Christina Henderson, 6, of Port Hueneme, Calif., waits to have her face painted July 15, 2005, at the Barnes & Nobles in Ventura, Calif. J.K. Rowling's sixth book in the Potter series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," went on sale July 16. It sold 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours, averaging better than 250,000 sales per hour and smashing the U.S. record held by the previous Potter release.
This image made available by Scholastic Books shows James Traver, 11, from Vancouver, Wash., one of ten national winners of the Scholastic Harry Potter Essay Contest, posing with his free copy of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" onboard American Airlines flight AA12 in New York at 12:01 a.m. ET July 16, 2005, to read on the overnight flight to London.
Jacob McKinney, 8, holds up his number during the judging for a Harry Potter costume contest July 15, 2005, at a book release party at the Animas Valley Mall in Farmington, N.M. McKinney, dressed as Ron Weasley, won the first-place prize, a copy of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Norma Barksdale, left, reads from a scroll during a hunt for J.K. Rowling's new book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," in Oxford, Miss., July 16, 2005.
Long lines form at Hastings Books Music and Videos in Hays, Kan. as the clock strikes 12:01 a.m., officially releasing J.K. Rowlings' latest book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," July 16, 2005.
Samantha Riggs of the fire dance group Fyrae performs outside the Changing Hands Bookstore just before midnight July 15, 2005, in Tempe, Ariz., as part of the bookstore's Harry Potter celebration. At midnight, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by author J.K. Rowling's went on sale.
Ethan Foster, 6, of St. Albans, England, dressed as Harry Potter, receives a copy of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from the character Hagrid at London's Great Ormond Street children's hospital, July 16, 2005.
Harry Potter fans line up in front of a book store, waiting for the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in Zurich, Switzerland, July 16, 2005.
A boy dressed in wizardry costume, left, holds a copy of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and talks to another customer in New Delhi, India, July 16, 2005.
A fan dressed as Harry Potter waves on a tram in Hong Kong July 16, 2005.
Mary GrandPre, artist for the Harry Potter books, is seen through a display advertising J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at Books of Wonder bookstore in New York, July 15, 2005. GrandPre was at the store to sign copies of the book. The Potter characters on the display are Dumbledore, left, and Harry Potter.
Lola Lorber, 14, of New York, right, wears a wizard's hat while reading "Jane Eyre" as she waits in the prepaid line to pick up her copy of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at Books of Wonder bookstore in New York, July 15, 2005. Lorber was trying to finish "Jane Eyre," part of her summer homework, so that she could read the latest Harry Potter book at camp.
Miana Breed, 12, left, looks at the new Harry Potter book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," as her father, Allen Breed, signs the credit card receipt a few minutes after midnight July 16, 2005, at a Borders bookstore in Raleigh, N.C.
Kathleen Enbrey, 10, center, of Jewel, Iowa, holds on to her copy of the new Harry Potter book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," just after midnight Saturday morning, July 16, 2005, at the Hastings Books Music & Videos in Ames, Iowa.
In this photo provided by Toys "R" Us, Jennifer Field, left, is all smiles after purchasing one of the first copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at Toys "R" Us Times Square in New York July 16, 2005.
Breanna Gillick, 10, walks through a smokey hallway while waiting to get her copy of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" during a pre-release party outside the Little Bookworms store in Bradenton, Fla., July 15, 2005.
Dressed as the character Hermione, Mackenzie Bockhold, 9, left, selects her "house" from the sorting hat held by Erin Teal, right, dressed as Professor McGonagall and Whitney Simmons dressed as Professor Trelawney July 15, 2005, at Books-A-Million in Cullman, Ala.
An inflatable Harry Potter figure walks past customers as they line up to buy the first copies of the latest Harry Potter book at the Xinhua bookstore in Beijing July 16, 2005. About 40 people waited outside the shop to buy copies as it went on sale at 7 a.m. as part of a synchronized global launch. Though only English copies were available, the book is being translated and the Chinese version is expected in 2-3 months.
Katlyn Cilufo, 10, left, of Columbus, Ohio, reads with Madison Melsoner, 9, of Salt Lake City, Utah, as her sister Meagan, 11, reads by herself during the Midnight Magic Party July 15, 2005, at the Barnes and Noble store at Easton Towne Center in Columbus, Ohio, before the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Customers consider purchasing the book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," by J.K. Rowling, July 17, 2005, at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Boston.