What to say about these books based on textbooks from the Wizarding world?
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them goes through the various beasts of the magical world and describes them – where they can be found, how dangerous (or not) they are, and more. The original version has funny commentary scribbled by Harry and Ron. For example, under Acromantula, the entry says unconfirmed reports say there is an Acromantula colony in Scotland. Written beside this part of the entry is “We can confirm this.”
I only have the e-book version of the second edition of Fantastic Beasts, so I don’t know whether this commentary is included in the new print version. It is not in the e-book version, which is a pity. The good news is that more magical creatures are included, and there is an expanded introduction written by Newt Scamander himself, with hints as to where his character is going, this edition of the book being written by him after the majority of his adventures.
I admit to not having a strong interest in Quiddich (I have only a little interest in sports generally), but Quiddich Through the Ages was an interesting read. It begins with the historical origins of Quiddich, which I found particularly interesting. It also gives a good snapshot of wizarding society in earlier centuries. The book then discusses the rules, the equipment, etc. We then get a list of major Quiddich teams that are internationally known in the wizarding world.
Both these books are excellent for those who want more details about the wizarding world. Now, if we could only get a copy of Hogwarts: A History…
Cindy's Library 