The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter

by Elizabeth Kronzek and Allan Zola Kronzek

Book Overview

Curious readers can look up the magical tools and spells of Harry Potter's world in this volume, uncovering a wealth of entertaining information about the historical precedents for J. K. Rowling's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307885135
• ISBN13: 9780307885135
• Release Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

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AWESOME

I bought this book for a friend's birthday this weekend. I was a little apprehensive, since I've heard that some of the Harry Potter companion books and such that have come out are pretty disappointing. However, this one looked good, so I took it home and decided to flip through it. I was amazed at how wonderful it was! It had detailed illustrations of Mandrakes, Hippogriffs, Unicorns, Manticores, and LOTS MORE. It tells you the legend of the basilisk and where you can find a basilisk today. It explains, with four pages of shapes and their meanings, how to read tea leaves (very interesting). The story tells the tale of how a king in Europe funded an entire war with a single unicorn horn. Did you know that Nicholas Flamel was a real person who actually dedicated his life to alchemy? I didn't, but I know now! SUCH AN INTERESTING READ and VERY WORTH THE MONEY. All of my friends at the party have called dibs on reading it when my friend was done with it, and I get first turn, I can't wait! Anyway, it's very fascinating and pretty educational too, yet it's related to Harry Potter, which makes it 10 times better! BUY IT!

great fun

For adult and older teens who want to know about Harry Potter's world this is a marvelously entertaining book. The Hippogriff, the Red Cap demon and the house elves who populate the Potter series all come from European or Eastern folklore. Nagini, the evil snake companion of the evil Voldemort is taken from ancient Indian myths. The centuars in the Forbidden Forrest come from Greek mythology. Hagrid the half giant can trace his literary lineage back through centuries of English and Irish tales. The more you read this book the greater your respect for J.K. Rowling will be. She obviously studied Brittish folklore before she sat down to write. Thanks to the Companion I now know that Nicholas Flannel and his wife were real people and that Flannel was a well known alchemist in his day who claimed to have created a Philosopher's stone. Using this historical figure in the her first book was a brilliant stroke. If you are fond of folklore this is the book for you. If you haven't read the Potter books becuase you thought they were just for kids this book may make you curious enough to pick one up.

Great investment for Harry Potter fans

This is easily the best of the small cottage industry that's sprung up, offering unauthorized Harry Potter books. The Sorcerer's Companion is a brief encyclopedia to real world magic and myth used in the Harry Potter books.The authors cover arithmancy, grindylows, witch hunts and much more in a style that's suitable for kids, but meaty enough for adults. I like to think I know a fair bit about such things, and I found myself learning quite a bit.Hopefully, when JKR one day actually authorizes a book (maybe incorporating information about the people, places and things in the books), she'll give the Kronzeks a call.This is a must buy for anyone wild about Harry.

A GREAT BOOK

This is a great book! Not only is it packed with amazing facts, but the actual book is georgous and the illustrations are sensational (some scary, some very funny). I especially enjoyed the sections on magic and the different types of magicians in history. Also very cool is the information about fake unicorn horns, why potions were made from things like bat's blood and animal parts, the history of invisibility cloaks, and the story of the real Nicholas Flamel and the Sorcerer's Stone. The authors have done a lot of research (and, obviously, so did J.K. Rowling) and there's a surprise on every page. This is a book for all Harry Potter fans, kids and adults. Bravo!

Harry Potter fans will love this book!

The Sorcerer's Companion greatly enriches the experience of reading the Harry Potter books. Rowling's imagination has a basis in folklore - this book tells the reader all about hinkypunks, grindlylows and kappas. The reader learns about what arithmancy means, its history, and how to do a little of it. The subject matter of the book is so broad; this book is hard to put down and it's not even fiction!The book's subject matter is compelling and engrossing. The Kronzeks' writing style is also excellent. The style is friendly and appropriately interesting for children as well as fascinating for adults, just like the Harry Potter books. The Sorcerer's Companion is also a really gorgeous book; the front cover has a beautiful illustration and what seem to be foil details; it looks like an old-fashioned tome. The pages are rich with graphics and lush detailing. These things don't detract from the words but make the whole experience of reading this book even more satisfying. This book is terrific for kids and grown-ups!