Potter Mania Revving Up Again

Harry Potter is about to take off again, delivering a fresh round of wizardry, adventure and profit for the publishers of the blockbuster children's series.

CBS News Correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports on The Early Show that young readers have been waiting for two years for the latest installment from author J.K. Rowling: Volume 6, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

A whopping 10.8 million copies are being stockpiled for release in July. That's the biggest initial print run in history.

Nearly 11 million books may sound like an awful lot, Palmer observes, until you consider that Harry Potter is more than just a story by now. It's become an essential ritual in millions upon millions of families.

Spellbound children everywhere are counting the days until they can get their hands on the fresh work.

"I'm very, very excited," one Londoner told Palmer. "Can't wait."

"I'd like to see him flying the magical train," another remarked.

The plot, Palmer notes, is a closely guarded secret, of course. The publishers are giving only the flimsiest of hints.

"The half-blood prince isn't Harry …and, during the book, there will be a new minister of magic," entices Barbara Marcus, president of Scholastic Books.

And, notes Palmer, a delicious new episode to look forward to.