"Potter is Even Hotter"

I could not let this month's column go by without giving due to the "importance" of today's date. My column is deliberately one week late due to the critical nature of today's date. As anyone who has ever read a book before knows, tomorrow is the day the fourth Harry Potter book will be available in the United States. The title, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire goes on sale tonight at midnight in some book stores.

The news of this big day has made the national and local news and papers almost everyday this week! Bookselling chains and independent sellers have been waiting for this day for months.

Today's article in the New York Times reads,"While truckloads of the top-secret Harry Potter and the Chalice of Fire (publishers, or someone at the top, believes American children need the word chalice "dumbed down" to goblet.) Bookstores in Britain have invited youngsters to bring sleeping bags and await the first official sale--at midnight. Waterstone's bookshop in Piccadilly Circus were given an "I waited for Harry" T-shirt and entertained my a magician..

In the United States, (as everywhere) it's not just the kids that have fallen under the Potter spell. Washington Post staff writer, Jennifer Lenhardt, claims it's "true confession" time for a lot of adults. "My husband and I have fights with each other", said Valerie Sheridan comer, 38. "Come on, turn the page already.." Typically my husband falls asleep first and then the book is mine!

Most adults have read the other three Harry books. There is even a "Harry Potter for Grown-ups" Website which has about 300 members. Adults are arranging their schedules around the various Potter parties being held tonight and tomorrow. They are also carving out more time this weekend for more than the usual amount of reading. As unbelievable as it may seem, Federal Express has hired several thousand extra people to get this Potter book delivered on time to its fans!

For this fourth novel, a 752-pager, the publisher, Scholastic Inc. has a first printing run of 3.8 million copies. They will do a second printing when needed.

The author, J. K. Rowling, has been too busy promoting this fourth book, that promotions for the third book, had to be canceled.

I hope all my readers will indeed read the Potter books and make your own conclusions about them. (My copy was delivered today!) Next month I will write about why everyone is not happy about Harry. I will also devote a column to the rags to riches story about the author. (All of us children's writers are certainly envious of her success!) As a teacher, I am also thrilled about the motivation to read that Harry has provided to even the most reluctant readers.

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