The Tales of Beedle the Bard
by J. K. Rowling
★ Top 25 book of 2008 · #16 on Best Books of 2008
This collection of fairy tales for young wizards and witches includes five stories, among them The Tale of the Three Brothers and Babbitty Rabbitty. Each is followed by Dumbledore's commentary on Wizarding history, personal memories, and key elements of the tale.
Best for: Fans of the wizarding world who enjoy fairy tales with Dumbledore's notes
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is #16 on BookWard's Best Books of 2008, out of 46 2008 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Tales of Beedle the Bard is about
Five short fairy tales from the wizarding world, the kind of stories that Harry Potter fans first met by name in the last novel of the series.
The tales have the plain, wry voice of old folk stories. A selfish young man turns away his neighbours, and his late father's cooking pot begins to take on their troubles, growing a foot and aching with the ailments he ignored. Elsewhere, three witches and a Muggle knight make a hard journey to a fountain that promises good fortune, and each must pass a test along the way. After every tale, Albus Dumbledore adds his own thoughts on its history and meaning, which gives readers a small, pleasing glimpse of how wizard children grow up with these stories. It suits fans of the series, and anyone who enjoys a fable with a light touch.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard on the Best Books of 2008
The Tales of Beedle the Bard came out in 2008. Of the 46 books first published in 2008 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #16 on our Best Books of 2008 list.
Why it made the list: 428 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (65 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2008 list
- Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely, #14
- The Knife of Never Letting Go Patrick Ness, #15
- Duma Key Stephen King, #17
- Anathem Neal Stephenson, #18
See all Best Books of 2008 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2007 Best Books of 2009.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 292 want to read it, 15 are reading it now and 121 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.8 out of 5 from 65 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 76 | 55% |
| Reader love | 17 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 65 | 20% |
Questions about The Tales of Beedle the Bard
When was The Tales of Beedle the Bard published?
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling was first published in 2008.
Was The Tales of Beedle the Bard one of the best books of 2008?
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is #16 on BookWard's Best Books of 2008, out of 46 2008 books that cleared our data bar. 428 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (65 ratings).
Why is The Tales of Beedle the Bard on the Best Books of 2008 list?
428 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (65 ratings).
More of the best books of 2008
- The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, #1
- End of Days Sylvia Browne, #2
- The Last Straw Jeff Kinney, #3
- Amulet Kazu Kibuishi, #4
- Outliers Malcolm Gladwell, #5
- Michelle Obama in Her Own Words Michelle Obama, #6
See the full Best Books of 2008, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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