Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade fantasy adventure
• Originally Published: 1997
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 880L; grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 17 chapters; approx. 309 pages; approx. 8 hours, 18 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Young Harry Potter lives with his cruel aunt, uncle, and cousin in Surrey, England, believing that his parents died in an accident when he was a baby. On his 11th birthday, however, Harry learns that he is actually a wizard, and that his attendance is expected at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Embracing his new life as a student wizard, he meets new friends and mentors, learns the truth about his parents’ demise, and contends with multiple evil nemeses.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence; death, including death of parents; magic and sorcery

J. K. Rowling, Author

• Bio: Born in 1965 in Gloucestershire, England; enjoyed storytelling and books as a child and Tolkien and Dickens in college; earned a degree in French from the University of Exeter; began attempting novels while working as a bilingual secretary for Amnesty International; finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone after divorcing and while studying to become a teacher; rejected by 12 publishers initially, but found enormous success in what would become the Harry Potter series with Bloomsbury Publishing’s acceptance of the book; has received a variety of body-of-work awards and honorary degrees
• Other Works: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999); Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000); Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001); Cormoran Strike series (as Robert Galbraith; 2012-2020)
• Awards: Children’s Book of the Year (British Book Awards for Philosopher’s Stone; 1998); ALA Notable Book (1998)