The Harry Potter books are great. Everyone I know who's read them raves about them. The only dissenter I know of is Harold Bloom (Closing of the American Mind, etc) and he thinks nothing of value has been published in children's literature since WWI. I am not kidding. I've never read Bloom, but he strikes me as a contrarian, although he has some interesting points.
I loved Bridge to Terabithia too. boy did that make me cry.
