Interest/Reading Level: Grades 6-8

Synopsis:
This book is part of the Ferguson Career Biographies. J. K. (aka Joanne Kathleen) Rowling became a writer after being a teacher. She is the older of two sisters, her sister Dianne is two years younger. Her family is close and she devastated when her mothers is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. However, Joanne continues her education and after spending a semester in Paris (1985), returns in 1987 to Exeter University to graduate. Three years later while developing Harry Potter, her mother passes away. She moves to Portugal in 1991 and marries Jorge Arantes in 1992. A year later, her beloved daughter, Jessica, is born. The marriage fails and Jessica moves back to the UK (Scotland). The first Harry Potter book is published and hits the market in 1996. While waiting for this success, Joanne obtains a teaching credential and begins working as a teacher. She continues writing Harry books and each book hits the New York Times best seller list. After receiving the Order of the British Empire from the Queen, she marries Dr. Neil Murray in 2001. Her son, David is born in 2003. J.K. continues writing and does charitable work for Scotland’s MS Society (in remembrance of her mother), as well as other charities that help cancer patients and their families.

Reflection:
This was an excellently written book for young adults. I enjoyed reading about how J.K. got her start as a teacher and a writer. The book has enough pictures to be interesting but not too many as to clutter up the narrative. A couple of items are clarified that appeared in the news. One item is that, yes, while she was on public assistance, she continued to work toward full-time employment. The time on public assistance was very short. Her first husband was abusive and while this is a bit disturbing for YA’s to read about, it is written matter-of-factly and not sensationalized as it was in the media. There is a nice timeline of her life at the end of the book but my favorite part is after the timeline. A chapter called “How to Become a Writer” follows with information about the job of being a writer, educational requirements, employers, earnings, environment, and future outlook for writers. This is a terrific addition to the book. Additional information about writing and J.K. Rowling follows this chapter complete with bibliography information and websites to explore. These additions are really good follow-ups for students to explore more in depth. I would read other biographies from this publisher. ( )