J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
To accompany the series, J.K. Rowling wrote three short companion volumes for charity, Quidditch Through the Agesand Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in aid of Lumos. She also collaborated on the writing of a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which was published as a script book.
Her other books for children include the fairy tale The Ickabog and The Christmas Pig, which were published in 2020 and 2021 respectively and have also been bestsellers. She is also the author of books for adults, including a bestselling crime fiction series.
J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honors for her writing. She also supports a number of causes through her charitable trust Volant and is the founder of the children's charity Lumos.
To find out more about J.K. Rowling visit jkrowlingstories.com.
Kirkus Reviews July 15th, 2003
The Potternaut rolls on, picking up more size than speed but
propelling 15-year-old Harry through more hard tests of character
and magical ability. Rowling again displays her ability to create
both likable and genuinely scary characters--most notable among the
latter being a pair of Dementors who accost Harry in a dark alley
in the opening chapter. Even more horrible, Ministry of Magic
functionary Dolores Umbridge descends upon Hogwarts with a tinkly
laugh, a taste in office decor that runs to kitten paintings, and
the authority, soon exercised, to torture students, kick Harry off
the Quidditch team, fire teachers, and even to challenge Dumbledore
himself. Afflicted with sudden fits of adolescent rage, Harry also
has worries, from upcoming exams and recurrent eerie dreams to the
steadfast refusal of the Magical World's bureaucracy to believe
that Voldemort has returned. Steadfast allies remain, including
Hermione, whose role here is largely limited to Chief Explainer,
and a ragtag secret order of adults formed to protect him from
dangers, which they characteristically keep to themselves until he
finds out about them the hard way. Constructed, like GOBLET OF
FIRE, of multiple, weakly connected plot lines and rousing, often
hilarious set pieces, all set against a richly imagined backdrop,
this involves its characters once again in plenty of adventures
while moving them a step closer to maturity. And it's still
impossible to predict how it's all going to turn out. (Fiction.
12-15) Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books September
2003
Harry Potter's latest adventure reveals an admirable hero somewhat
the worse for wear: his grief at the death of Cedric, his fear of
(and connection to) the evil Lord Voldemort, and his emotional
distance from Professor Dumbledore combine to make Harry a bit
short-tempered, a bit short-sighted, and a bit more recognizably
human. Rowling eases readers back into Harry's world-and-Harry's
precarious existence-with nary a ripple: the suburban peace of the
Dursleys' manicured lives is shattered by the intrusion of
dementors, sent by a rogue in the Ministry of Magic and seeking to
do Harry serious injury. A wizard rescue party retrieves Harry from
the world of Muggles and sets him down amidst the Order of the
Phoenix, a secret society that plots Voldemort's final downfall.
With an escalating love life, academic complications at school, and
a Ministry of Magic determined to ignore the obvious, Harry is in
an adolescent uproar. Revelations about Sirius Black, Professor
Snape, and Harry's late father cause the boy to question all he
holds true, and his confusion clouds his judgment. A roaring set of
practical jokes by Fred and George Weasley against a politically
appointed, obnoxious new professor at Hogwarts lightens the tone
just in time for the Order's tragic confrontation with Voldemort
and his malevolent minions. Rowling cheerfully turns her own
conventions on th@ir cars, and the result is a surprising and
enjoyable ride. While Harry's much-touted love interest fizzles
before it fires, familiar characters achieve a bit more depth.
Ginny Weasley starts to come into her own, Hermione employs a dryly
wicked wit, and Dumbledore reveals, if not feet, at least a little
toe of clay. It's no longer quite clear that all will work out in
the end; the lines are being drawn, but, as exemplified by Percy
Weasley, not everyone is on the right side. Rowling has managed to
make Harry and his fate a bit less predictable, which, in the fifth
of a seven-volume series, is a very good thing. JMD Horn Book
Magazine
(September 1, 2003; 0-439-35806-X) (Intermediate, Middle School)
This review is much like the proverbial tree falling in an
uninhabited forest: unlikely to make a sound. But for the record,
HP5 is the best in the series since Azkaban, and far superior to
the turgid HP4. With Rowling once again f
Dale again takes the reins as nimble voice master and gallops away with a splendid performance of Rowling's fifth tome about the beloved boy wizard. Full credit is due Dale for creating-and keeping track of-an enormous cast (134, to be precise) of distinct voices; he achieves impressive continuity of character from one novel to the next. But perhaps most notable here is Dale's development of protagonist Harry's evolution from wide-eyed, affable boy to an often angry and disillusioned teenager. Obviously at home in Rowling's world, Dale effortlessly follows the story into darker and more complex waters. Plot turns include further intrigue amongst the wizard hierarchy, the arrival of a new, suspect Defense of the Dark Arts professor, and the main characters' navigation through increasing social and academic pressures. Though Harry, Ron and Hermione are gradually sounding a bit older, and inevitably wiser, Dale keeps their cores intact, so as not to lose listeners along the way. Ages 9-up. Simultaneous release with the Scholastic/Levine hardcover. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews July 15th, 2003
The Potternaut rolls on, picking up more size than speed but
propelling 15-year-old Harry through more hard tests of character
and magical ability. Rowling again displays her ability to create
both likable and genuinely scary characters--most notable among the
latter being a pair of Dementors who accost Harry in a dark alley
in the opening chapter. Even more horrible, Ministry of Magic
functionary Dolores Umbridge descends upon Hogwarts with a tinkly
laugh, a taste in office decor that runs to kitten paintings, and
the authority, soon exercised, to torture students, kick Harry off
the Quidditch team, fire teachers, and even to challenge Dumbledore
himself. Afflicted with sudden fits of adolescent rage, Harry also
has worries, from upcoming exams and recurrent eerie dreams to the
steadfast refusal of the Magical World's bureaucracy to believe
that Voldemort has returned. Steadfast allies remain, including
Hermione, whose role here is largely limited to Chief Explainer,
and a ragtag secret order of adults formed to protect him from
dangers, which they characteristically keep to themselves until he
finds out about them the hard way. Constructed, like GOBLET OF
FIRE, of multiple, weakly connected plot lines and rousing, often
hilarious set pieces, all set against a richly imagined backdrop,
this involves its characters once again in plenty of adventures
while moving them a step closer to maturity. And it's still
impossible to predict how it's all going to turn out. (Fiction.
12-15)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books September 2003
Harry Potter's latest adventure reveals an admirable hero somewhat
the worse for wear: his grief at the death of Cedric, his fear of
(and connection to) the evil Lord Voldemort, and his emotional
distance from Professor Dumbledore combine to make Harry a bit
short-tempered, a bit short-sighted, and a bit more recognizably
human. Rowling eases readers back into Harry's world-and-Harry's
precarious existence-with nary a ripple: the suburban peace of the
Dursleys' manicured lives is shattered by the intrusion of
dementors, sent by a rogue in the Ministry of Magic and seeking to
do Harry serious injury. A wizard rescue party retrieves Harry from
the world of Muggles and sets him down amidst the Order of the
Phoenix, a secret society that plots Voldemort's final downfall.
With an escalating love life, academic complications at school, and
a Ministry of Magic determined to ignore the obvious, Harry is in
an adolescent uproar. Revelations about Sirius Black, Professor
Snape, and Harry's late father cause the boy to question all he
holds true, and his confusion clouds his judgment. A roaring set of
practical jokes by Fred and George Weasley against a politically
appointed, obnoxious new professor at Hogwarts lightens the tone
just in time for the Order's tragic confrontation with Voldemort
and his malevolent minions. Rowling cheerfully turns her own
conventions on th@ir cars, and the result is a surprising and
enjoyable ride. While Harry's much-touted love interest fizzles
before it fires, familiar characters achieve a bit more depth.
Ginny Weasley starts to come into her own, Hermione employs a dryly
wicked wit, and Dumbledore reveals, if not feet, at least a little
toe of clay. It's no longer quite clear that all will work out in
the end; the lines are being drawn, but, as exemplified by Percy
Weasley, not everyone is on the right side. Rowling has managed to
make Harry and his fate a bit less predictable, which, in the fifth
of a seven-volume series, is a very good thing. JMD Horn Book
Magazine
(September 1, 2003; 0-439-35806-X) (Intermediate, Middle School)
This review is much like the proverbial tree falling in an
uninhabited forest: unlikely to make a sound. But for the record,
HP5 is the best in the series since Azkaban, and far superior to
the turgid HP4. With Rowling once again f
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
