New York, NY (September 21, 2005) -- Scholastic announced today that since the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince nine weeks ago, Harry Potter fans have purchased more than 11 million copies of the U.S. edition of J.K. Rowling’s sixth book in the phenomenally popular series. Following its release at midnight on July 16th, the book sold a record-breaking 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been widely praised by reviewers and has been #1 on both adults’ and children’s bestseller lists nationwide.

The release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince also boosted sales of the first five Harry Potter titles, both hardcover and paperback, which climbed back onto national bestseller lists. Together with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the books occupied six out of 10 positions on the Barnes & Noble, Borders and Bookscan bestseller lists. Additionally Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel rose to #6 on the USA Today bestseller list during the week of July 28, as more new readers came to the series.

“We are thrilled that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince not only continues to break publishing records in terms of sales, but more importantly has received phenomenal reviews. It is clearly a modern classic,” said Lisa Holton, President, Scholastic Children’s Trade Books.

In The New York Times review, Michiko Kakutani wrote: “The achievement of the Harry Potter books is the same as that of great classics of children’s literature, from the Oz novels to ‘The Lord of the Rings’: the creation of a richly imagined and utterly singular world as detailed, as improbable and as mortal as our own.” And according to a four-star review in People, “This book is the most intense – and absorbing – yet.”

Author J.K. Rowling and Illustrator Mary GrandPre have been nominated for a Quills Award for best children’s chapter book/middle grade for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The Quills Awards, the first national book awards program in which the readers, not the critics, choose the year’s best books, will be announced on October 11, 2005.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the follow-up book to J.K. Rowling’s #1 bestsellers Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling provides fans with the sinister Lord Voldemort’s back-story and ties up various plot lines. Readers know what Harry needs to do next and are left with a keen sense of anticipation for the seventh and final book in the series.

There are over 116.5 million copies of the U.S. edition of the first six Harry Potter books in print. Each of the books has been a #1 bestseller and continues to remain on bestseller lists.

Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, www.scholastic.com.

Contacts:

Scholastic
Kris Moran
212-389-3789
kmoran@scholastic.com

Scholastic
Kyle Good
212-343-4563
kgood@scholastic.com