J. K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Harry Potter is loved throughout the world--and so is his creator. Joanne Kathleen (J. K.) Rowling is a true wizard, a woman who has the ability to recall vividly her days as a child and capture those wild, wonderful, difficult times--an ability that helps make her creation, Harry Potter, seem so real.

In this enchanting book, fans of the Harry Potter series will get to see their favorite author--the person behind the creation. From a child with a wonderful imagination who didn't quite fit in to a single mother with almost overwhelming responsibilities, J. K. Rowling has lived a fascinating life. Her tale is the perfect opportunity for adults and children to enjoy a touching, magical story...together.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature

Taken entirely from media sources like Time, Newsweek, and People, plus various newspaper coverage and fan websites, this unauthorized biography covers superficially many aspects of Rowling's life. It describes her writing in Nicholson's Cafe for the company and warmth; her brief time on welfare, her childhood as the neighborhood storyteller, and her initial idea for Harry's story coming to her on a stalled train. What's missing is any sense of the books themselves, the literary aspects such as where she gets her names and characters, the themes she's playing with, or what she (or the author) see as links to anything else. Few names are given (including that of her husband), many sentences begin with "which" or "and", cliches and repetitive phrases abound, and websites are annoyingly unspecific so that a young researcher can't easily find Shapiro's sources. However, those who can't get enough of Harry Potter and his creator will breeze through this short book quickly without having to go to any primary sources. Her advice to timid writers—to keep writing, write what you know, find a good place to write, collect unusual things in a notebook, and plot the good plot before you begin—is solidly delivered in Rowling's selfeffacing and open manner, copied from the Scholastic website. 2000, St. Martin's Press, Ages 9 to 14, $4.99. Reviewer: Susan Hepler

VOYA

Biographies of contemporary people written by biographers who have neither met nor spoken with their subjects leave this reviewer cold and questioning. Could readers just as easily cull information by reading magazine interviews and surfing the Net? What is the draw of a writer stringing together factual tidbits and combining them with unsubstantiated mind reading? Not much. Harry Potter fans will not find this shallow bio very enlightening. Readers meet Joanne Kathleen Rowling, who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, has a daughter, does not like to dress up, and loves to write. Perhaps the most phenomenal revelation is that J. K. actually (according to Shapiro) single-handedly retyped all eighty-thousand words of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on a manual typewriter￯﾿ﾽtwice. Shapiro, experienced in unauthorized biographies of Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, and others, lists general print sources consulted and names of Web sites visited. Repetitive, captionless photographs accompany the text, which might interest very young readers whose families read aloud the series. Others, however, who devour Rowling's well-crafted, complex, and imaginative world of wizardry will find this superficial treatment of its creator uninviting and in spots, inaccurate￯﾿ﾽas this reviewer's local and informed Harry fans have done. VOYA CODES: 1Q 4P M J (Hard to understand how it got published; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2000, St. Martin's Griffin, 105p, Photos, Trade pb. Ages 12 to 15. Reviewer: Patti Sylvester Spencer VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)

KLIATT

As a child, Joanne Kathleen Rowling entertained her sister and neighborhood children with her fanciful tales. She has spent all of her life creating stories. After she began writing about Harry and his friends, she felt that no matter what situation she found herself in, she could always turn to the characters she had created. Combining her vivid imagination with her love for unusual names, we are now all able to enjoy Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Neville Longbottom along with her. Shapiro is an entertainment writer who has written about several famous people. His latest foray into the world of entertainment will delight Harry's fans. Young readers will enjoy reading how Rowling created the world that has delighted them. Hearing about her life will also give them insight into the stories, and perhaps will encourage budding writers. Four pages of photographs will give them images of their favorite writer as well. This is a must purchase for all libraries that serve the younger Harry Potter lovers. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2000, St. Martin's/Griffin, 128p, 21cm, $4.99. Ages 13 to 15. Reviewer: Lynn Evarts; Lib. Media Spec., Sauk Prairie H.S., Prairie du Sac, WI, November 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 6)

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