Harry Potter Schoolbooks Gift Set:
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages
In 2001, two slim and very special books by J.K. Rowling were released world-wide. Through these books, Harry Potter fans of all ages have learned more about two topics that have been of particular interest: Quidditch and fantastic beasts. The two books, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages, purport to be facsimiles of books used by Harry and the other students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each is said to have been written by an expert on the book's subject. For each of the two books by J.K. Rowling, a different "expert" is listed as the author and information is provided about him. In fact, we are told, one of the books, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them, can be found in just about every household in Harry's world that practices wizardry. The two Hogwarts School reference books will appeal to those who have read one or more of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages are so cleverly written and designed that by the time you finish them, it's as if you've been studying Harry's actual schoolbooks. You've learned that, at least in Harry's world, Quidditch is a real game, fantastic beasts are real and you now know a lot about both. These two books help to make the fantasy world of Harry Potter seem real to the reader. You can buy the books individually or as the gift set pictured above.
Harry Potter Schoolbooks Gift Set: My Recommendation
I recommend the Harry Potter Schoolbooks gift set for Harry Potter fans of all ages, particularly those who can't get enough of the world of Harry Potter. The Harry Potter Schoolbooks gift set consists of the two hardbound books and an attractive slipcase with illustrated slipcase. For more about each of the books, see my review of Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and my review of Quidditch Through the Ages. (Arthur A. Levine Books, Scholastic, 2001. ISBN: 9780439321624)