Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first book written by J.K. Rowling. I personally believe it is the best book because i remember all of the details precisely as she wrote and explained them. In this book the setting starts out in the Dursley's home, the only living relatives of Harry Potter. Harry although a relative, was not taken care of very well he lived in the closet under the stairs and received harsh treatment from the Dursley family. Letters begin arriving addressed to Harry Potter and fly in through every crack and crevice possible in the house. They just keep coming in more and more at a time, until finally Harry gets to open one. The letter is announcing that Harry Potter is accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is the day that Harry finds out that he is a wizard. He then breaks out of the Dursley's house and gets help getting supplies and the items needed for the new school and home. Throughout his first year of school he learns many beginner spells and made friends with Hermoine Granger and Ronald Weasley. Soon he is informed that his parents were killed by a dark wizard, Voldomort, and that he to was under attack. Harry Potter ended up battling him in the end, defeating him the first time. However, little did he know he would soon be facing him again.

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J.K Rowling's Works:

Over the years J.K. Rowling has come up with quite a few novels that have been published, critiqued, and read world wide. Some of J.K Rowling's most known literary works are Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone which came about June 26, 1997 and is actually titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States. The second book in the series is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which was publish in 1998. The third novel Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released September 8, 1999. The fourth novel is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which was released July 8, 2000. She has also produced the novels Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Quidditch Through the Ages in 2001.
She continued her series with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which was published June 21, 2003. Followed by Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince published July 16, 2005. Finally ending her novel about Harry Potter is the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which came out in 2007. Her most latest work is the novel The Tales of Beedle the Bard which was published in 2008.

http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/2974257/J_K_Rowling.html
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What Influenced J.K. Rowling:

J.K. Rowling had many influences from authors of books she read as a child and growing adult. They books include: Macbeth, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Matilda, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Spider Man.

Macbeth
“Just as Macbeth murders Duncan after hearing the witches' prophecy, so Voldemort tries to murder Harry after hearing another prophecy — or at least a fragment of it.”

The Lord of the Rings
“Rowling has said she read The Lord of the Rings back when she was a teen (and only read The Hobbit after finishing Sorcerer's Stone). But fans of both series love to list their likenesses: Wormtongue and Wormtail, Sauron and Voldemort, dementors and Nazgul.”

Star Wars
“Just like Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker struggles against a dark lord — and, occasionally, against the same darkness in himself. And like George Lucas, Rowling had conceived her entire story before she began.”

Matilda
“Remember those piggish, loutish Wormwoods, who were so awful to their bookish daughter, Matilda? So do plenty of other Potter fans, who see parallels between them and the Dursley family.”

The Chronicles of Narnia
“Rowling read the first book as a child. And like that mystical wardrobe, her platform 9 — offers an everyday passage into another world.”

Spider-Man
“Harry has his own version of ''Spidey sense'' — his lightning-bolt scar begins to hurt when Voldemort is near.”

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_influences_and_analogues

Awards and Recognitions

Over the years since J.K. Rowling has first started producing her series of Harry Potter books she has won many awards and recognized for her great writing abilities. Below is a list of the awards she has received and has been recognized for:

1997 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1998 Primo Centro per la Letteratura Infantile (Italy) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Sheffield Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1998 Young Telegraph Paperback of the Year Award Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1999 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award) (9-11 years category) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

1999 Prix Sorciere (France) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

1999 Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year Award Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Sheffield Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Children's Book Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2000 Sheffield Children's Book of the Year Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2001 Children's Book Award (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2003 British Book Awards Book of the Year (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2003 WH Smith People's Choice Award Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2006 British Book Awards Book of the Year Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2006 Royal Mail Award for Scottish Children's Books (best book for readers aged 8-12 years) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2008 Booksellers Association Independent Booksellers' Book Prize (shortlist) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2008 British Book Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

2008 Edinburgh Award

2008 South Bank Show Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award

2009 Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (France)

http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth03D22J591912635584#prizes

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Childhood and Later Life

On July 31st, 1965 J.K Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England. Her real name not abbreviated by J.K is Joanne Kathleen. Ms. Rowling has one sister, Di, who was born just about 2 years after her. While growing up her family moved twice. While at one of the homes she met the neighbors whose last name was Potter. She said that the children inspired her and that’s how she got the last name Potter for her stories later on. After finishing school, her parents encouraged her to study French at the University of Essex. After having spent a year in Paris, J.K Rowling graduated from university, she returned back home and took various jobs in London. Later on in life, J.K Rowling met her husband in Portugal; a Portuguese Journalist. In 1993 they had a daughter named Jessica. Not long after the birth of the child the marriage ended in divorce and J.K Rowling and infant Jessica moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. The reason she moved to Edinburgh Scotland was so that she could be near her younger sister Di. She is currently still alive and she is 44 years old.

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