Harry Potter 6 hits theaters tonight; books flying off library shelves
The sixth movie adventure of Harry Potter, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” hits theaters at midnight tonight.
Local librarians and booksellers say the movie, and the release of the seventh book in paperback, has quickened Potter mania yet again. They say “Harry Potter” books are flying off the shelves.
“They are pretty much always checked out in the last two or three weeks,” said Leanne Cheek, teen librarian at the Moore Public Library, which is sponsoring a Harry Potter party from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Oklahoma City Zoo will bring owls and a snake to the event from 4 to 5 p.m. The party will also feature a sorting hat, a costume competition and a Horcrux hunt.
There will be events geared at age groups from first grade to adult.
The magical events are pulled from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” book series.
“It’s been the one series that got a lot of kids interested in reading,” said Alicia Cox, manager at Second Chance Books in Warr Acres.
Cox said the store has been selling “Harry Potter” books every day for the past few weeks.
Mark Heisey, assistant librarian at the Noble Public Library, said movie releases tend to spur interest in the books.
Fans can watch the previous movie in the series and have Harry Potter-style snacks at the Noble library at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Meanwhile, tickets to the movie, including tonight’s midnight screenings, are going fast, with at least five screenings already sold out in the state.
“Harry is tracking to match last year’s juggernaut, ‘The Dark Knight,’ in advance ticket sales,” said Rick Butler, chief operating officer of online ticket seller Fandango, in a news release.
“Show times are selling out at a very fast pace, and it’s clear that the film’s wider blockbuster appeal, solid word-of-mouth and positive Internet buzz on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ are helping fuel the demand.”
Cheek said the progression of the characters and the battle of good versus evil are among the reasons that “Harry Potter” remains popular.
“It mixes our world with a magical world so that the things that happen are easy to imagine and easy to relate to, but also fantastical and fun,” Cheek said.
By Matthew Price
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman
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