Download the Starter Kit.
CREATIVE WRITING If your students could take a sip of Polyjuice Potion and become anyone in the world, who would they be?
MAZE Can your students find the path to the Chamber of Secrets
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Separate your club members into teams to compete in this Harry Potter trivia challenge!
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CREATIVE WRITING Spark your students’ creativity and ask them to imagine that they received an unexpected letter of acceptance to a new school!
MAKE A WAND Have your club members create their very own wand!
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Ask your students to search for unique terms found in the Harry Potter books
WIZARDRY IN PICTURES Have your students draw pictures of items found in the Harry Potter series
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CREATIVE WRITING Have your club members invent their own sport!
HALLOWEEN RECIPE Ask you students to create a recipe for Cauldron Cakes
MORE THINGS THAT MUST NO BE NAMED Get your group to guess Harry Potter-related clues!
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Who can guess which Harry Potter character these quotes came from?
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CREATIVE WRITING Ask your students to reflect upon their dreams and desires for the future.
MAKE A GOLDEN SNITCH Have club members create their very own Golden Snitch in this craft activity!
TRIVIA CHALLENGE GAME Separate your club members into teams for this Harry Potter trivia challenge!
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Can your club members complete the King’s Crossword puzzle?
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
THE FORBIDDEN FOREST Can your club members navigate their way out of the Forbidden Forest?
TRIVIA CHALLENGE GAME Separate your club members into teams for this Harry Potter Trivia Challenge!
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CREATIVE WRITING Have your students think of a Muggle object that they would like to enchant!
CRAFT Have your club members create a one-of-a-kind Valentine!
GAME Have club members imagine that they have drunk Polyjuice Potion and turned into a Harry Potter character!
WORD SEARCH See if your students can uncover the secret words!
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CRAFT Have your club members write a secret diary using invisible ink!
CREATIVE WRITING Have your students imagine they have access to the Floo Powder Network. Where would they go?
ANAGRAMS Can your students unscramble these anagrams of Harry Potter characters’ names?
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
CREATIVE WRITING Have your club members imagine what it would be like to be a ghost
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Have your club members guess which Harry Potter character these quotes came from.
GAME Can your students capture the Cornish Pixies in this game of tag?
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE Can your club members complete the Chamber of Secrets crossword?
GAME Get your club members up and moving to play a version of tag, inspired by Harry’s battle with the Basilisk.
Every month we will unveil four Harry Potter activities that you can use
to engage your students or children in creative writing, art, or critical thinking.
Host Instructions »
book oneHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Pub Date: September 1998
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry, an orphan, lives with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. One day just before his eleventh birthday, an owl tries to deliver a mysterious letter—the first of a sequence of events that end in Harry meeting a giant man named Hagrid. Hagrid explains Harry's history to him: When he was a baby, the Dark wizard, Lord Voldemort, attacked and killed his parents in an attempt to kill Harry... Read More »; but the only mark on Harry was a mysterious lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Now he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the headmaster is the great wizard Albus Dumbledore. Harry visits Diagon Alley to get his school supplies, especially his very own wand. To get to school, he takes the Hogwarts Express from platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. On the train, he meets two fellow students who will become his closest friends: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry is assigned to Gryffindor House at Hogwarts, and soon becomes the youngest-ever Seeker on the House Quidditch team. He also studies Potions with Professor Severus Snape, who displays a deep and abiding dislike for Harry, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with nervous Professor Quirrell; he and his friends defeat a mountain troll, help Hagrid raise a dragon, and explore the wonderful, fascinating world of Hogwarts. But all events lead irrevocably toward a second encounter with Lord Voldemort, who seeks an object of legend known as the Sorcerer’s Stone... Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book twoHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Pub Date: June 2, 1999
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the summer after Harry's first year at Hogwarts has been his worst summer ever... the Dursleys are more distant and horrible than ever before. But just as he's packing his bags to return to school, a creature named Dobby the house-elf announces that if Harry goes back to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And it turns out, Dobby is right. Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express, so they fly to school in a blue Ford Anglia... Read More », crash landing in the notorious Whomping Willow. Soon other worries accumulate: the outrageously stuck-up new professor Gilderoy Lockhart; a ghost named Moaning Myrtle, who haunts the girls' bathroom; the strange behavior of Ron's little sister, Ginny Weasley; rumors about the "Chamber of Secrets," a cavern buried deep below Hogwarts; and a magical diary owned by Tom Riddle, a Hogwarts student of long ago. Harry is also shocked to discover that he can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes - a rare ability that Lord Voldemort also possessed - and that anti-Muggle prejudice exists in the Wizarding world, even affecting Harry's friend Hermione. But all of these seem like minor concerns when someone starts turning Hogwarts students to stone: an evildoer said to be the fearsome Heir of Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of the school. Could it be Draco Malfoy, Harry's most poisonous rival? Could it be Hagrid whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one person everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself? Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book threeHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Pub Date: September 8, 1999
For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and might even have assisted in the deaths of James and Lily Potter—Harry Potter's parents. Now Black has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well... Read More ». And the Azkaban guards heard him muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts... he's at Hogwarts." Of course, Harry already had plenty to worry about. After inflating his nasty aunt and running away on the magical Knight Bus, he finds he's being pursued by death omens at every turn. He receives two wonderful gifts: a top-of-the-line Firebolt broomstick, and the Marauder's Map, a magical diagram of Hogwarts made by the mysterious "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." Hermione disappears frequently, burdened down by a seemingly impossible course schedule. And the soulless Dementors have come to guard Hogwarts—supposedly to protect Harry from Sirius Black, but they terrify Harry more than the fugitive ever could. To strengthen himself against them, Harry reaches out to Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who was once a friend of his father's. Lupin teaches Harry about the Patronus Charm, a defensive measure well above the level of magic generally mastered by wizards Harry's age. But even with his broom, his map, his magic, and his loyal friends, Harry isn't safe. Because on top of everything else, there's a traitor hidden at Hogwarts... Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book fourHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Pub Date: July 8, 2000
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. He wants to get away from the malicious Dursleys and go to the Quidditch World Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about his crush, Cho Chang (and maybe do more than dream). And now that he's gotten the hang of things at Hogwarts—he hopes—he just wants to be a normal fourteen-year-old wizard... Read More ». But even by his standards, Harry's year is anything but normal. First Dumbledore announces the revival of a grand competition that hasn't taken place for one hundred years: the Triwizard Tournament, where a Hogwarts champion will compete against rivals from two other schools of magic in three highly dangerous tasks. Then someone frames Harry to participate in the tournament—which really means someone wants him dead. Harry is guided through the competition by Professor Alastor Moody, this year's Defenst Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he must also contend with a nasty reporter named Rita Skeeter, who digs up some highly unflattering secrets about Hagrid; a terrible fight with Ron, who is deeply jealous of Harry's fame; Hermione's newfound activism on behalf of house-elves; and the terrifying prospect of asking a date to the Yule Ball. Worst of all, Lord Voldemort may finally have gathered the materials necessary for his rejuvenation... and he has a faithful servant at Hogwarts waiting only for a sign. No, nothing is every normal for Harry Potter. And in his case, different can be deadly. Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book fiveHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Pub Date: June 21, 2003
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Lord Voldemort has returned to the Wizarding world, presenting a threat that neither the magical government nor the authorities at Hogwars can stop. In response to his reappearance, Dumbledore reactivates the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society which works to defeat the Dark Lord's minions and protect his targets—especially Harry Potter. But Harry doesn't want to be protected. Even as the Ministry of Magic denies his claims... Read More », The Daily Prophet discredits him, and even Dumbledore won't look him in the eye, Harry grows more and more determined to fight his lifelong enemy Voldemort—if only he had the "weapon" the Order is guarding. In the meantime, he visits his godfather at his ghoulish London home, Grimmauld Place, and learns more about Voldemort's deep reach into Wizarding history and the Wizarding world. Back at Hogwarts, Harry must deal with a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey; a surprising new member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team; the possibility of his first real romance; and the looming nightmare of the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. He's haunted by dreams of a heavy door at the end of a silent corridor, and a vision of his father and the young Severus Snape that changes everything he thought he knew about them. Even the joy of working with "Dumbledore's Army"—a group of Soon Harry will discover the true depth and strength of his friends; their boundless loyalty and unbearable sacrifices. His fate depends on them all. Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book sixHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Pub Date: July 16, 2005
When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams... Read More », start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder. Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle's teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord's weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore's own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry's—and Hogwarts's—future in shadow. Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
book sevenHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Pub Date: July 21, 2007
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the epic tale of Harry Potter, Harry and Lord Voldemort each prepare for their ultimate encounter. Voldemort takes control of the Ministry of Magic, installs Severus Snape as headmaster at Hogwarts, and sends his Death Eaters across the country to wreak havoc and find Harry. Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione embark on a desperate quest the length and breadth of Britain... Read More », trying to locate and destroy Voldemort's four remaining Horcruxes, the magical objects in which he has hidden parts of his broken soul. They visit the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, the Ministry, Godric's Hollow, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley...But every time they solve one mystery, three more evolve—and not just about Voldemort, but about Dumbledore, and Harry's own past, and three mysterious objects called the Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are literally things out of a children's tale, which, if real, promise to make their possessor the "Master of Death;" and they ensnare Harry with their tantalizing claim of invulnerability. It is only after a nigh-unbearable loss that he is brought back to his true purpose, and the trio returns to Hogwarts for the final breathtaking battle between the forces of good and evil. They fight the Death Eaters alongside members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, the Weasley clan, and the full array of Hogwarts teachers and students. Yet everything turns upon the moment the entire series has been building up to, the same meeting with which our story began: the moment when Harry and Voldemort face each other at last. Close »
Discussion Guide(PDF, 600kb)
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about harry potter
J.K. Rowling's phenomenal seven-book fantasy series about adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his adventurous and magical years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each of the seven books chronicles a year in Harry’s life at Hogwarts. The central story arc focuses on Harry’s struggle against the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry’ parents and tried to kill Harry when he was a baby. Because Harry survived the attack, he is famous in the wizarding world. At Hogwarts, Harry forms everlasting friendships, falls in love, faces immense challenges, endures incredible loss and learns to overcome many magical, social and emotional hurdles.
teacher testimonials
“Books are just more delicious when we get to share them with others. Hurry up and finish that book... Read More »
- Pat Barrett DraganRetired First Grade Teacher
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“One positive reading experience can turn children into enthusiastic readers, through Harry Potter... Read More »
- Donalyn Miller4th Grade Teacher, Ft. Worth, TX
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Imagine a school in a castle filled with moving staircases, a sport played on flying broomsticks, an evil wizard intent on domination, an ordinary boy who's the hero of a whole world he doesn't know. This is the story that comes to life in the marvelous Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
The Dark Lord, Voldemort, tried to murder Harry when he was just a baby—but he failed, killing Harry's parents but leaving him with a lightning-bolt scar. After Voldemort's disappearance, Harry is sent to live with his nasty aunt and uncle, far away from any hint of magic. But at the age of eleven, he is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and a magical world opens before him.
Each of the seven books in the series chronicles one year in Harry's adventures at Hogwarts and his battle against Lord Voldemort. Harry makes two marvelous best friends named Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He studies topics like Transfiguration and Potions under wise headmaster Albus Dumbledore and the malevolent Severus Snape. He becomes expert at a game called Quidditch; encounters incredible creatures like phoenixes and dragons; and discovers an entire Wizarding universe hidden just out of sight, as prone to the darker aspects of human experience as our own, but brightened by a quirky original magic.
And slowly, Harry unravels the mysteries of his original confrontation with Voldemort: why the Dark Lord tried to kill him, how he lived… and what he must do to survive another encounter.
The first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was published in the United Kingdom in 1997; a decade later, the last novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, broke all records to become the fastest-selling book in history. The seven novels have been translated into sixty-eight languages, selling over four hundred million copies in more than two hundred countries.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of classic Wizarding fairy tales, first came to Muggle readers' attention in seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Never before had Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative stories: "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot," "The Fountain of Fair Fortune," "The Warlock's Hairy Heart," "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump," and of course, "The Tale of the Three Brothers." This beautiful edition includes an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J.K. Rowling; a new translation from the ancient runes by Hermione Granger; and extensive commentary by Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Not only are these the equal of fairy tales we know and love, reading them gives new insight into the magical world of Harry Potter. This purchase also represents another very important form of giving: From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give its net proceeds to the Children's High Level Group (www.chlg.org), a charity cofounded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP. CHLG campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people.
Quidditch Through the Ages Quidditch Through the Ages is a comprehensive guide to Quidditch and the ultimate resource for anyone interested in the magical world and its most popular sport. Written by Kennilworthy Whisp, it is charmingly reproduced as if it were a facsimile of the very copy from the library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Diagon Alley Retail Price: 14 Sickles, 3 Knuts.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an A to Z listing of magical beasts — those you've heard of and some you haven't — and a complete guide to their appearances, personalities, abilities, and habitats. Written by Newt Scamander, it's on the required booklist for all Hogwarts students and much revered by Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper. Diagon Alley Retail Price: 14 Sickles, 3 Knuts.
Hogwarts Library Boxed Set We are proud to offer the first boxed set of the complete Hogwarts Library, including Quidditch Through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The books have been completely redesigned to form an elegant boxed set with colorful boards, headbands, footbands, and foil stamping.
Inside readers will find books taken out and treasured by users of the great library at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander contains descriptions of 27 magical beasts, written by a renowned magizoologist. Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp, gives a comprehensive history of the game and its rules as well as a rousing description of the top teams in the sport. (Both books are graced with the doodles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and other students at Hogwarts who couldn’t resist.) Finally there is The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes of a Wizarding classic, with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J.K. Rowling and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore.
From every sale of The Hogwarts Library, Scholastic will donate twenty percent of the retail sales price less taxes of this boxed set to two charities selected by the author J.K. Rowling: Lumos, a charity founded by J.K. Rowling which works to end the institutionalization of children (www.wearelumos.org), and Comic Relief, a UK-based charity that strives to create a just world free from poverty (www.comicrelief.com).
About the Illustrators:
Mary GrandPré, the illustrator for the Harry Potter books, has been drawing since she was five years old. She went through a Salvador Dali stage when she was ten or twelve and later graduated to copying black-and-white photos out of the encyclopedia. However, she really grew into her own while attending art school in her mid-20s. There, she developed her love of pastels and "soft geometry."
She has tried other media, but she always comes back to pastels, especially in her children's books. She enjoys working on children's books because she can focus on a big project for a long time, using brighter colors to create larger, simpler pieces. And it allows her to indulge in her love of magic, fantasy, and whimsy.
Recently, Mary was featured on the cover of Time magazine for her work with the Harry Potter series and she also worked as a visionary in the environment/scenery development in DreamWorks' animated film Antz. Looking at life from an ant's point of view is not the sort of assignment that comes along every day and Mary enjoyed the great fun of looking at ordinary things through a magnifying glass. But what was most rewarding was being appreciated as an artist. When she saw the finished film, complete with her landscapes, she saw her work on the biggest canvas to date.
Mary has illustrated six beautiful children's books and is at work on the seventh. She also works in other genres, including advertising, corporate art, and editorial. Her reputation is world renowned for her delightfully stunning illustrations. You can see her work and learn more about her on her Web site at www.marygrandpre.com.
About Kazu Kibuishi:
Kazu Kibuishi is the Eisner-nominated creator of the ongoing #1 New York Times bestselling Amulet series of graphic novels, as well as the comic collection Copper, both published by Graphix/Scholastic. He is also the founder and editor of the Flight Anthologies, a critically acclaimed comic series; and the creator of Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, which was named a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults. Kazu Kibuishi lives in Alhambra, California with his family. Visit him at www.boltcity.com and on Twitter at @BoltCity.
Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital in England and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she went to Wyedean Comprehensive.
Jo left Chepstow for Exeter University, where she earned a French and Classics degree, her course including one year in Paris. As a postgraduate she moved to London and worked as a researcher at Amnesty International, doing research into human rights abuses in Francophone Africa. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed Manchester to London King's Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first.
Jo then moved to northern Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She married in October 1992 and gave birth to a daughter Jessica in 1993. When the marriage ended, she and Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where she trained as a teacher, and where Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone was eventually completed. The book was first published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in June 1997, and by Scholastic in the US, as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in September 1998 under the name J.K. Rowling.
Jo married Dr. Neil Murray in 2001, and a brother for Jessica, David, was born in 2003. A sister, Mackenzie, followed in 2005.
J.K. Rowling has received the following honours and awards:
Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2001
Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, Spain, 2003
The Edinburgh Award, 2008
Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur: France, 2009
Honorary Degrees from the University of Exeter, University of St Andrews, Napier University, University of Edinburgh, Dartmouth College, USA, Harvard University, USA, University of Aberdeen.
Commencement speaker, Harvard University, USA, 2008
James Joyce Award, University College Dublin, 2008
Author of the Year, British Book Awards, 1999
Booksellers Association Author of the Year, 1998 and 1999
W H Smith Fiction Award, 2004
Blue Peter Gold Badge, awarded 2007
Outstanding Achievement Award, South Bank Show Awards, 2008
Lifetime Achievement Award, British Book Awards 2008
BAFTA Special Award 2011
J.K. Rowling supports a wide number of charities and causes.
She set up the Volant Charitable Trust, which supports a wide number of causes related to social deprivation and associated problems, particularly as they affect women and children. The Trust has funded a variety of projects in the UK and abroad. It also supports research into the causes and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
For seven years she was an Ambassador of One Parent Families, now called Gingerbread, a charity working with lone parents and their children. In 2007 she took an honorary position as President for the charity.
J.K. Rowling was patron of the MS Society Scotland for nine years before stepping down in 2009. Having lost her mother to MS at the age of 45, this is one of the causes closest to her heart. As Patron, her support included planning and hosting fundraising events, directly lobbying politicians, writing articles and giving interviews to raise awareness of this very Scottish disease, and contributing significant funds for research in Scotland, including research establishments in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. J.K. Rowling continues to fund MS research directly through The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, which is due to open in Edinburgh in 2013.
In 2005, J.K. Rowling co-founded the Children's High Level Group (CHLG) with Emma Nicholson MEP, inspired by a press report she read about children in caged beds in institutions in the Czech Republic. This charity's aim was to make life better for young people in care, in Eastern Europe and ultimately all over the world. In 2007, J.K. Rowling auctioned for CHLG a copy of one of the seven special editions of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which raised £1.95 million. In December 2008 the book was widely published in aid of the charity and became the fastest-selling book of that year. In February 2010 the UK-based arm of the charity became Lumos.
Jo has supported a wide range of other causes and charities, including Comic Relief, for which she has written two short books; The Maggie's Centres for Cancer Care, of which she was a Patron for several years, and Medecins sans Frontieres, in aid of which she performed in an event with Stephen King and John Irving in New York in 2006. She has also donated to the UK Labour Party, and in April 2010 published a piece in The Times opposing the Conservatives' proposed tax relief plans for married couples.
The Books
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in the UK June 1997 and by Scholastic in the US, as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s, in September 1998.
The second title in the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published in July 1998 in the UK and June 1999 in the US and was No. 1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts for a month after publication.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published on 8th July 1999 to worldwide acclaim and massive press attention. The book spent four weeks at No.1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts, while Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone simultaneously topped the paperback charts in the UK. The book was published in September 1999 in the US and topped the adult bestseller list, followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for over a month.
The fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8th July 2000 with a record first print run of 1 million copies for the UK and 3.8 million in the US. It quickly broke all records for the greatest number of books sold on the first day of publication in both the UK and the US.
The fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was published in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia on 21st June 2003. Published in paperback on 10th July 2004, it is the longest yet – 766 pages - and broke the records set by Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire as the fastest selling book in history.
The sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was published in the UK, US and other English-speaking countries on 16th July 2005 and also achieved record sales.
The seventh and final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in the UK, US and other English speaking countries in 2007. The book sold a record 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours in the US alone.
J.K. Rowling has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry's school books within the novels. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through The Ages were published by Bloomsbury Children's Books and Scholastic in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief.
The Harry Potter books have sold over 450 million copies worldwide and are distributed in over 200 territories and translated into 73 languages.
September 2012 sees the publication of J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, which is to be published by Little,Brown in both the UK and the US.
The Films
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE broke all box office records when it opened in the UK in November 2001 and has since become the number two film of all time.
Directed by Home Alone director Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman, the film contained an all-British cast, and stars included Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Dame Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), Julie Walters (Mrs Weasley), Alan Rickman (Professor Snape), and Richard Harris (Professor Dumbledore). Harry Potter was played by Daniel Radcliffe, whilst Harry's two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
The second film, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, also directed by Chris Columbus and produced by David Heyman, went on general release on 15th November 2002 and was another huge success at the box office. British actors Kenneth Branagh and Jason Isaacs, and a computer-generated Dobby, were three of the new characters.
The third film, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, was released in the UK and US on June 4th 2004. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, new cast members included Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney) and Michael Gambon, who replaced Richard Harris in the role of Professor Dumbledore.
The fourth film, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, was released in November 2005. Directed by Mike Newell, new cast members included Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody, Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort.
The fifth film, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, was released in the UK and US in July 2007. Directed by David Yates, new cast members included Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, Helena Bonham-Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, and newcomer Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE was released in 2009 also directed by David Yates, who went on to direct the final part of the series, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, which was made into two films. The first was released in 2010 and the final part in 2011, which smashed box office records making it the most successful film of the series.
“Books are just more delicious when we get to share them with others.”
“Hurry up and finish that book so we can talk about it!”
Adults and students alike say this to each other when they are excited about reading and want to bounce ideas, strategies, stories and connections back and forth. Books are just more delicious when we get to share them with others. Fantasy book groups such as the Harry Potter Reading Club are an exciting, compelling way for kids to talk about and explore books they love, while they hone their reading and thinking skills. Talking about books with a friend or small group is the best! But there are other ways to experience books together.
Creation of talking "book tableaux sculptures" is one of my favorite ways to explore books with kids and create "visual vignettes" of the story. The students and I pick puzzling book excerpts collaboratively, or I may select a few tricky book passages as I observe kids as they read and as we talk together. I print off a book excerpt paper for each member of a group, usually a page or slightly longer. Each selection must have the same number of characters as there are students in a group.
To create a book tableau, members of the group must first read the book excerpt, think and talk about it. This may require exploring different points of view, and coming to some closure as kids figure out what is going on in this small portion of the book. Participants need to choose "their character" and decide what they will say to express their viewpoints. Students will be using their own words as they speak for their characters: words that explain an underlying story element or event.
Now, with these things decided, each group creates a "book sculpture/tableau" by standing together as a unit, with some students reaching, bending, and gesturing, and so on. Ideally, the form of the sculpture should reflect what is going on in the story excerpt. After a bit of practice to figure out and balance the sculpture or book form, the group is ready to perform. Students recreate their book display and freeze in place – naturally for a very brief bit of time. As the teacher or magician taps them with a magic brush, each character speaks the words that interpret and illuminate the story for him. Students attempt to hold their poses until each member of the group has had a turn to speak.
This variation of a "role play" activity gives readers time to work out less understood portions of text, strengthens comprehension, creates group community, and gives kids a chance to move, interpret, and artfully create. Besides all that, the tableau experience is full of zest, anticipation, vim and vigor. It imprints portions of the book on participants and their audience, aids understanding, and is just plain fun!
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Pat Barrett Dragan, retired first grade teacher, now coaches beginning teachers through the San Mateo County BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support) Induction program. She has written five published children's books, and five books for teachers. Four are published by Heinemann and one through the Bring Me a Book non-profit. Pat also gives private art and literacy classes for children.
- Pat Barrett Dragan,Retired First Grade Teacher
“I use great literature like Harry Potter as the cornerstone of my literacy program to build a love of reading also to teach the ins and outs of literary elements in a kid friendly way."”
I use great literature like Harry Potter as the cornerstone of my literacy program to build a love of reading also to teach the ins and outs of literary elements in a kid friendly way. WHY Harry Potter! Students that need to make the greatest gains in reading have a limited reading vocabulary, and they are under exposed to quality literature like Harry Potter. Using Harry Potter for core literacy planning and book clubs gives my students access to challenging books, but also the great movie clips and inspirational theme music that can assist with lessons. The HP characters have a special appeal for kids that face daily adversity if taught in an enriching way. In short Harry Potter helps to make reading fun! I tell my kids, “If the don't like reading Harry Potter, you are doing it wrong.”
Students always have a stronger auditory or spoken vocabulary due in part to exposure to Tv and Movies. Using the student's strengths to build connections to literary elements, in a format kids love, watching movies clips and listening to music makes building background knowledge fast, easy and fun for students. Using auditory knowledge to develop areas of vocabulary weakness is one method that helps my students become fluent, excited, erudite readers. Students will quickly transition from the cinematic elements to the literary elements using Harry Potter.
Students will understand settings, characters, plot, theme, mood, antagonist, and protagonist faster when you have a movie clip, or theme music to tie in or build background knowledge and understanding of literary elements.
HARRY POTTER: GOBSMACKED Game!
Have your students stand up, or sit on their desk so they are facing the teacher. Start at either end of room and give a random Harry Potter trivia question to a student (Reading Comprehension question). If they answer correctly they stay standing until all students have a chance to answer a question. The game can be played as a lightning round with just one quick round or many rounds until you have two kids standing for a few Harry Potter HOT (Higher Order Thinking) questions. When students cannot give an answer to a question they have to say "GOBSMACKED" (Brit slang for dumbfounded) and must sit down. Students that answer correctly get a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean if you are playing the lighting round, if playing for a Gobsmacked champion the game continues until you have a winner. The student that wins usually gets Harry Potter popcorn. Extensions: Students can ask for a challenge question that relates to a literary element, HOT questions, or a Tier 3 academic word that relates to HP, and every child that answers a hard vocabulary question correctly gets a nice small sample of jelly beans or pretzels, stamp, or a sticker. Anytime students' answers any question correctly all students including those that are out have to buddy buzz with a partner the question and the answer. Students love this activity and it's a great review (Formative Test) of Harry Potter, and a great opportunity to teach complex literary concepts. We start with a mix of easy and hard questions to get the kids excited and motivated to keep the Harry Potter reading fresh and exciting. I ask my students if they want a hard, medium or easy question to give every child a real chance at answering correctly! Background information: We read all Harry Potter chapters twice before we jumping into games like Gobsmacked.
HARRY POTTER: Latin Spells
We explore all of the Harry Potter books for magic spells, potions, charms, and incantations to teach and introduce prefixes, suffixes and Latin root words. Students use a basic Latin glossary or collegiate dictionary to decode the spells from Harry Potter and make their own.
A sample of my students invented spells using Latin Roots
- Sean Taylor, 4th Grade Teacher
One positive reading experience can turn children into enthusiastic readers, through Harry Potter, many children will discover the magic of books and reading.
This fall, two of my sixth grade students who love all things Potter, asked me if I would sponsor a Harry Potter club at our school, Trinity Meadows Intermediate School in Kellor, Texas. After checking with my principal, I agreed to sponsor the club if the girls could get 20 students to join. There were 35 children at the first meeting. The children design all of the meeting activities. We have a sorting hat for new members! Meetings include trivia hunts (we use the Scholastic website), dueling, and other Potter-related activities.
One of my students, Michael, has a willow tree in his yard. He brings in sticks for students who do not have a wand of their own. There is a side market in cauldrons, wands, and Potter-themed gear among the kids, too.
I'm sure you know that many colleges have Quidditch clubs and there was a Quidditch World Cup event held this fall where college teams competed. A colleague's son, Jordan, plays Quidditch on the University of Texas Quidditch Team. During his semester break, Jordan and his brother came to a club meeting and taught our club how to play "Muggle Quidditch." The boys built rings and brought my students a set of Quidditch gear. I won't allow the students to ride on broomsticks because I fear someone will get poked in the eye, but the kids enjoy taking on the roles of Beaters, Keepers, Seekers, and the Snitch. You need a fast runner for the Snitch position!
We held a Yule Ball, completely planned by the children. The band and choir students in the club played their winter programs, and the students snacked, danced, and enjoyed taking on the roles of champions and House members.
What I have noticed is that most of the members of the club are reading and rereading the books. Some students had only read a book or two, but feel motivated to read the entire series now because of their involvement in the Harry Potter club. Others are rereading the books looking for ideas for the club and revisiting the stories, again.
Classmates who are not in the club are now reading Potter books, too, because of the enthusiasm and influence of the Harry Potter club members. I thought that the students who were interested in reading the books would have read them by now, but that is not the case. My students' love—and that's what it is—love for the Harry Potter series endures and continues to capture readers after all of these years.
I had no idea that our little after school club would be such a hit. Have you ever jumped into an idea with no expectations for how far it would go? I guess that is what Scholastic did when they bought the first Harry Potter book.
- Donalyn Miller,4th Grade Teacher, O.A. Peterson
Elementary School in Ft. Worth, TX
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Hogwarts Library Boxed Set
Harry Potter Series Paperback Boxed Set