Harry Potter and the the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

Review
Amazon.com
For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig.

As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Listing of Harry Potter books

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: J. K. Rowling / Hardcover / Published 1999
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: J. K. Rowling / Hardcover / Published 1998
Harry Potter Et La Chambre Des Screts: J. K. Rowling / Paperback / Published 1999
Harry Potter A L'Ecole Des Sorciers: J. K. Rowling / Paperback / Published 1998
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: J. K. Rowling / Hardcover / Published 1999
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: J. K. Rowling, Mary Grandpre (Illustrator) / Paperback / Published 1999
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: J. K. Rowling, Jim Dale (Reader) / Audio Cassette / Published 1999
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (braille edition): J.K. Rowling / Paperback / Published 1999
Harry Potter Mixed Boxed Set: J.K. Rowling / Hardcover / Published 1999
Harry Potter Y LA Piedra Filosofal/Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: J. K. Rowling / Paperback / Published 1999