1. THE RELEASE OF...
S A R A F I T Z G E R A L D

2. J.K. ROWLING

3. J.K. ROWLING Creator of the Harry Potter series
Born July 31, 1965 in Yate, England
Real name is Joanne Rowling
Pen name was changed to J.K. Rowling
Graduate of Exeter University
Had a daughter in 1993, then two more children in the early 2000s
Struggled with divorce and money issues before she began writing
Remain more anonymous, keep personal and writing life separate, and ward off any discrimination between men and women stop at 1:20

4. The First of Many
After 12 publishing houses rejected the first installment, Rowling was accepted by Bloomsbury in London.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published on June 26, 1997.
In 1998, an edition in the United States was published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Scholastic corporation changed in order to make the title more kid friendly and shoot toward more of the right audience

6. Plot Overview
Main Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
The series follows the lives of this trio as Harry discovers he is not just any orphan, but the son of a witch and wizard, and is destined to fight evil and protect the whole of the wizarding world.
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7. Fame and Fortune
The series took off in both the UK and the United States
By the summer of 2000, the first three books earned around $480 million
35 million copies in 35 different languages
Rowling is currently the UK’s 12th richest woman
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire became one of the fastest-selling books of all time
First author in history to become a billionaire

8. So, How Did Harry Potter Change the American Culture?
Harry Potter made reading a trend in teenagers and children.
Before, reading was commonly associated with only “nerds” and “bookworms”, however Harry Potter united pop culture and books as one.
Led to the rise of young adult literature, as well as the awareness of this genre as a whole
Bridged the gap

9. Conclusion
Due to its ability to bridge the gap from children’s to adult literature, the Harry Potter series led to the rise of young adult fiction, and enabled reading to become an integral part of the lives of young Americans and pop culture.

10. Works Cited
"J.K. Rowling." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.
"Section J1: Data, Information, and Culture." Section J1 Data Information and Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2016.
"Series Information – Harry Potter | Scholastic.com." Series Information – Harry Potter | Scholastic.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May