Celebrate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Among 350,000 Used Books in Niantic, CT

The imminent arrival of the final installment of the Harry Potter series has children - actual and at heart - waiting with anxiety and trepidation to find out what happens. Bookstores of every size are planning extravaganzas to deliver Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to eager fans at 12:01 a.m. July 21.

One such gathering is the Final Harry Potter Book Release Party at The Book Barn in Niantic, CT on the evening of July 20 to celebrate the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter chronicles. The Harry Potter party at the Book Barn is unique because The Book Barn is a used book store, one of the largest in CT.

Details are still being worked out, but the party will kick off at approximately 9:30 p.m. and culminate with the book hand-out at 12:01 a.m. on July 21. Cost of attendance is $37.08 (the full price of the book plus tax) and includes a book copy, refreshments, and activities. Group admission is also available for one full price admission and $5 for each additional person. Parents may attend with their children free of charge, and pre-registration is required.

According to owner Randi White, a used book store hosting a party for a new book makes perfect sense because it is for people who love books.

"This party is to celebrate the book. Think about the thousands of kids who learned to love reading because of the book. Harry Potter got kids excited about reading again, and it deserves to be recognized for that reason alone," White said.

Following in the tradition of the Book Barn's 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Party and 2005 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince celebration, the Final Harry Potter Party will include a costume party, magic, bats, ice cream, and more. Past activities have included the sorting of party guests into Houses, lectures by Hogwarts staff, and tours through Diagon Alley. To encourage attendees to come in full wizard attire, the Grand Winner of the costume contest will receive a signed copy of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.

"We are going to have a little bit of everything. This party is not at all about profit, in fact we estimate losing a lot of money on it. It's about the kids and about the book." White also said that additional copies of the book will be available for purchase at the party.

"I can't match the Amazon.com price because they are offering it at less than it costs me to get it from the publisher. But a few people pre-ordered copies from me because they want to support The Book Barn," White said. Any remaining copies after the party will be sold at a discount off the cover price in the weeks to come.

For further details, see the Book Barn Web site: www.bookbarnniantic.com. The Book Barn is located 41 West Main Street, Niantic, CT; directions and additional information are available on the Web site. In addition to the Harry Potter Party, The Book Barn has approximately 350,000 used books for sale in every category imaginable and is an easy place to spend hours browsing among books, watching goats and cats, and enjoying the life of a bibliophile. Definitely a magical place to celebrate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, whether at the party itself or in the weeks to follow.