How Many Harry Potter Books Are There? The Full Series in Order

Your child has finished the first Harry Potter book under the covers with a flashlight and now wants the next one, and the box set at the store says "Philosopher's" while the library copy says "Sorcerer's." So how many Harry Potter books are there, and in what order? Here are the Harry Potter books in order, with the release dates in the UK and the US, how long each book is, and where the new HBO series fits in.

How many Harry Potter books are there?

There are seven Harry Potter novels, all written by J.K. Rowling and published from 1997 to 2007. Each book covers one year of Harry's life, from his first year at Hogwarts at age 11 to the year he turns 17.

According to the Harry Potter series page on Wikipedia, the books had sold more than 600 million copies worldwide by February 2023.

The seven novels are the whole main story. Rowling has not announced an eighth novel, so the series is still seven books long as of November 2026.

Philosopher's Stone or Sorcerer's Stone?

Both titles are the same book. Bloomsbury published Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK on 26 June 1997, and Scholastic published it in the US on 1 September 1998 as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The other six books have the same title on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Harry Potter books in order, with dates and page counts

Read the Harry Potter books in publication order. The plot builds from book to book: a small detail in one book often turns out to matter three books later, and Harry grows up one year per book.

The dates and the first-edition page counts come from each book's Wikipedia page. From Goblet of Fire on, Bloomsbury and Scholastic released each book on the same day.

How long are the Harry Potter books?

The Harry Potter books grow from a short first book to five long ones. The first three books together (791 pages) are only 25 pages longer than Order of the Phoenix alone, which Wikipedia calls the longest novel in the series, runs 766 pages in the UK first edition.

Page counts differ by edition, so do not be surprised if your copy has more pages. The US editions are longer: Order of the Phoenix runs 870 pages in the US, and the US edition of Deathly Hallows has 759 pages against 607 in the UK.

For a young reader, the jump from book 3 (317 pages) to book 4 (636 pages) is the big one. Plan for book 4 to take about twice as long as book 3.

The other Harry Potter books: Cursed Child and the companions

Several more books carry the Harry Potter name, and none of them is an eighth novel. They are short extras that make more sense after your child has read the main story.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out in March 2001 with Quidditch Through the Ages, and most of the cover price of both went to the charity Comic Relief. The Tales of Beedle the Bard followed on 4 December 2008. One of its five tales, "The Tale of the Three Brothers," first appears inside Deathly Hallows, so save it for after book 7.

Cursed Child is not the eighth Harry Potter book.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play, written by Jack Thorne from a story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. The script was published on 31 July 2016, the day after the play's official opening night in London.

The play is set nineteen years after Deathly Hallows and reads like a theater script, with stage directions and dialogue, so a child who expects a novel may find it thin.

How many illustrated Harry Potter books are there?

Six illustrated editions are out as of November 2026, one for each of the first six books. They are large, full-color hardbacks with the original text, and the pictures make them a good copy for read-aloud nights.

Jim Kay illustrated the first four: Philosopher's Stone in 2015, Chamber of Secrets in 2016, Prisoner of Azkaban in 2017 and Goblet of Fire in 2019. Order of the Phoenix followed in October 2022, with extra artwork by Neil Packer. In October 2022 Kay stepped down from the series to focus on his mental health.

In March 2025, Bloomsbury named Levi Pinfold as the illustrator of books 6 and 7. His illustrated Half-Blood Prince came out in October 2026, on the same day as the Scholastic edition in the US. No release date has been announced for the illustrated Deathly Hallows yet.

Book order vs film order, and the HBO series

The eight films follow the book order. The only difference is the last book: Deathly Hallows became two films, Part 1 in November 2010 and Part 2 in July 2011. So book order and film order are the same list, with book 7 split in two.

Read each book before its film or season, even though the orders match. The films leave out many scenes, characters and jokes, and the surprises in the books land harder when a child does not know them yet. Once a child has seen how a mystery ends, it is hard to go back and enjoy the book's clues.

A simple family rule works well: finish a book, then watch that book's film or season as a reward. It keeps the order straight, gives your child a goal, and turns each finished book into an event.

When does the HBO Harry Potter series start?

HBO's new series tells the story again, starting with book 1. HBO says the eight-episode first season, called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, will debut at Christmas 2026 on HBO and stream on HBO Max where the service is available. TV Guide reports a premiere on Christmas Day and says a second season, based on Chamber of Secrets, is already filming.

If your child has not read book 1 yet, the weeks before Christmas are a good window to start it. A child who knows the book can spot what the show changes, and that makes the show more fun to watch together.

How to read Harry Potter with your child, step by step

Reading Harry Potter aloud is a long project: the seven books run about 3,400 pages in the UK first editions. These steps help a family get from book 1 to book 7 without stalling.

1. Start with book 1 as a read-aloud. Sorcerer's Stone has 17 chapters, and most of them end on a hook. One chapter a night gets you through it in under three weeks.
2. Let your child take over when ready. Some children start reading alone somewhere in books 2 or 3. You can keep reading aloud, or take turns with one chapter each.
3. Pause after book 3. Goblet of Fire is twice as long and much darker at the end. A break of a few months is fine for a younger child.
4. Read the hard chapters together. For the ends of books 4 to 7, stay close, even with an independent reader. Ask how your child feels before you turn the page.
5. Keep a list of names. Seven books bring dozens of characters and spells. A family list on the fridge helps a child who returns after a break.
6. Save the extras for the end. Beedle the Bard and Cursed Child make the most sense after Deathly Hallows.

Some children finish a magic-school series and want to see themselves on the train to a castle. A story where your child is the new student who saves the school can bridge the gap until the next big series.

Try itCreate a personalized storybookYour child's name and photo, a story in minutes

With KidTeller, your child's photo becomes the illustrated hero, the story can be written in any of 31 languages, and narration can play in your own cloned voice.

What age is right for each book?

The books grow up with Harry, so the right age climbs book by book. Common Sense Media rates them like this:

• Books 1 and 2 (8+): a school mystery, a scary creature, and a happy end-of-year feast.
• Book 3 (9+): darker and more complex, with the soul-draining Dementors.
• Books 4 and 5 (10+): a student dies at the end of book 4, and a loved character dies in book 5.
• Book 6 (11+): a major character dies, and there is more teen romance.
• Book 7 (12+): a war and many deaths in the final battle.

For each book's content notes and the film ratings, read our full guide, should your child read all of Harry Potter?

Common mistakes with the Harry Potter series

• Starting with the films: the films are good, but a child who has seen all eight knows every twist before opening a book. Read first, then watch.
• Reading out of order: each book depends on the ones before it. Skipping to book 4 because a friend loves it leaves a child lost in the first chapters.
• Treating all seven books as one age: the first book fits an 8-year-old; the last one is a war story. Check the age for each book, not only for the series.
• Buying Cursed Child as "book 8": it is a play script, and it gives away the end of book 7. Give it only after Deathly Hallows.
• Pushing through a slump: if your child stalls in Order of the Phoenix, the longest book, a break or an audiobook for a few chapters keeps the series alive.

When your child is not ready for book 4

A younger child who loved books 1 to 3 does not have to wait idle. Try another series in the meantime: our Percy Jackson books in order and Narnia books in order guides cover two favorites at a similar level. For more ideas, see our books for 5th graders and the full list of Roald Dahl books.

Your Harry Potter reading checklist

• Order: the seven books in publication order, from Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone to Deathly Hallows.
• Edition: a paperback box set for solo reading, or an illustrated edition for read-aloud nights with books 1 to 6.
• Pace: one chapter a night for books 1 to 3, then a check-in before book 4.
• Screen rule: finish each book before its film, and book 1 before the HBO series at Christmas 2026.
• Extras: Fantastic Beasts and Quidditch any time; Beedle the Bard and Cursed Child after book 7.

A finished series is a good moment to make something of your own: a short story where your child is the hero can be the book they read next.