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Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who hants the girls' bathroom. But then the real trouble begins -- someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself!

With a book written about magic, especially one so centered on a world full of magic, the author could easily abuse his or her creativity. One thing for which I applaud Ms. Rowling is how well she maintains her focus in this series. While it is easy for us to get lost in her world, she never seems to miss a beat.

I love one of the minor themes addressed in these books: magic is everywhere, but as long as you believe it does not exist, you will never see it.

The Chamber of Secrets is the second book and thus Harry's second adventure. The main characters, who will comprise the nucleus of the plot going forward, are back. There are also enough new names and faces to keep the story fresh.

I like Book 2 more than Book 1. I surely give credit where it is due, so I appreciate Book 1 introducing Harry Potter, but I feel that Book 2 is more exciting. In Book 2 Ms. Rowling was able to delve more deeply into the magical world rather than spend time building up to it like she did in Book 1.

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