Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It wasn’t until this read that “Prisoner of Azkaban” really stood out as one of my favorite books in the series. The film adaptation was the first that I saw and has always been one of my favorite films, but this read I really found the story engaging and saw the merit that a lot of my friends give it as one of their favorite books. One of the first elements that really caught me this time was the whodunit feel of the plot. Rather than a quest like the previous two, there’s this mystery surrounding Sirius Black and until the end there’s a lot of speculating and rumor. Things really get flipped on their head by the end and what was once truth is revealed to be a lie. The other element that really drew me this time was the classes. We really go in depth into the the trios classes in year three, especially Divination, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professors Lupin and McGonagall have always been favorites but this time seeing how they taught their classes really clarified to me why I liked them. If I could go to Hogwarts I feel like I would excel with these two professors. They start with defining terms and getting all the theoretical elements nailed down and then really focus on assessing practical application. This style, in my opinion, is really what education should be about.