In his second year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, 12-year-old Harry Potter continues to learn about his destiny as the greatest wizard of his generation. New challenges and Adventure and seem to lie in wait for him at every turn of the twisting staircases and corridors of Hogwarts. What is the meaning of the mysterious whispered messages only Harry can hear: “. . . so hungry . . . for so long . . . kill . . . time to kill . . .” Who is attacking the selected students and, one by one, turning them into petrified human pillars? Do all the answers lie in the rumored Chamber of Secrets, if such a place even exists? With his mates, Ron and Hermione, Harry sets out to find solve these mysteries, using intellect, rudimentary magic, and a little bit of luck. Readers of the first volume of this extremely popular series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Levine/Scholastic, 1998), will recognize the setting and many of the characters. In addition, they will be pleased to meet some new cast members, including Dobby, a self-deprecating, gossipy house elf and Gilderoy Lockhart, a self-important best-selling author who’s come to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Ingenious plotting, dazzling humor, and an overall inventive vision are fast becoming the hallmark of J.K. Rowling’s highly appealing novels. (Ages 8-14)