Unabridged
Audiobook: 19 hours on 17 Compact Disks
Harry Potter is in his sixth year at Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and along with his friends,
Ron, Hermione and Ginny, learning to use new magical skills
and potions and spells to achieve his goals. In his quest to
defend the wizard world against the evil forces of Lord Valdemort
and to learn more about the boy who became the murderous villain,
Harry is aided by private instruction from Professor Dumbledore.
Although it seems that he is also being helped by the mysterious
Half-Blood Prince, disaster strikes, and Harry learns once more
that things are not always what they appear.
This audio book will not disappoint the Harry
Potter fans who have eagerly awaited its release. The author
is so skilled at incorporating the characters and the events
from the prior 5 books into this 6th book in the series, that
even a first time listener can enthusiastically follow the
plot, understanding the elements of the mystery and the motives
of the players. Although promoted as a book for children,
it easily holds the interest of adults as well. While the
action is straightforward, the development of the characters
and the various themes will appeal to the more sophisticated
reading tastes of teen and adult listeners.
James Dale's performance is magical and masterful.
He brings each of the characters to life with his or her own
distinct voice, giving Ginny a wistful innocence and Snape
a sinister presence. Just as reading to children is a proven
method of improving reading skills, listening to books is
important, too. The listener's imagination is engaged as the
spoken words serve to create images, developing thinking skills
and strengthening vocabulary. The packaging of this set of
compact disks is particularly appealing. Each of the five
folders and their disks is color-coded and marked with large
numbers, making it easy for children to find and replace disks.
We recommend this book with the highest praise.
It's not only an engrossing story with strongly defined characters,
it's an entertaining performance by a skilled actor. We join
the millions of fans who look forward to the next Harry Potter
adventure. This book is perfect for family road trips, because
it will appeal to all ages of travelers.
,
by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale
