Cover art from the seventh book of the Harry Potter series to be released July 21
Though Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has been garnering some non-Hogwarts publicity (his London stage performance in Equus is about to open at the end of February), today it is J. K. Rowling’s books that began the whole Harry Potter craze that are getting limelight: more specifically, book seven–the last Harry Potter book ever–entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Though frequent visitors of the J. K. Rowling website and other fan sites will have ferreted out the name of the last volume some weeks ago, today’s news is when this long-awaited title will be available on the shelf. And yes! we know now. According to www.jkrowling.com, Deathly Hallows will hit the shelves just in time for Summer Reading: Saturday July 21, 2007 at 12:01 a.m.
Bookstores like Borders and Barnes and Noble will plan celebratory events, probably through the night on Friday July 20/Saturday July 21. However, for smaller crowds and just as much fun, independent bookstores like The Regulator Bookshop in Durham will also have parties that night, including activities like costume parades, Sorting Hats, and real butterbeer. Though Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com are already signing up pre-orders for this bestseller-to-be, The Regulator and bookstores like it will have copies of Deathly Hallows available whether you pre-ordered or not.
Best of all, if you do not want to pay $19 – $35 per book (or stand in long lines outside bookstores in the middle of the night), you can check out your copy at Perry Library. Holds on this title will be available for those who do not want to fight for the very first copy, both from the library itself and from our website catalog. You can get to the website at www.perrylibrary.org. Click on the catalog link in the left column, search for the book title, and click “place hold.” You will need your library card number to place the hold; select Perry Library as your pickup branch. Multiple copies will be available just after July 21.
Rumors are flying about this last Harry Potter treasure. Will Harry die? Will Dumbledore return? Was Snape under the Imperius Curse when he murdered Dumbledore? All will be answered July 21 … see you then at the library!