Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [Paperback]

Newt Scamander (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A facsimile of Harry Potter's own edition of this comprehensive work on Magica Beasts, with Harry's friends' notes in the margins.

--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two new books penned by J.K. Rowling will help tide over Harry Potter fans as they await book five, and raise money for a good cause: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, an A to Z listing of all beings magical (and required reading for all first-year Hogwarts students), and Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp (a "renowned Quidditch expert"), the official handbook of the wizard's sport of choice, both with a foreword by esteemed Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore. Rowling wrote the books to raise funds for Comic Relief in the U.K., a charitable organization helping poor and disadvantaged people in Africa and the U.K. (not affiliated with the U.S. Comic Relief organization). Many printers and paper suppliers are joining in the effort by donating their services.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-These slim paperbacks are made to look like actual Hogwarts tomes, complete with creased covers and plenty of marginalia scribbled by Harry and other students. Fabulous Beasts, a facsimile of Harry Potter's very own textbook, contains descriptions of 75 magical beasts, written in a wonderfully dry yet droll style by a renowned magizoologist. Quidditch is the facsimile of a Hogwarts library book, which had to be literally pried from the hands of librarian Madam Pince. It gives a comprehensive history of the game and its rules, as well as a rundown of each of the 13 league teams of Britain and Ireland. Harry Potter fans who pride themselves on knowing every minute bit of Hogwarts trivia will devour both books. From Professor Dumbledore's introductions to the price listed on the back cover (14 Sickles 3 Knuts), readers will find a wealth of detailed magical lore and laugh-out-loud humor. Neither book is as gripping as the actual series, of course, but fans who are waiting for the fifth installment will be entertained by these volumes in the meantime.
Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc / Arthur A. Levine Books (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439295017
• ISBN-13: 978-0439295017
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J K (Joanne Kathleen) Rowling was born in the summer of 1965 at Yate General Hospital in England and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she went to Wyedean Comprehensive. Jo left Chepstow for Exeter University, where she earned a French and Classics degree, and where her course included one year in Paris. As a postgraduate she moved to London to work at Amnesty International, doing research into human rights abuses in Francophone Africa. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a Manchester to London King's Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first novel. Jo then moved to northern Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. She married in October 1992 and gave birth to her daughter Jessica in 1993. When her marriage ended, she returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where "Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Ston"e was eventually completed and in 1996 she received an offer of publication. The following summer the world was introduced to Harry Potter."Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in June 1997 and was published as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in America by Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic in September 1998.The second title in the series, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", was published in July 1998 (June 2, 1999 in America) and was No. 1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts for a month after publication. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" was published on 8th July 1999 (September 8, 1999 in America) to worldwide acclaim and massive press attention. The book spent four weeks at No.1 in the adult hardback bestseller charts, while "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" simultaneously topped the paperback charts. In the US the first three Harry Potter books occupied the top three spots on numerous adult bestseller lists.The fourth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was published in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia 8th July 2000 with a record first print run of 1 million copies for the UK and 3.8 million for the US. It quickly broke all records for the greatest number of books sold on the first weekend of publication. The fifth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," was published in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia on 21st June 2003. Published in paperback on 10th July 2004, it is the longest in the series - 766 pages - and broke the records set by "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire" as the fastest selling book in history. The sixth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", was published in the UK, US and other English-speaking countries on 16th July 2005 and also achieved record sales.The seventh and final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," was published in the UK, US and other English speaking countries on 21st July 2007. The book is the fastest selling book in the UK and USA and sales have contributed to breaking the 375 million copies mark worldwide.J K Rowling has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry's school books within the novels. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through The Ages" were published by Bloomsbury Children's Books and Scholastic in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. The Harry Potter books have sold 400 million copies worldwide. They are distributed in over 200 territories and are translated into 67 languages.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book for any Harry Potter fan to own, September 16, 2003

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

This cute little book was actually part of a pair (along with Quidditch Through the Ages) produced by J.K. Rowling for the charity Comic Relief. Written in a tongue in cheek manner, this book claims to be a copy of a textbook shared by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, complete with margin notes and doodles! Purportedly written by one Newton "Newt" Artemis Fido Scamander, this book discusses magical creatures in J.K. Rowlings world, treating them all most seriously, and telling you a surprising amount about them.

This is a fun book for any Harry Potter fan to own. It's a good, light-hearted read, and I must say that I found the glimpse into J. K. Rowling's world to be quite fascinating. I hope that some more of these creatures find their way into future stories, as they are quite interesting. Buy this book!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Companion to the Harry Potter Books, May 9, 2002

By 

Mary-Ann Russon (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" truly is an excellent companion to the Harry Potter books.
Written in J.K. Rowling's consistantly humorous style, the book is interesting, and to prevent the information from becoming boring, there are lots of funny remarks and comments supposedly "written" by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, two of the Harry Potter books' main characters.
It is also fascinating - if you observe the book carefully, you will see how much effort has been put into it to make it look like it really DID come right out from Harry's world.

This book is a must for Harry Potter fans everywhere, but should only be read after completing the main books, as otherwise it will not be as easy to understand. Also, from purchasing this book, you will have the pleasure of knowing that you have helped a great cause, no matter where you might be.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes the Wizarding World Even More Realistic To Us Muggles, February 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I hate to give away some of the books more interesting points, but I LOVE the way this book is written to explain away muggle sightings of magical beasts such as the Loch Ness Monster, and other creatures featured in muggle "fairy stories" such as fairies, unicorns, trolls, etc. It also explains how such creatures can really exist without our knowledge. The Foreward by Dumbledore that mentions the "Thiefs Curse" on anyone reading the book who did not purchase it is also cute. The notes by Harry, Ron, and Hermoine are amusing as well.

Another benefit for any reader of Harry Potter books is that it gives one a greater understanding of why creatures like the centaurs in the first book and the mermaids in the fourth book mostly want little to do with humans. Of course this portrayal of the centaurs behavior is only in the book and not the movie, and therefore wouldn't be at all intriguing to someone who has only seen the movie, but only to a true addict like myself. I can't wait till the 5th book is released - I WANT MORE!