NEW YORK, July 22 -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling's seventh and final Harry Potter book, published in the U.S. by Scholastic, hit bookstores nationwide at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007 and once again Harry Potter made history. Early reports estimate that Scholastic broke all publishing records, selling an unprecedented 8.3 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in its first 24 hours on sale.
"The excitement, anticipation, and just plain hysteria that came over the entire country this weekend was a bit like the Beatles' first visit to the U.S.", stated Lisa Holton, Chief Muggle, Scholastic (aka President, Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs). "This weekend kids and adults alike are sitting on buses, in the park, on airplanes and in restaurants reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The conversations the readers have been waiting to have for 10 years have just begun." Holton continued, "The glowing reviews have been calling this book a classic for all time. Congratulations to J.K. Rowling on her tremendous literary achievement."
Scholastic announced a record breaking first printing of 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and retailers reported fast-paced pre-sales leading up to the release date.