JK Rowling

JK Rowlingscholastic.comHe was a boy. Just an average ten-year-old, black-haired boy with glasses. His parents died in a car accident, and he survived with a scar. He was a lonely child with no friends, sent to live with his aunt and her abusive family.  On the morning of the boy’s 11th birthday, when the clock struck twelve a.m., everything changed. This is how the story of the legendary Harry Potter unfolds. The Harry Potter series is extremely popular. Most kids grow up reading about Potter’s daring exploits, and teens and adults are fascinated by the series. Of course, the magic of these books wouldn’t be possible without an author, and the author of this particular series is Joanne Kathleen Rowling, better known as J.K. Rowling. Rowling was born on July 31st, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, a small town in England. At the time, she and her family were poor. Rowling first thought up and wrote drafts of Harry Potter in 1990 to pass time on a delayed train. Since then, she has written seven books in the series, and there have been eight corresponding movies filmed, with two movies for the last book. Rowling has received countless awards for her books, including the Children’s Book of the Year award in 1997, the Kids’ Choice Awards in 2006, and the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy in 2008. Some of the more notable characters in Harry Potter include Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and so forth. All of the character traits that these characters show throughout the books are what make them all heroes- courage, selflessness, and other virtues. Rowling not only shows all of these qualities, but she is also inspirational and compassionate. Therefore, J.K. Rowling is considered to be a hero among many children, teenagers, and even adults.

Rowling with last book of Harry Potter series, the Deathly Hallowsindiatvnews.comThere are many important factors that build up the framework of a good book. A good book entertains, informs, and inspires people, those of which are things that Rowling excels at. In fact, “Anecdotal evidence from teachers and librarians also show that… [Rowling’s] books have inspired kids to read more” (“J.K. Rowling”, Authors and Artists for Young Adults). This applies not only to children, but also to teens and adults alike. According to credible evidence, there have been people who didn’t regularly read or didn’t like reading. However, as they read Rowling’s books, the books captured their interest and they felt that they must read until the very last word. Rowling embeds plenty of humor and lessons on love and life and into her books, keeping us on the edge of our seats and teaching us as well. When children read Harry Potter, they remember these wise words and lessons, and keep them in mind for their future. Rowling’s powerful influence has had a huge impact on the world: “In 2007, Time magazine named her runner-up for the Person of the Year in recognition of the inspiration she provides her fans” (“J. K. Rowling”, UXL Biographies). Of all the billions of people on Earth, being the second most influential person on the entire planet is an outstanding achievement. Millions of people around the world read Harry Potter. A single person in a big world influencing such a tremendous amount of people is an enormous feat to accomplish. Rowling is the definition of a good role model- someone who is looked up to by many people around the world, someone who is considered a hero by many.

Rowling (middle) with children of One Parent Familiesemaze.comWhen one is selfless, they put others before one’s own self. When one thinks of being selfless, they think of volunteering, helping, sharing and donating. However, Rowling takes the topic of donating a few steps further: “Since amassing a fortune through her writing, Rowling supports charitable organizations [...] Rowling also became the head of One Parent Families [...] In addition to supporting charitable organizations through active involvement, Rowling also designated proceeds from the sale of The Tales of Beedle the Bard to go to charities” (“J. K. Rowling”, UXL Biographies). Rowling became highly successful after the Harry Potter series. She was so successful that she rose from a struggling mother to a billionaire with a happy family. Even though she could have used the money she earned for herself and her family, she decided to put others before herself. She donated much of her money and time to helping with charities and other organizations. Besides donating her money, all of her money earned from The Tales of Beedle the Bard also goes to charity. In fact, Rowling donated so much of her money to charity that she lost her billionaire status: “JK Rowling, the first female novelist billionaire [...] lost her exclusive status because of some very good deeds [...] the Harry Potter author dropped from billionaire to millionaire due to [... an] estimated $160 million in charitable giving” (JK Rowling Drops From Billionaire To Millionaire Due To Charitable Giving). This is where Rowling takes donating money a step further. She didn’t donate a few tens or hundreds of dollars, she donated 160 million dollars, thus losing her billionaire status and dropping down to millionaire status. Rowling is willing to give up a title to help people in need. This compassion is a quality a hero would have.

One of Rowling's quotestheworldlyrics.comOne can see that Rowling’s never-ending inspiration and selflessness qualifies her as a worthy hero. Embedded in her books and speeches are many lessons, wise words, and quotes, which inspire people all over the world. As Rowling once said, “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better” (Rowling, J. K. Very Good Lives: the Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination). Her words inspired many people to start making positive changes in their lives and to start making the world a better place than it is now. Many children have been inspired to start reading, to keep reading, and to love reading. Teens and adults discover their newfound passion of writing with the impressive amounts of inspiration coming from Rowling. Not only is Rowling wise in her words, but also in her actions. Her donations of time and money to charities and other organizations show that Rowling wants to change and influence the world in a positive way. Rowling is no ordinary person. She is no ordinary Muggle. She is the one who created the Boy Who Lived, who helps create generations of “Potterheads” for years to come. Nothing else can be used to describe Rowling except for one word: magical.

Works Cited

Goldberg, Eleanor. “‘Forbes’ Billionaire List: JK Rowling Drops From Billionaire To Millionaire Due To Charitable Giving.” Huffington Post, Huffington Post, 13 Dec. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/12/13/forbes-billionaire-list-rowling_n_1347176.html.

"J. K. Rowling." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, vol. 82, Gale, 2010. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1603001824/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=51e6a2a.

"J. K. Rowling." UXL Biographies, UXL, 2011. Student Resources in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2108102506/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=9a69b600.

Rowling, J. K. Very Good Lives: the Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination. Little, Brown and Company, 2015. Accessed 9 Feb. 2018.