Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

• Genre: Fiction; fantasy drama
• Originally Published: 2016
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 500L; grades 6-12
• Structure/Length: 2 parts; 4 acts; 75 scenes; approx. 336 pages; approx. 3 hours, 30 minutes of running time
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: Albus Severus Potter, the son of Harry Potter, struggles to escape the shadow of his famous father and faces dangerous consequences when he attempts to rectify one of Harry’s past mistakes. Alternating between Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the adult world Harry Potter now inhabits, the story explores the impact of friendship, loyalty, family, and fame.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Danger; death and loss; sexual and gender identity

Jack Thorne, Author

• Bio: Born 1978; British playwright, producer, and screenwriter; known for his work on Skins, His Dark Materials, and Enola Holmes
• Other Works: Mydidae (2012); Let the Right One In (2013); Hope (2014); The End of History (2019)

J. K. Rowling, Author

• Bio: Born 1965; graduated from Exeter University; worked at Amnesty International; wrote her first book at a café while on welfare; created the Harry Potter series, which became a global phenomenon; established the Volant Charitable Trust and Lumos charities
• Other Works: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997); Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999); Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000); Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003); Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005); Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007); The Casual Vacancy (2012); The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013); The Silkworm (2014); Career of Evil (2015); Lethal White (2018); Troubled Blood (2020)