Late last year, J.K. Rowling distressed zillions of readers by announcing that the fifth novel in her Harry Potter saga would not appear in 2001. The author sweetened this dismal news, at least a little, by promising to make available two books regularly read by students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Quidditch Through the Ages (Scholastic; 56 pages; $3.99) by Kennilworthy Whisp, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Scholastic; 42 pages; $3.99) by Newt Scamander.
Neither of these cleverly factitious offerings, both of course written by Rowling, will make much sense to those not already...