Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, First US Edition, First Printing, Scholastic 1998, Signed and Inscribed by J.K. Rowling with Provenance

J.K. Rowling

ISBN 10: 0590353403 / ISBN 13: 9780590353403

Published by Scholastic, 1998

About this Item

In October 1998, J.K. Rowling embarked on a 3-week promotional book tour around America - this was her first of four trips to the United States she would make throughout the rest of the series. The book was inscribed during the first American tour to Bob Enz who was an elementary school principal in San Jose. J.K. Rowling visited and read at Bob's school. A hand written note by Bob (included in this sale) details the visit and his meeting with Jo. This is a beautiful copy of the first US edition with all of the important true first printing points present: The book has a red spine with purple boards, which says J.K. Rowling not just Rowling at the top, it has the numberline 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and states that it is printed in the U.S.A. The dust jacket is the first state dust jacket whereby the title has raised gold letters, the spine does not have the number 1 on it and will show a quote on the rear of the jacket from The Guardian, not Publisher's weekly. It will also have the correct price of $16.95 on the inner front flap. The book is in fine condition with clean, fresh white pages with no marks or inscriptions of any kind. The boards are square with sharp corners and no toning or foxing to the pages. The front board has an ownership sticker which states 'From the library of Bob Enz' who was the original owner. The dust jacket itself is in fine condition protected in a Brodart jacket cover. This signature and inscription come fully authenticated by Adam Houston theHarryPotterspecialist the world s leading expert in authenticating Jo s signature. It comes with a full authentication package including a letter of authenticity, collector card and provenance. Seller Inventory # 221

Bibliographic Details

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, First...

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: 1998

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: GrandPré, Mary

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

A winner of England's National Book Award, the acclaimed debut novel tells the outrageously funny, fantastic adventure story of Harry Potter, who escapes a hideous foster home thanks to a scholarship to The Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Review:

Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.

A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson