Potter Spell Smashes Records in First-Day Sales

At least 200 readers have reported printing errors in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(NEWSER) - The seventh Harry Potter book sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours in print, but at least 200 fans of the teenage wizard have had less than magical experiences with the saga's finale. An irate group of readers on message boards at Amazon.com and eBay are already reporting printing errors and missing pages in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. More»

Soul-sucking horror for boy wizard in new trailer

(NEWSER) - Desperation, death, and soul-sucking chills. And that's just a taste of what our boy wizard is up against in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, flying to theaters Nov. 19 . The brand new theatrical trailer for the Warner Bros. film reveals a blacker black from director David Yates, heart-stopping evil from Ralph Fiennes' Lord Voldemort and a crisis of faith for the three magical musketeers. Enjoy. More»

Nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance uses books as inspiration

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter’s battle against injustice in the wizarding world has prompted fans to take the fight to the Muggle universe, the Los Angeles Times reports. Inspired by moral teachings of Albus Dumbledore, Harry’s mentor, the nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance has registered voters, collected some 13,000 books to donate to community centers, and raised $15,000 for displaced persons in Darfur and Burma. More»

Books lack moral weight as Potter gets off easy

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter is a fitting hero for a generation of readers: his powers arrive on a silver platter, and from there it’s “all zapping bad guys, no taking out the trash,” writes Kyle Smith in the New York Post. While heroes like Luke Skywalker face obstacles to achieving their potential, JK Rowling’s creation, "like many of his generation, is the Cosseted One from an early age.” More»

Sixth installment is one of the best in the series

(NEWSER) - Our sixth cinematic trip to Hogwarts holds onto the magic with stunning visuals, great acting, and a maturing storyline:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is “spellbinding, even though it is more grounded in reality and less fanciful than previous installments,” writes Claudia Puig in USA Today. “The cinematography is stunning, and the story unfolds in a stately and unhurried fashion.”