Real Harry Potter mystery is where to find the book
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Even Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore couldn't conjure up a copy of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" after the book vanished from store and library shelves within hours of its release .
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Stores across Hawai'i are sold out of the fifth installment in J.K. Rowling's fabulously successful book series, and are awaiting new shipments this week. Nearly 700 people are on a statewide waiting list for the book at public libraries.
Ethan Rabanal of Kapolei and his dad, Mike Rabanal, were all smiles Saturday when they scored the Harry Potter book at Bestsellers in downtown Honolulu.
Costco shipped 5,000 copies via air freight to ensure its Hawai'i stores would have the book Saturday, and sold out on the first day at $15.69 a copy, almost half off the cover price of $29.99.
Ten thousand more are being sent by ocean freight, said Jim Klauer, at Costco's Issaquah, Wash., headquarters.
The 870-page "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is in its third U.S. printing, making 9.3 million copies in this country alone. The book about the bespectacled boy wizard sold more than 5 million copies in its first day.
The Hawai'i Public Library System arranged with publisher Scholastic Corp. to get the book in time to hit the shelves on its release date, usually done only for adult best-sellers by authors such as John Grisham and Danielle Steel.
The library system purchased 190 copies, two for each branch. "We would've loved to have bought more copies, but we don't have a very big budget," said Ann Fujioka of the Technical Services Section.
As of yesterday morning, 690 people were on a statewide waiting list to borrow the book.
The Kane'ohe Public Library used its own money to buy nine additional copies. The library was closed Saturday, but the second customer in the door Sunday took home the book, which he had reserved, said reference librarian Deborah Gutermuth.
Military exchanges and Borders and Waldenbooks stores reported sellouts. The Lihu'e Borders sold out its initial shipment of nearly 1,000 copies, and has another 400 due in any day.
Even remote Na'alehu in Ka'u has not escaped Potter mania.
Several residents told public library technician Lisa Cabudol — the branch's sole employee — they had driven the 60 miles to Kona to pick up the book at Costco.
Cabudol said the library's two copies were checked out.
"I have seen more reluctant readers turn into readers from Harry Potter than any other book we have in the library. For that alone it should be praised," said Gutermuth. "I have seen boys, especially, who you couldn't get a book into their hands, sit down and read 400 or 500 pages."
