The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts by David Colbert

This book decodes the clues and references that J.K. Rowling purposefully places in the Harry Potter series. This book is authorized, prepared, approved, licensed, and enforced by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. It takes you inside Rowling’s thoughts and creativity when writing the series. An example of Rowling’s inside scoop includes, Chapter 3: Is “Avada Kedavra” a Real Curse? Here we learn that most of her spells and curses come from her imagination, but the Avada Kedavra curse originates from Aramaic phrase meaning “disappear like this word”. Another example discuses the resemblance of Medusa and the Basilisk, “Humans who looked at the snaky head of Medusa were turned to stone. The hero Perseus slayed it by looking only at its reflection in his metal shield, just as Hermione avoids the full force of the basilisk’s power because she sees only its reflection.” She thoughtfully crafts the characters, setting, and diction. My favorite chapter, Where Do Those Names Come From, divulges the origins of iconic names and words such as Quiddich, Hogwarts, Albus, and Hermione. Many are derived from maps, plants, and friends. This inside addition is a great connector to other material and studies in the class. As a teacher, you can pull out some relevant connections and use them to help students remember and understand other subjects.