German HP publishers Carlsen Verlag have released the cover chosen for HBP, which you can see right here, and you can see a larger version at HarryPotter Xperts right here.

The current issue of “Nature” magazine has a short feature on wizarding genetics and their use as a teaching tool for kids learning about heredity and alleles.

Retrovision Magazine‘s next issue, the Harry Potter News Diary: 1997-2005, will be pushed back one month September to make room for recent news, interviews with David Heyman, director/producer Chris Columbus, director Alfonso Cuaron, production designer Stuart Craig, visual effects supervisor Jim Mitchell, and actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The cover is illustrated …read more!

In this MSNBC article, children’s lit author Jane Yolen speaks of Harry Potter, the similarities it has to one of the over 300 books she has written, and how she believes a lot of those were put into HP. Have you read all six Harry Potter books? What do you think of them? I read …read more!

Buffy, Angel, Firefly and

Bloomsbury will award a signed HBP to Viola Pruller, for winning their Countdown Clock contest; you can see the entry at this link. Becky Austin and Pablo Reyna came in runners-up. Thanks Harry Latino!

Clint let us know that today’s Washington Post has an article about Jim Dale, his work on the HP audiobooks and his recent visit to the capital. The reporter traces his history as pop star, actor, Tony award winner and now, the voice of hundreds of residents of the Potter-verse.

Today’s Sydney Morning Herald puts Harry Potter on the analyst’s couch, and purports to explore his psychology and other psych-themed issues in the books.

The Guardian reports on a new trend in “British” cinema – films that are “financed by the US but made in the UK, and with British cultural content”. A spokesman from the Film Council said: “It depends on your politics on film. You could be brutal and say that Harry Potter is made by Warner …read more!

Reuters recently reported that Harry Potter is a top choice at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “Harry Potter is a popular title among some of the detainee population,” said the librarian, a civilian contractor identified only as “Lorie” who works at the prison camp for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base …read more!