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Meet
Harry Potter - Updated, January 2001 By now, much of the world has heard of Harry Potter, the talented boy wizard created by British author J.K. Rowling. The books about him have been selling like hotcakes and enchanting readers everywhere. Did you get caught up in the excitement when Book 4, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, was published in Summer 2000? It was definitely the publishing event of the year. If you're a fan, you'll want read on for information about the Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter toys and merchandise, the marvelous Harry Potter audiobooks from Listening Library, and much, much more. Harry Potter is no ordinary boy. He's a wizard-in-training at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Imagine taking classes in spells and potions, and learning to use a cauldron and wand instead of spending time in math and reading class. We first meet 11-year-old Harry in HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, J.K. Rowling's debut novel. So many people fell in love with this magical adventure that it won just about every children's book prize in England (where it was first published) in 1997 and 1998 and won a ton of fans here in the United States as well. The second book about Harry, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, followed in the first book's footsteps. It has been a smash success since it came out in June 1999. As you probably guessed, Harry's third year at Hogwarts proved to be a charm, as well. Book 3, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, hit bookstores on September 8, 1999 and immediately became a giant hit. The fourth book about Harry, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, was released simultaneously in Britain and the U.S. at exactly midnight on July 8th, 2000. The event made news around the globe, and here in the U.S., the book’s publisher, Scholastic, released 3.8 million copies of the book on that day, and quickly decided to print 3 million. As part of the July 8th hoopla, bookstores threw Harry Potter parties and kids and their parents stayed up late to wait in line to purchase copies. Amazing stuff! And those of you who have read know that at 734 pages, Book 4 is the longest (and scariest) Harry book yet. According to Scholastic, there are more than 48.6 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print here in the U.S. (this includes all four hardcovers and the paperback editions of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS). Even grown-ups love Harry! With so many readers, the books have been on bestseller lists across the country for many months.Now, THAT's really wild about Harry. J.K. Rowling plans to write seven books in the series. She has begun work on Book 5, but there is no telling when she will finish it. She has said in interviews that the new book, most likely called HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, will be "done when it's done." While you're waiting, you can explore two short companion books Rowling has written and illustrated: FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM and QUIDDITCH THROUGH THE AGES. You'll recognize these as books that Harry and his friends talk about at Hogwarts. These special volumes are being published March 12, 2001 with the proceeds going to the Harry's Books fund, a charity that helps children in need around the world. You can do your part to help another child and truly make a difference when you buy one of these books. And hey --- you get some reading enjoyment out of it, too! You'll be happy to know that Harry's reach has stretched beyond the bookshelf. Whether you're already a big fan or just discovering Harry, you don't want to miss the fabulous audiobook adaptations of his adventures. Listening Library has released all four of the Harry Potter books --- performed brilliantly by British actor Jim Dale --- on both CD and cassette. Believe it or not, on GOBLET OF FIRE, Mr. Dale created 125 different character voices! Check them out --- and learn how to pronounce all the character and place names from the book! You can listen to excerpts from all four audiobooks on this website and see for yourself what a wonderful reader and actor Mr. Dale is. To listen, click on "The Books" at the top of this page. A Harry Potter feature film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is also in the works. The movie, produced by Warner Bros., is directed by Chris Columbus, who directed MRS. DOUBTFIRE. The movie is scheduled for release on November 16, 2001. With super book sales and a bigtime movie in the works, could licensed merchandise be far behind? Not a chance. Starting in August 2000, Mattel began releasing a line of toys based on the Harry Potter books. Hasbro produced Harry Potter trading cards, electronic toys and candy products. Hallmark, Scholastic, and at least 46 other licensees mean we'll see a ton of Harry Potter merchandise in the next two years, from a golden snitch reading lamp to Christmas ornaments to backpacks. All in all, Harry is continuing to work magic in ways no one could have ever imagined. So go ahead --- let him cast his spell on you! And don't miss all the fun, games, reviews, and information in our super-cool special website. © Copyright 2002, Kidsreads.com All rights reserved. If you like Harry Potter, you may also like ...
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