Kids too young to have read the “Harry Potter” series, but who may have seen the films, will be able to meet Rowling in this volume of the “Children’s Storytellers” series. They will discover that she was born in Yate, UK, in 1965, but does not live there now. She loved to read, was head girl of her school, and to family and friends she’s known as “Jo.” Though Rowling planned to be a secretary, she dreamed of a career in writing. She moved to Portugal, got married, had a baby girl, and then got divorced. Back in Scotland, life as a single mother was difficult, but in her spare time, she began to write about a boy wizard and his school. (Kids familiar with the Hogwarts Express may find it cool that she got her idea when riding on a train.) A list of the ten books she’s written confirms her success. Bowman notes several themes in the “Harry Potter” series: friendships, good versus evil, and dealing with choices and their consequences. A brief chronology (through 2012) lists the impressive awards Rowling’s won, including the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and a Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2010. Readers will also learn that Harry’s world has inspired a Florida theme park, which opened in 2010. Her financial success and books for adults were barely mentioned. Abundant color photos show Rowling wearing fashionable outfits and expert makeup, smiling at her audience. That’s probably all beginning readers can absorb for now, but if older kids happen on the book, they will find much to research. Quite a lot has happened to J.K. Rowling since 2012! Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft; Ages 6 to 9.
11/01/2015
K-Gr 3—Children's book authors both classic and current are covered in this set. While the writing is spare and can be frustratingly vague at times, the books here also contain interesting and often valuable facts about their subjects (for instance, after college, Schulz worked as a golf caddy and delivery boy) and make useful historical connections. Photographs are well placed and illustrate the full range of the authors' lives. "Fun Fact" sidebars contain generally useful tidbits, such as that J.K. Rowling's initials stand for Joanne Kathleen or that Shel Silverstein wrote more than 800 songs. There are no source notes, though a few books are suggested for additional reading. Each book refers readers to factsurfer.com, a search engine of sorts that restricts results to a few selected sites. VERDICT Worthwhile selections for younger readers who are interested in writing or who want to find out more about a favorite writer.
