Financial expectations when writing children's books
Rowling refutes suggestions that she wrote the series for money, noting she was fully realistic that children's authors typically earn almost nothing and require other jobs.
J. K. Rowling
British
Born 1965
Joanne Rowling, better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter. She is best known for Harry Potter, a seven-volume series about a young wizard and the best-selling book series in history, with over 600 million copies sold. Its books include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two.
She also writes Cormoran Strike, an ongoing crime fiction series, under the alias Robert Galbraith. Using a different name keeps that crime series apart from the Harry Potter books, so the novels are read as crime fiction rather than as more stories about a young wizard. One body of work follows a boy at a school for magic; the other is crime fiction issued pseudonymously and kept separate from the series that made her name.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed 3 of J. K. Rowling's books, including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
3
Books ReviewedIn J. K. Rowling's own words
In an archival profile for CBS News Sunday Morning, J. K. Rowling discusses the inception of Harry Potter and the inspiration behind Platform 9 3/4.
Recorded 1999 · Uploaded by CBS Sunday Morning, 2019 · Watch on YouTube ·
Tapping into universal childhood fantasies
Rowling explains that Harry's journey plays on a common childhood feeling that one's ordinary parents cannot be real and that the child is secretly destined for something magical.
Darker tone and fan worry for Ron
Rowling confirms the stories inevitably turn darker and characters will die, remarking that young readers constantly beg her to spare Ron while never worrying about Hermione.
Also in this interview
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
4.8/5
reader rating · 123,691 ratingsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is J. K. Rowling's second Hogwarts novel, in which Harry, Ron and Hermione investigate attacks that leave students petrified. Independent readers praise its suspense, humour and deeper look at Voldemort, though some find it frightening for younger children.
Reviewed Oct 18, 2026
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript
4.3/5
reader rating · 110,332 ratingsHarry Potter and the Cursed Child is the official playscript of the original West End production, based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, with the play written by Thorne — following Albus Severus Potter as he struggles under the weight of his father's legendary name. It earned an unprecedented nine Laurence Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards, including Best Play, cementing its place as a theatrical landmark whose printed script brings that story to the page.
Reviewed Sep 30, 2026
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
4.8/5
reader rating · 161,349 ratingsJ. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone sends an orphan to Hogwarts to stop Voldemort stealing the philosopher's stone. Reviewers praise its charm, pace and humour; the eyrie.org reviewer faults its incoherent world-building.
Reviewed Oct 15, 2026
Ask LuvemBooks about J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling is the British author behind the Harry Potter books, and we've reviewed 3 of their titles on LuvemBooks. The strongest starting point in our coverage is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling's debut, in which orphan Harry Potter discovers his magical heritage, enrolls at Hogwarts, and races to stop the dark wizard Voldemort from seizing an artifact of immortality — it holds a 4.8/5 reader rating from over 160,000 Amazon ratings. Across the titles we've reviewed, Rowling's fantasy writing builds on that school-year structure while deepening themes of identity and prejudice, and the range extends to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an award-winning official playscript co-created with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany.
- Where should I start?
- Start with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling's debut novel. It introduces orphan Harry Potter as he discovers his magical heritage and enrolls at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Kirkus Reviews called it a 'hugely enjoyable fantasy' on original publication. It also holds a 4.8/5 reader rating from over 160,000 Amazon ratings, and it's the natural entry point before Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which picks up Harry's second year at Hogwarts.
- What's their writing style?
- Based on the books we've reviewed, Rowling writes fantasy anchored in a school setting, with each novel structured around a year at Hogwarts and a central mystery — students under attack, a hidden chamber, a race against Voldemort. The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, deepens the series' themes of identity and prejudice, showing a willingness to layer heavier ideas into adventure plots. Rowling also works across forms: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a playscript rather than a novel, based on a story co-created with John Tiffany and Jack Thorne.
- Books we've reviewed
- We've reviewed 3 J. K. Rowling titles. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (reader rating 4.8/5) is the debut that introduces Harry, Hogwarts, and Voldemort's hunt for an artifact of immortality. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (reader rating 4.8/5) follows Harry's second year as students are mysteriously attacked and a hidden chamber's secret emerges. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two (reader rating 4.3/5) is the official playscript following Albus Severus Potter, and it earned nine Laurence Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards, including Best Play.
- How do their books compare?
- The two Hogwarts novels we've reviewed are closely matched: both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets hold 4.8/5 reader ratings, with the sequel building on the first by deepening themes of identity and prejudice. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a different kind of entry — a playscript co-created with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany rather than a solo novel — and its 4.3/5 reader rating is a step below the two novels. If you want the core novel experience, the first two books are the most universally praised in our coverage.
- What genre do they write?
- All three J. K. Rowling books we've reviewed fall under Fantasy. The two Hogwarts novels are school-set fantasy adventures built around magical mysteries, and even the Cursed Child playscript stays within the fantasy genre. Rowling's average reader rating across their work is 4.6/5 (Amazon aggregate).
- What should I read after the Sorcerer's Stone?
- The natural next step among the books we've reviewed is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which follows twelve-year-old Harry through a second year at Hogwarts as students are mysteriously attacked and he, Ron, and Hermione race to uncover the truth behind a hidden chamber. After that, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up the story a generation later, following Harry's son Albus Severus Potter. Note that the Cursed Child is a playscript, so expect a different reading experience from the novels.
Who is J. K. Rowling?
Where should I start?
What's their writing style?
Books we've reviewed
How do their books compare?
What genre do they write?
What should I read after the Sorcerer's Stone?
Who is J. K. Rowling?
Joanne Rowling, better known by the pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, philanthropist, producer, and screenwriter. They are best known for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the Harry Potter books that followed. On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed 3 of their fantasy titles, including the debut novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the official playscript Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Follow up
What genres does J. K. Rowling write?
How are J. K. Rowling's books rated by readers?
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
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