The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter,   ISBN:9780767919449

Customer Rating: 

First of all, this isn't a review so much as it is a quick comparision of the contents of the 2001 and 2004 editions of The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter.

The newer (2004) edition has several new entries: Chimera, Griffin, Jinx, Paracelsus, Prophecy, Stag, and The Veil. Furthermore, some subjects have been rewritten and expanded, such as: Centaur, Giant, Potion, and Wizard.

The only deletion is the entry of Sibyl (found in the 2001 edition). However, this material has been rewritten and incorporated under the heading of Prophecy.

I hope the above helps anyone trying to decide which edition to buy. In general, this book is a good place to start if you're interested in folk tales and mythology. Although none of the entries are in depth, hopefully they will stir people's curiosity to explore a certain subject further.

Some suggestions for further reading:
East o' the Sun & West o' the Moon: 59 Norwegian Folk Tales. By George Webbe Dasent.
Ancient Irish Tales. Edited by Tom Peete Cross and Clark Harris Slover
African Folktales. Retold by A. Ceni. (This is an illustrated children's book).
Journey to the West. Cheng'en Wu. (There have been several translations into English of this work).
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.
The Complete Tales of Hans Christian Anderson.
The Mythical Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Animals in World Myth, Legend, and Literature. By Boria Sax. (This is an expensive book, probably because of the illustrations).

Warning to parents: Not all works are suitable for children. For instance, the tales told by the Brothers Grimm have been sanitized from their original state to make them acceptable for kids. So check out the book before you hand it over to your child.

One last thought: If you're having trouble deciding what to explore, take a map of the world, close your eyes, and place your finger on the map. Then explore the folk tales, mythology, and history of the country under your finger.

Customer Rating: 

This book was in great condition and the Harry Potter lover in the family enjoyed it.

Customer Rating: 

This is a great book to enhance your Harry Potter reading. It deals with a lot of myths and folklore. You can use it right alongside your reading. I discovered a lot of folklore that I did not know. It helps explain creatures that JK Rowling writes about. I found this book very useful and I highly recommend it.

Customer Rating: 

Very indepth but doesent really relate back to Harry Potter too much. Takes a lite refrence and relates it to something that isnt in Harry Potter

Customer Rating: 

I bought this book for my 9 year old nephew, who is a harry potter freak, and he loved it!