Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
By Matt Berman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Harry Potter's textbook details 85 funny magical beasts.
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What's the Story?
A facsimile edition of Harry's textbook for his Care of Magical Creatures class (complete with his, Ron's, and Hermione's margin notes), FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM 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.
Is It Any Good?
Rowling's imagination seems to know no bounds -- this little volume contains descriptions of 85 creatures, some based on mythology and some entirely the author's creation. Though the descriptions are lively, reading Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them cover to cover can be a little dry for all but the most fanatical 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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them brings to the Harry Potter series. Do you get more out of the Harry Potter books from reading this one?
Families 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?
How was this book, which was written as a textbook, adapted into a movie? How was that adaptation different from the movie adaptations of the Harry Potter books?
Book Details
- Author: J. K. Rowling
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Bt Bound
- Publication date: January 1, 2001
- Number of pages: 42
- Last updated: November 30, 2020
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