J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter novel introduces Hogwarts through the eyes of a boy who has spent ten years being told he's ordinary, and the trick that makes it work is how completely the wizarding world treats him as extraordinary before he's done a single impressive thing. It's the rare kids' fantasy that still holds up as a reread for adults.

J.K. Rowling's Chamber of Secrets sends Harry back to Hogwarts for a darker second year, where a hidden monster is petrifying students and an enchanted diary starts writing back to whoever holds it.