If you are reading, teaching, or patenting Harry Potter fans, this indispensable guidebook takes you behind the Potter legend, into the life of its author J. K. Rowling, and gives young readers many more hours of enjoyment beyond reading the novels themselves.

          Explore the origins and mysteries of Harry’s world, its history, science, magic, mythology, setting, characters, themes, food and sports. The sourcebook includes projects and activities for young readers, questions that generate lively discussions between parents and children, websites for internet research by young surfers, lesson plans for teachers and resources for librarians.

          Guides readers of the Harry Potter series to appreciate the books’ literary qualities more fully. Literary analysis of each book is followed by a brief list of activities for extending readers’ enjoyment, such as projects, discussion questions, and activities for developing writing and critical thinking skills. Projects and discussion questions are designed to be incorporated into classroom lesson plans. A timeline places factual and fictional events in context with Harry Potter topics, Great Britain, and world history. Includes profiles of characters, animals, plants, and objects in the stories, and lists and briefly describes myths and legends that contribute to the novels. Schafer completed graduate courses in children’s literature and creative writing at Hollins University.