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Review: The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac

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Written by J.K. Rowling
Illustrated by Peter Goes, Louise Lockhart, Weitong Mai, Olia Muza, Pham Quang Phuc, Levi Pinfold, and Tomislav Tomić.
New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2023. Fiction. 197 pages. 

Published as the official magical companion to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, this latest addition to the wizarding world canon is chock-full of quotes, facts, timelines, character profiles, maps, and more. The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac makes it feel like there is no Harry Potter question that can't be answered. Not only does it cover specific topics like the properties of famous wands, magical communication, and the history of the sorting hat --but whole spreads are given over to various locations within Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, the Burrow, and St. Mungo's Hospital, just to name a few. The attention to historical and factual detail will appeal to even the most dedicated of Potterheads, but it is the intricate color saturated illustrations and multiple double-page foldouts that really make this book a standout! The eye will find something new every time (which will be many) one peruses this book, and it is sure to bring continual delight. A must-read for those who love the Boy Who Lived, The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac will also appeal to the more casual fan. A new classic reference book!
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