Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Sale price
$2849
Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 1998 · Est. 9.5 hour read

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By J.K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator)

Book #2 in the Harry Potter series

A warning, a diary, and petrified students. Is Harry the heir of Slytherin?

7.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.4/5 Goodreads · 4,643,846 ratings
341 pages· 86,243 words· Est. 9.5 hour read
$29.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Harry Potter's return to Hogwarts is marred by a dire warning from Dobby, a house-elf. As students turn to stone, suspicion falls on Harry as the heir of Slytherin. With Ron and Hermione, he must unravel the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. Facing a pompous new professor, a haunted bathroom, and a magical diary, Harry discovers he can speak Parseltongue, a trait linked to dark wizards. As danger looms, can Harry clear his name and save Hogwarts from an ancient threat?

From the publisher

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the summer after Harry’s first year at Hogwarts has been his worst summer ever… the Dursleys more distant and horrible than ever before. But just as he’s packing his bags to return to school, a creature named Dobby the house-elf announces that if Harry goes back to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And it turns out, Dobby is right. Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, so they fly to school in a blue Ford Anglia, crash landing in the notorious Whomping Willow. Soon other worries accumulate: the outrageously stuck-up new professor Gilderoy Lockhart; a ghost named Moaning Myrtle, who haunts the girls’ bathroom; the strange behavior of Ron’s little sister, Ginny Weasley; rumors about the “Chamber of Secrets,” a cavern buried deep below Hogwarts; and a magical diary owned by Tom Riddle, a Hogwarts student of long ago. Harry is also shocked to discover that he can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes - a rare ability that Lord Voldemort also possessed - and that anti-Muggle prejudice exists in the Wizarding world, even affecting Harry’s friend Hermione. But all of these seem like minor concerns when someone starts turning Hogwarts students to stone: an evildoer said to be the fearsome Heir of Salazar Slytherin, on of the founders of the school. Could it be Draco Malfoy, Harry’s most poisonous rival? Could it be Hagrid whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one person everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?

Awards

ALA Notable Children's Books (2000)ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2000)FCBG Children’s Book Award (1998)
At a glance
Format
Pages
341
Words
86,243
Reading age
9–12
Audience
Middle Grade
Lexile
940L
Themes & topics
Books about carsBooks about magicBooks about schoolBooks about cultureBooks about wizards
Good to know

Stories behind the story

Did Rowling ever get writers block while writing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Rowling had her first experience of writers block when writing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. "I was worried that it wouldn't live up to readers' expectations--I'd heard that your second novel is the hardest to write." Rowling had delivered her second manuscript to the publisher just two weeks after her first book was published, but since she wasn't pleased with it, she asked the publisher (Bloomsbury) for it back and worked on it for another six weeks.

How many copies of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets have been sold?

As of 2012, 77 million copies had been sold worldwide.

What did The New York Times have to say about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Deborah Loudon from The Times said Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be “re-read into adulthood” and said “the ingredients of Rowling's success are traditional - strong plots, engaging characters, excellent jokes and a moral message which flows naturally from the story.” The book also reached the top of The New York Times Bestselling List in 1999 in 1999.

When was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets first published?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was first published in the United Kingdom on July 2, 1998 by Bloomsbury. The book was published in the United States on June 2, 1999 by Scholastic Inc.

Where can I find a good summary of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

Sparknotes has a great summary.

How are the the movie and video game adaptations?

Rated PG, run time of 2h 41min, and a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb (where you can also find a trailer and cast information. Here's a review of the video game!

What readers & critics say

Reviews

7.0

out of 7

7.0

The adventure continues! This second book in the Harry Potter series begins to introduce slightly more depth and themes of self-introspection. It's just as much fun as the first, and readers can enjoy this book knowing they still have five more to go!

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one

The next favorite is already out there.

Age-appropriate books selected to help their love of reading grow, delivered right to their door.

Find their book club
Bookroo club box with books for growing readers
The author

More from J.K. Rowling

Explore J.K.'s bookshelf
Christmas at Hogwarts
Sale price
$1999

Christmas at Hogwarts

Ages 4–8 · 2024

The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac

2023

Harry Potter Books 1-7 Special Edition Boxed Set

2007

The Christmas Pig

Ages 8–11 · 2021
The series

The Harry Potter series

See the whole series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
#1 in Series
Sale price
$2999

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Ages 9–12 · 1997

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Ages 9–12 · 1999

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Ages 9–12 · 2000
Sale price
$3299

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Ages 9–14 · 2003
Your next read

Books that feel like this one

See all similar books

The Secret Garden

Ages 8–12

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Ages 10–14 · 2016

A Little Princess

Ages 8–12 · 1905

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

Ages 8–12 · 2022

The Mystwick School of Musicraft

Ages 10–12 · 2019

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

Ages 10–14 · 2012

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Ages 9–12 · 2007

Over Sea, Under Stone

Ages 8–12 · 1965
The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
6.7
F&P level
~V
AR points
14
AR interest level
MG
AR quiz
32081
Publication
Published
July 2, 1998
Publisher
Scholastic
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780439064866

Surprise a reader with their next favorite book.

Spotted a mistake or something missing? Improve this page.

Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.

Top contributors: The Goodfather · Mr. Staccato · Elaine R.

Bookroo

Book Clubs

Follow Bookroo