Fraser, Lindsey: Conversations with J.K. Rowling

Scholastic © 2000, 96 pages; Ages 9-12 [amazon]

Lindsey Fraser's Conversations with J.K. Rowling, written for young adults, bills itself as "the only authorized biography of J.K. Rowling." It is in fact not a biography per se. The book is divided into two sections. The first is the text of the author's interview with Rowling, conducted prior to the appearance of the first Harry Potter film (though after the rights to the movie had been purchased by Warner Brothers). (Fraser's book was published in 2000, the year that the fourth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released.) In the interview Rowling discusses her childhood and early schooling, her career as, among other things, a teacher, and writing. She occasionally refers to the links between her own life and the world of Harry Potter, telling readers, for example, that Stanley and Ernie from the Knight Bus were named after her grandparents, and that the Weasley's turquoise Ford Anglia was modeled after a high school friend's car. These details may not be revelatory to Harry Potter enthusiasts, but I had not heard them previously.

She occasionally refers to the links between her own life and the world of Harry Potter, telling readers, for example, that Stanley and Ernie from the Knight Bus were named after her grandparents, and that the Weasley's turquoise Ford Anglia was modeled after a high school friend's car.The second part of the book includes Fraser's brief essay on the world of Harry Potter and another on Goblet of Fire, a discussion which is augmented by snippets from interviews Rowling gave at the time of that book's release.

Good for kids, and at 96 pages of largish print, a very quick read.

Tags: book reviews, books, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling