Ah, what can I say. This is a book that have become unsurpassable standard for children-fantasy writing. The book that incite ridiculous amount of book comparison and fanwars for...um...some hardcore fans. When I reveal that I want to be a writer in the future, there's always that people who ask, "Really? Do you write something like Harry Potter?" 
 I read this book considerably late than most of my cohorts but since this is one of my favourite and the easier to understand, I reread this book more often(second only to Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire). The character and world building are marvelous. J.K. Rowling's sense to make age appropriate sarcastic jokes is especially admirable. The pacing is great. The plot is compact and every chapter has their own importance. I imagine there must be a brilliant and painful process of editing behind this near-perfection. 
 Well, what's not to love? While Harry Potter might not be the best book out there, it certainly has influenced me a lot. Writing, imagination, and all that. 
 Thank you, J.K. Rowling for creating a book that has been inseparable with my childhood (and early adolescence). I plan to make the series inseparable part of my children's childhood too.