Product Description

There is no doubt that Harry Potter reigns over the children’s literature market. J.K. Rowling’s inimitable cast of Harry Potter adventures has ignited the imaginations of children and grown-ups alike all over the world. But how much do you really know about J.K. Rowling’s inimitable characters? Did you know that the Harry Potter characters hold secrets behind their names? Hermione, Snape, Crabbe, even Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—all have histories waiting to be discovered.

Now, two young fans of the Harry Potter series present a companion book for other readers who can’t get enough of Harry and his friends and foes. This book, Friends and Foes of Harry Potter: Names Decoded, reveals the secrets behind the names of the mysterious characters, houses, and pets. Written by young fans, for all fans, this book also offers journaling space, trivia quizzes, and exquisite illustrations by Benjamin Vincent.

Authors NIKITA AGARWAL, a fifth-grade student at the Hockaday School, and her sister CHITRA AGARWAL, a sophomore at Lutheran High School, compiled this handy reference book of names while they awaited the publication of Rowling’s sixth book in the Harry Potter series. Benjamin Vincent, a talented illustrator, portrays each character with his distinct, endearing style.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1030481 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From the Publisher
This book is a perfect gift for children and adults whose inquisitive natures match those of their favorite heroes, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Fans can quiz each other and use the glossary to look up unfamiliar terms that are unique to the Harry Potter series. What is the meaning behind Harry Potter’s name? Or the uncanny resemblance of Voldemort to the Roman god of Time? You’ll have to read Friends and Foes of Harry Potter to find out!

From the Author
Dear Muggles,

Did you know that the Harry Potter characters really have secrets in their names? Are you confused as to why Hermione and Snape were given those names rather than Helen and William? Did you know that the name Sirius is a star in a constellation shaped like a dog? Friends and Foes of Harry Potter can help you better understand the personalities of each witch and wizard and why they act like they do.

Friends and Foes of Harry Potter reveals the unique meaning of each character’s name. This book contains short descriptions of the Harry Potter characters using actual quotes from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

Friends and Foes of Harry Potter is an easy-to-read book that will give the reader insight into each character’s name and provide background information to make the Harry Potter characters even more interesting. We hope you have fun discovering the secrets behind the characters’ names in your favorite series! Enjoy our book, Chitra and Nikita

From the Inside Flap
There is no doubt that Harry Potter reigns over the children’s literature market. J.K. Rowling’s inimitable cast of Harry Potter adventures has ignited the imaginations of children and grown-ups alike all over the world. Now, two young fans of the Harry Potter series present a companion book for other readers who can’t get enough of Harry and his friends and foes. This book, Friends and Foes of Harry Potter: Names Decoded, reveals the secrets behind the names of the mysterious characters, houses, and pets. Written by young fans, for all fans, this book also offers journaling space, trivia quizzes, and exquisite illustrations by Benjamin Vincent.

This book is a perfect gift for children and adults whose inquisitive natures match those of their favorite heroes, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. What is the meaning behind Harry Potter’s name? Or the uncanny resemblance of Voldemort to the Roman god of Time? You’ll have to read Friends and Foes of Harry Potter: Names Decoded to find out!

Customer Reviews

Interesting and plausible
Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (2/06)

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are the hot commodity of young adult literature. Consumed by young adults, children and even adults, the fans frequently talk about the series and parents and scholars debate it. Now the Agarwal sisters contribute to the discussions by analyzing the names of Rowling's memorable characters.

As in all literature, well-named and well-developed characters become memorable. The Agarwals' efforts to determine how Rowling developed the unusual names have resulted in an interesting read whether she had the significance of each name in mind or not.

The book leads the reader through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by houses-Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff-followed by other friends and foes. Each character's page begins with a quote about the person from one of the Harry Potter books. An analysis of the character's name derivation and possible significance follows. Many of the names seem well suited to the nature of the character. A full-page illustration by Benjamin Vincent, accompanies each explanation and enhances the perceptions drawn by the Agarwals.

My husband and I read together as we did with each Potter novel. We learned interesting tidbits like nasty toad-like Dolores Umbridge's first name means "pain" in Spanish. Interestingly, Roman Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus rebuilt Hadrian's Wall near the English village of Snape. Pomona, the Roman goddess of gardens and fruits, seems a fitting first name for Professor Sprout. Coincidence or Rowling's plan? My husband and I discussed much of what we read. A few suggestions in the book seemed like a stretch to us, but the majority were interesting and plausible.

The Agarwal sisters, one in fifth grade and one in tenth, began their task as a creative writing project. Their venture grew into a well-written and well-researched fun book. Potter fans, read and enjoy!

Die Hard HP fans only
When I first heard about this book, I was excited. I mean, a book that discussed the meanings of the names of the characters! However, this was before I found out it was put together by a high school and middle school sister team. I have to say, they didn't do a lot of research. For the most part their research could consist of them looking up the names in baby name books of some of the main characters from the books and telling the reader what they mean. Then, using several lines from the Harry Potter books as evidence they state how the name defines the character. Each character gets about a paragraph's worth of discussion and even then, about half of it are quotes from the books. The only redeeming quality for this book are the pictures of the characters drawn by Benjamin Vincent. They are quite good.

So I would not recommend this book to anyone who hopes to gain a deeper meaning of the Harry Potter characters and their names, it's just a waste of money. This book should really only be purchased by someone who is an absolute die-hard Harry Potter fan and wants to have everything and anything Harry Potter related.

Entertaining and informative
Written by two sisters who, themselves, are voracious Harry Potter fans, the book contains detailed insights into the origins of the mysterious names of the characters in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. As a special treat, this book also contains numerous illustrations that are so good, they might possibly warrant having their own book.

I believe you will enjoy this book if you enjoyed any of these:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)