One thing which Rowling seems to be particularly good at is creating really beautiful looking fantasy locations. Often, in book form, it's very hard for an author to describe really beautiful scenery without it just becoming really boring, but she manages to do this very well and it flows into the adventure quite nicely.
Furthermore, the storyline is really rather nice; you'll find all different kinds of fantasy creatures here, goblins, trolls, ghosts and so many others, all of them integrated into the world's society somehow. The childlike way in which it suggests that there's more to the world than the average person knows gives the book a real sense of adventure. Let me expand: as a child, the world seems such a huge and exciting place, but as you get older and you learn more about how things work, the world, though still nice, begins to look less and less exciting. But in this book that feeling is recreated when Harry discovers that there is a whole 'magic' part of the world which only magic people know about. His adventures after joining the magical Hogwarts School are all very enjoyable to read. If you’re interested in reading this series, but’re unsure, then read this, the novel is very self-contained.
An excellent fantasy story: 8/10
(Buy it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Potter-Philosophers-Stone-Book/dp/0747532745/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1332321364&sr=8-3)