New York, NY (June 26, 2007) -- To celebrate the 7th and final installment of the Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will be released on July 21 at 12:01 a.m., Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company and U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books, will host “HARRY POTTER PLACE” – a magical and interactive street celebration for kids and adults at Scholastic headquarters in New York City (Mercer St. between Prince and Spring). Scholastic will open “Harry Potter Place” on Friday, July 20th with a press conference at 8 a.m., where the first author-signed U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be unveiled. Harry Potter Place will open to the public the same day from 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.

The magical world of “Harry Potter Place” will feature a giant Muggle Board where Harry Potter fans can share personal messages about the Harry Potter books. Muggles will also be mesmerized by the twenty-foot high moving Whomping Willow, and entertained with activities and entertainment including: face-painting, wand-making, fire-eaters, magicians, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Harry Potter fans of all ages will also be able to have their photos taken with the cover art from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the special Deathly Hallows Gallery. As the excitement builds, the Countdown Clock will track the hours, minutes and seconds until the 12:01 a.m. release.

The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Knight Bus, a replica of the “violently purple” triple-decker bus from the Harry Potter books, will end its seven-week national tour at “Harry Potter Place” in time for the launch of the 7th and final book. The bus will arrive at the 8 a.m. press conference and will remain parked in front of Scholastic at 557 Broadway from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Fans can line up to board the bus and create a 20-second video expressing their thoughts about the Harry Potter books. Each participant will receive a unique password to view their video at www.scholastic.com/harrypotter.

To help celebrate the launch of the final Harry Potter book, Scholastic has organized a special Harry Potter reunion for winners of the Harry Potter essay contests from past book launches of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005). These fans will be reunited at “Harry Potter Place” and be part of the press conference and the midnight launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Travel for the reunion is provided by American Airlines, and the Hilton Times Square is providing accommodation and a special reading room for the reunion fans to delve into the 7th book after midnight.

The Scholastic Store, located at the company headquarters will be open on July 20th from 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. for pre-purchases of the book. Pre-purchased books will be distributed starting at 12:01 a.m.; capping the exciting day at Harry Potter Place.

About Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book, was released on July 16, 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history selling 6.9 copies in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books, 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, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been number one bestsellers in the United States, Britain, and around the world. Scholastic is printing an unprecedented 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which will be released at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007. The American editions of the Harry Potter books are published under Scholastic’s Arthur A. Levine imprint.

About Scholastic

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

Scholastic
Sara Sinek
212-343-6899
ssinek@scholastic.com