Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Published by Bloomsbury, 1999

Winner of the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year

Harry Potter is about to begin his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After another unimaginably horrible Summer with the Dursleys, he can’t wait to meet up with his friends Ron and Hermione again.

Aunt Marge’s arrival was just about the last straw. Strictly forbidden to use his magic powers outside of Hogwarts, Harry simply cannot help blowing her up like a balloon.

Expecting the usual easing back into first term Harry finds the atmosphere on his return to Hogwarts is one of tension and apprehension, even fear.

Sirius Black, the mass murderer has escaped from Azkaban and is on the loose. This has more serious implications for Harry than for anyone else and his movements are greatly restricted by the Dementors, the guards from Azkaban, whose job it is to look-out for Sirius Black.

Sirius was once a friend of Harry's parents, turned follower of "You-Know-Who" alias Voldemort, and he was involved in the murder of Harry’s parents. Will he seek revenge against Harry for constantly getting in the way of the plans of You-Know-Who?

Despite such serious issues Harry still has to deal with normal day-to-day Hogwarts business and his determination to become the Quidditch champion is as steadfast as ever.

“The worry, when faced with the follow-up to books as good as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (both winners of the Nestlé Smarties Prize Gold Award), is that it won't be as good. With J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban any concerns are banished from page one. This, the third in the series, continues where the previous two left off and is a fantastic adventure of mystery, magic and mayhem combined with liberal doses of humour and plenty of suspense.”

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