Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

8.         Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Citation:  Rowling, J.K., (2003) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hubsta Ltd.

Annotation

Faced with his most difficult year of Hogwarts, Harry must stand up for the truth despite condemnation at every turn and discovers that he must fight for every step if he is to truly triumph over evil.

Nomination

Accept. Though it is only one in a series of books, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is truly a coming-of-age book.  Harry has reached the age of 15 and his faced with cutting his own path through the myriad of life.  Though many of his classmates, teachers, society and peers condemn and shun him for what they believe to be a lie (the return of Lord Voldemort), Harry doesn’t waver and continues to stand up for the truth - a valuable lesson for any age.  His ever-changing hormones and realization of romantic feelings for a classmate will appeal to any teen. When it is apparent that the adults in charge don’t “know it all,” Harry bands with his peers to prepare for what he knows to be inevitable and to protect his friends.  The leadership and support he shows for his classmates sets a great example for positive ways for teens to disagree with adults. When Harry and his friends rush into a situation they are not well-prepared for instead of finding adults, they discover that it doesn’t work out the way they should.  This is also a good lesson for teens that if help is available, they should ask for it.  However, Rowling does this in such a non-patronizing way, that most teens wouldn’t even realize they are learning a lesson.  With action at every turn, true teen-relatable stories and many lessons in friendship, truth, honesty, love, strength, hard-work, determination and courage, this book is one of the best in the series.

Genre: Censored material - fantasy