Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them

Rowling's humorous Magical Beasts 101 for charity.

Author: J. K. Rowling Illustrator: none Pages: 42 Publisher: Bt Bound Published Date: 01/01/2001 Genre: Fiction - Fantasy HC Price: $11.55 Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 9-12 Read Alone: 9

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this book and its companion Quiddich Through the Ages have raised millions of dollars for children's charities around the world, under the auspices of Comic Relief U.K. Both books are meant for fans of the Harry Potter series that they complement. Kids will find more of J.K. Rowling's imagination and humor on display here as she describes 85 magical beasts, some based in mythology and some of her own invention.

Families can talk about what this book brings to the Harry Potter series. Do you get more out of the books from reading them? Parents can also dust off a copy of Bulfinch's Mythology or go online to compare the magical beasts here with ones from Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. They can also talk about charity and how J.K. Rowling uses her fame to help people. What other famous figures in the media spotlight try to help those in need? Do you think as wealthy public figures they bear more responsibility to act or do we all have that responsibility?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Matt Berman

Rowling's imagination seems to know no bounds -- this little volume contains descriptions of 85 creatures, some based on mythology, some entirely the author's creation. Though the descriptions are lively, reading this cover to cover can be a little dry for all but the most fanatic Potter fan.

Most kids skim through to read all the clever margin notes that Harry and friends have written (the most fun part of the book). These will make sense only to those who have read the novels, and so constitute a sort of in-joke that kids enjoy. Many then go back and read the introductory chapters and a few of the descriptions, leaving the rest for use as reference when reading, or rereading, the novels.

Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit children's charities around the world, under the auspices of Comic Relief U.K.

From The Book

Gnome
M.O.M. Classification:XX
The gnome is a common garden pest ... [it] can be expelled from the garden by swinging it in circles until dizzy and then dropping it over the garden wall.

Plot Summary:

This facsimile edition of Harry's textbook for his Care of Magical Creatures class (complete with his, Ron's, and Hermione's margin notes) consists of an alphabetical listing of magical beasts with a paragraph or two of description for each. The listings also give the Ministry of Magic (M.O.M.) classification for the level of danger posed by each creature.

The book also contains a forward by Albus Dumbledore, and chapters on the definition of beasts, history of Muggle awareness, and other basic information.