THE AUTHOR AS A ROLE MODEL
J. K. Rowling loves to write. She wrote her first book (unpublished) at the age of six. She has said, “I have always written, and I know that I always will: I would be writing even if I hadn’t been published” (Scholastic Literature Guide 4). Even during the long hiatus between the fourth and fifth novels in the Harry Potter series, Ms. Rowling was never idle. She decided to write the two books which appear in the Harry Potter novels, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp, with all proceeds going toward charities. Published in March 2001, both of these “spin-off” books indicate how fully Rowling has designed the magical world of Harry Potter. They display her great gift for satire and give fans something to read until the next installment (Nel 26).