The Snitch reports that the following new entries have been added to the 2002 Guinness Book of World Records: Largest reading by an author — JK Rowling (UK) was one of three authors who read from their works to an audience of 20,264 at Toronto’s SkyDome stadium (Canada) on 24 October 2000, as part of …read more!

Revival of interest in controversial movies’ messages encourages even skeptics. Euro, Harry Potter feves of choice for French Epiphany cakes (from EU Business). The Eastern York School Board members ended a 6-week-old controversy by voting 7-2 last night to keep the first book in the Harry Potter series on the district’s book list for class …read more!

Harry Potter is way ahead of Frodo Baggins in the battle of the box office, but in conservative Christian churches, Frodo rules (from the Boston Globe). Quotage: Tim Keller, a conservative Presbyterian minister in Manhattan … stirred up controversy when he tried to praise “Harry Potter” in a sermon at his church, arguing that the …read more!

Ministers on Harry: delightful or dangerous? (from Lancaster Online). Harry Potter book fight brews discord on school board (from the Grand Rapids Press).

Chicago humorist conjures up a Harry Potter parody (from the Chicago Tribune). El Paso Times columnist Robert Seltzer says that the Potter book burning was misguided.

Harry Potter conjured up most popular fictional character in a poll conducted by famed waxwork maker Madame Tussaud’s (from the BBC; thanks to the Harry Potter intayside site for the link). Even after dubbing the Thai soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, some of the young actors who provided the voices of JK …read more!

Australians spellbound by Harry Potter drug (from CNN). In a well-written, very opinionated article, Chicago Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper editorializes on the recent book burning in Alamogordo.

Under the watchful eye of author JK Rowling, Warner Bros and EA executives, Australian game designers are busy programming adventures and animating ogres for two new games that will be released in November alongside the second Harry Potter film, The Chamber of Secrets (from the Sydney Morning Herald). Speaking of games, GameSpot reports that the …read more!

The BCC news reports that the Harry Potter books have reclaimed their position as the top sellers in the UK. Harry Potter gets rave reviews! (from the Columbus Dispatch).

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone finished 2001 as the top-grossing film with $291.6 million in the (Gringotts) bank and counting (from E! Online News). JK Rowling’s UK publisher Bloomsbury is reported to be concerned that the millionaire writer will miss the deadline for the fifth Harry Potter book. British tabloid newspaper The Mirror quoted …read more!