What mum Romy Dunn thought about The Goblet of Fire...

PICKING up a Harry Potter book means you can be sure of certain entertainment. They are fun, funny, full of adventure and have that essential cosiness that is so important in a children's book. Well, there is nothing funny or cosy in the first chapter of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

Like the first book in the series, this one would challenge any newcomer to Harry Potter to understand why he is so popular.

But once you get past the doom and gloom you're transported back to the wonderful world of 'floo powder', 'house elves' and 'double potions'. And of course, the strange game of Quidditch.

I'm not a great fan of Quidditch which explains why the one part of this book that I would cut is the Quidditch World Cup in the opening chapters. It doesn't really add to the story, and with the book weighing in at over 600 pages long it is a daunting read for many children.

Once Harry gets back to Hogwarts (the wizarding school) life returns to normal - normal for a wizard that is.

A mix of wild, scary adventure and everyday schoolboy life includES a wonderful sequence when Harry and his best friend Ron fall out - seriously - and then have to find partners to go to their first dance.

Hermione manages to keep the peace between them while running her own personal campaign to free the house elves working in Hogwarts kitchen.

But all this is only background to the main story, the competition between three wizard schools to produce the champion school wizard, all in the name of promoting understanding and harmony between the wizarding nations of course.

J K Rowling's imagination is immense and the challenges faced by the competitors are stunning. Added to that we have the problem of Snape - teacher of Potions (who's side is he really on?) and the "teacher who isn't". Which one is it?

Another sign that these books are growing with the children is that this story ends in tragedy. The Dark Force is increasing and Lord Voldemort is coming back. The politics of the wizard world are well and truly shaken up. We are set up nicely for the next year at Hogwarts - the next book.

Fun? Not as much as the previous books. A good read? Yes.

... and the verdict of daughter Saskia, aged nine and three

quarters

THE very first few pages were slightly boring because they were telling a story, but after that it's brilliant. It's meant for older children definitely, it's got longer words in it that are harder to understand and it's got 37 chapters and they are really long. It takes me longer to read because my sister keeps stealing the book and hiding with it.

It is funny, really, really funny in bits especially when Harry and Ron can't get a girlfriend to go to the dance.

The new teacher for Defence of the Dark Arts is called Mad Eye Moody. It's a new person every book, sometimes he's bad, sometimes he's good but he only lasts one book.

And there's a bit near the end that's really scary so don't read it at night. I didn't like the sad bit but the adventures are brilliant and exiting.

If you want to know the ending read it yourself - but it's not Harry, Ron, Hermione or thingummy (Draco) Malfoy who gets killed even though he is the enemy.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire is published by Bloomsbury, price £14.99

picture: Saskia Dunn reading the new Harry Potter book... up a tree!

Picture: Mike Tipping