Description: "I say to you all, once again -- in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust."

So spoke Albus Dumbledore at the end of Harry Potter's fourth year at Hogwarts. But as Harry enters his fifth year at wizard school, it seems those bonds have never been more sorely tested. Lord Voldemort's rise has opened a rift in the wizarding world between those who believe the truth about his return, and those who prefer to believe it's all madness and lies -- just more trouble from Harry Potter.

Add to this a host of other worries for Harry . . . A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey A venomous, disgruntled house-elf Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team And of course, what every student dreads: end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams...

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Children's Literature Review: Harry Potter is 15, facing his OWL exams and an impending confrontation with the evil dark lord as the Wizard hierarchy lines up against him. Rowling is Dickensian in her ability to create a whole world, teeming with details, populated by distinct, loveable and hate-able characters. She tells a good story, paces it just right, and keeps you hanging on for more. Order is remarkable for how well Rowling has structured the story and infused her characters in this magical world with the real emotional concerns of teens: the vulnerability, the invulnerability, the need for empowerment and rebellion against authority, the need for parental love and approval, the recklessness, the fear, the loneliness, the need to be alone, the need to belong, the despair, the optimism. Award-winning Dale takes your breath away with his breathless, energetic reading of so many voices and emotions. Order, the fifth in a series, stands well on its own. KLIATT Codes: JSA*--Exceptional book, recommended for juni...

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