Which J.K. Rowling novel introduced Harry Potter to readers?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone introduced Harry Potter to readers.

Published in the United Kingdom in 1997, the novel begins with Harry living unhappily with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. His life changes when letters reveal that he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The book establishes the series’ key characters, locations, magical rules, and mythology. Harry meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger on the journey to school, learns about his parents’ deaths, and discovers that Lord Voldemort once attempted to kill him.

The title can cause confusion because the American edition was called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. “Philosopher’s Stone” is the original British title and refers to the legendary object sought in the story. The later novels—Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows—continue the story rather than introduce its protagonist.