken by the "Goblers", she goes to great lengths to find him. She is aided by a mysterious device called an alethiometer and she learns that it tells the truth. Although she does not know it, she is destined to change something big. Great series, although the third book is a bit obscure.

The Inheritance Trilogy - By Christopher Paolini

This is a really good series, and I encourage anyone that hasn't read them to read them. Set in a fantasy land, a young farmer boy finds a large blue stone while hunting, and it turns out to be a dragon egg, one of the last in existence. When it hatched, it bonded with him, and he became a dragon Rider. He becomes intervened in the struggle between the evil King Galbatorix and the rebel group called the Varden.

Other Favourites:

• Raven's Gate - Anthony Horrowitz
• The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
• The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
• Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
• Dolphin Island - Arthur C Clarke

I urge you all to read these great books, and I hope you find them enjoyable!

• Inkheart
• Inkspell
• (Coming soon) Inkdeath

OH, MY, GOSHES =).  This trilogy might be some of the BEST BOOKS EVERY WRITTEN!!!  Though I do have to say, if you don’t like sad endings, don’t read the second one.

These books are written by German author Cornelia Funke.  They are about a girl named Meggie Folchart who discovers her father’s secret as to why he never reads to her- when he reads aloud, things happen.  Sometimes good things, other times, tragic.  Like the night Mo (Meggie’s father) read aloud to Meggie’s mother, Resa, and she disappeared into the magical inkworld, and out comes Dustfinger the fire-eater and his pet, Gwin, along with the evil villain, Capricorn, and the henchman, Basta.  We follow Meggie on her quest to find her mother, defeat evil, and many other things.  What will happen???

Fever 1793- Laurie Halse Anderson

Fever 1793, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is the story of Mattie Cook, a young girl who lives in Philadelphia during a period of epidemic- yellow fever.  Mattie lives with her mother in a coffeehouse run by the family.  The business runs smoothly until rumors begin to appear about a deadly fever. Rumors turn to truth as hundreds sicken and die from the disease. Soon Mattie and a few others get caught in this epidemic. Will Mattie survive? Will anyone else?  This book is based on the true plague, “Yellow Fever” that began around 1793.

Girl in Blue- Ann Rinaldi

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Louisa Wheelock is determined that she will live her own life and that no man will ever control her.  However, her father has other ides, and has promised Ezekiel Kunkle her hand in marriage.  Sarah knows that if she marries Ezekiel, the best her life will ever be is tending to Ezekiel’s kid’s every wish and cleaning up around the farm.  That would be no better than living with her abusive father.  So Sarah takes matters into her own hands.  Cutting her hair short and disguising herself as a boy named Neddy Compton, she joins the Union Army to fight against the Confederates. But pretending to be a boy is very hard.  Can she do it???  Find out by reading the book.

Septimus Heap Series- Angie Sage

• Magyk
• Flyte
• Physik
• Queste
• (Coming soon) Syren

OH, MY, GOSHES. SUCH GREAT BOOKS!!!  The Septimus Heap series, by Angie Sage, are oh my goshes another wonderful series.  I can’t reveal much, as it would ruin the plots of these books.  What I can say is that Septimus Heap, being the seventh son of the seventh son, is a very powerful wizard.  He and the orphaned princess, Jenna are the protagonists of these stories.  Follow them on their adventures, from the living dead to time travel.  Great books to read.

Harry Potter Series- J.K. Rowling

Everyone knows about the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, so I won’t write much.  A powerful young wizard named Harry Potter, the only known wizard to survive the killing curse, tries to survive at school.  In the mean time, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Voldemort) is getting stronger.  In this battle of good versus evil, who will live, and who will die???

Flush- Carl Hiaasen

The story is told by Noah Underwood, the main character, who was born and raised in the Florida Keys.  Noah's father, Paine, is a, well, “passionate” environmentalist who doesn’t understand what “a little too far” means.  In fact, he has been arrested for sinking the Coral Queen, a casino boat operated by Dusty Muleman, just because he cared about the environment.

Paine believes Dusty Muleman has been dumping sewage from the boat’s holding tank into the ocean at night (emptying the toilet’s, um, “contents” into the ocean).  However, Noah and his younger sister Abbey visit the marina, and see that the Coral Queen will be re-floated and back in action by the end of the week.  Can Abby and Noah prove their dad right and clear his name, and save their parents marriage?

Wenny has Wings- Janet Lee Carey

Wow.  Such a heart-wrenching novel.  I read the advanced readers copy (which means before it came out in the stores; the one not for sale and with all the errors in it since it hadn’t gone through final editing yet) so they might have changed the ending and other parts too, but wow, good story.  It is about a boy named Will and his little sister, Wenny.  When a truck hits them, Wenny loses her life, and Will loses a sister, along with all hope.  Then he starts to write letters and stories to Wenny about everything.  Some are mean, some funny, some sad.  But when you put all the stories together, it is just one beautiful (and sad) book.

A Series of Unfortunate Events- Lemony Snicket

• The Bad Beginning
• The Reptile Room
• The Wide Window
• The Miserable Mill
• The Austere Academy
• The Ersatz Elevator
• The Vile Village
• The Hostile Hospital
• The Slippery Slope
• The Grim Grotto
• The Penultimate Peril
• The End

Lots and lots of books by Lemony Snicket, and all of them are wonderful. The tales tell of the 3 Baudelaire orphan’s (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny’s) adventures, after the death of their parents in a fire.  The siblings are sent to live with Count Olaf, who is supposedly their cousin, but soon they learn his only intentions are to get his hands on their fortune by marrying Violet when she comes of age.  Each of the siblings have a distinctive skill that helps them through each of their adventures.  Join them in these-fun-to- read books by Lemony Snicket.

Princess Academy- Shannon Hale

Princess Academy is another good book. Miri (the protagonist) is a 14 year old girl who is not allowed to work with the rest of the village and feels like an outcast.  She still has close relations with her sister, father, and a boy from the village named Peder.  One day, a messenger announces that the next princess will come from Mt. Eskil, her home, and a princess academy will be set up nearby.  This will help teach the girls the ways of the noblewomen. The prince will visit at the end of the year to choose who the princess will be.  Miri, of course, goes to the academy, even though it is hard because of the strict teacher, Ms. Olana.  Will Miri be the next princess???

Starcatcher Series- Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson

• Peter and the Starcatches
• Peter and the Shadow Thieves
• Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

These books are very good.  It tells the prequel to the Peter and Wendy story by J. M. Barrie.  It is the story of Peter Pan, but it is told a little bit differently and has more characters than expected in it. From the legendary pirate “Black Stache” to a trunk with a magical substance inside, this book has it all.

In the beginning of this story, Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts where he learns how to perform different magic spells, create potions, and study plants only found in the world of magic. In Harry's potions class, Harry notices he didn't buy a book on potions so his teacher has to loan him a textbook. When Harry opens the book he sees that someone had written hints, to help him with the class, in his textbook. The end of each hint had the name The Half-Blood Prince written on it.

Harry decides to take the risk of using these hints and they worked successfully, so every time he went to his potions class, he would do very well and soon became the teacher's favorite student. In the part I am reading, Harry and his friends are trying to find out who the Half-Blood Prince is, and Harry is learning about the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort's past.

What I like about this book is that the author was very descriptive about the characters' actions and what was happening in the setting. What I don't like about this book is that even though the author is very descriptive about her writing, some parts are very hard to understand.

In the beginning of this story, Harry Potter returns to his school of magic, Hogwarts, and starts his fifth year in school. He does well in most classes, with the exception of his Potions class, and his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Later in his year, he encounters problems that have to do with the evil wizard Lord Voldemort including a suspicion of Voldemort possessing Harry during while he is sleeping. In the part I am reading right now, Harry is trying to succeed in learning Occlumency. It is a skill that enables the user to block others from reading their mind.

I would recommend this book to other readers because the author put in a lot of details in every paragraph allowing the reader to understand the story more easily. I would also recommend this book to other readers because of the interesting storyline. In most Harry Potter books, Harry starts off by having a normal day of school, and in a couple of chapters, Harry finds himself trying to protect himself from evil wizards trying to kill him. I like this book because, as I said before, the author put lots of details in it, and I also like this book because other than being interesting, it is very long so it occupies the reader for a long period of time.