If you are reading this newsletter, we know you are taking a break from reading the new Harry Potter book. From the looks of things readers all over the country will be glued to this book this weekend!

Read on for how Kidsreads.com will keep the Potter-mania going in these next few weeks.

Besides the new HP, as we call the book around the office, there's lots more great reading that we are sharing this month as well. Sooooo...get ready to make a list to buy or borrow in the weeks to come.

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com

Harry Potter fever has taken over! I don't know about you, but here at Kidsreads.com, everyone's just dying to know who the half-blood prince really is. And with the sixth book in the series, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, finally on the shelves, the wait is over.

We also are psyched to know what you think about Harry Potter's latest adventures, so this month's question and poll are all about the bespectacled hero. Please wait to answer until AFTER you've read the book!

Then keep checking Kidsreads.com these next few weeks as we'll be posting reviews, excerpts and more. Have fun turning the pages of the new Harry Potter this week knowing we'll be reading right along with you!

In this interview Patrick Carman --- author of THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE, the first book in The Land of Elyon trilogy --- talks about the transition from owning an advertising agency to writing youth fiction. He explains the evolution of his new fantasy series, the important role that journaling plays in developing a story's plot and characters, and the ways in which children can relate his debut novel and its themes to their own lives.

THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE: The Land of Elyon, Book 1 by Patrick Carman
Inquisitive 12-year-old Alexa Daley is spending another summer in the walled town of Bridewell. This year, she's determined to solve the mystery of what lies beyond the walls. Legend says the walls were built to keep out an unnamed evil that lurks in the forests and The Dark Hills. But what exactly is it that the townspeople are so afraid of? Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman and excerpted.

RAVEN'S GATE: Book One of The Gatekeepers
by Anthony Horowitz
From the author of the bestselling Alex Rider novels comes THE GATEKEEPERS, a gripping new series that pits good against evil and past against present in a battle that will determine the course of future civilization. In RAVEN'S GATE, the first riveting book in the series, a troubled young boy finds himself at the heart of a strange and sinister plot hatched by the bizarre inhabitants of a remote English village. Will he uncover the truth in time to put an end to their evil plans and save himself as well? Reviewed by Joni Rendon and excerpted.

Candlewick Press calls ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS "the definitive pop-up" --- and that is exactly what Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart's latest masterpiece is. Dinosaurs of all shapes, sizes and colors come to life in six multi-layered spreads that each feature one large pop-up (including a massive T-Rex with jagged teeth and a raptor that appears to fly off the edge of the page) along with several booklets of smaller pop-ups, all making for a visually stunning read. In addition, Sabuda and Reinhart offer lots of cool facts and up-to-the-minute information about more than 50 different species of dinosaurs and even some amusing tidbits on the history of paleontology itself. This fascinating book --- the first of three in a series --- will be read, admired and treasured for a long time to come.

July's roundup of Cool New Books includes ONLY YOU CAN SAVE MANKIND, book one in Terry Pratchett's fantasy series, The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy; THE LIGHTNING THIEF, the first installment in an action-packed series by Rick Riordan that combines classic Greek mythology with modern-day adventure; GOLDEN & GREY, a funny and heartwarming novel about a boy and his very special friend; and STOP THE CLOCK, in which Nancy Drew must solve yet another baffling mystery in her All-New Girl Detective series.

The beloved Roald Dahl classic CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, originally published in 1964, has been made into a major motion picture and is now in theaters. Johnny Depp stars as eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, who launches a worldwide contest in which five lucky children will be taken on a tour of his chocolate factory. To celebrate the film's arrival, two exciting new editions of the novel have been released.

MOSTLY GHOSTLY #4: LITTLE CAMP OF HORRORS by R.L. Stine
Max reluctantly goes to dreadful Camp Snake Lake to rescue his ghost friends, Nicky and Tara, and find the pendant that may hold their parents. He has a wonderful time on his little excursion --- not!

MOSTLY GHOSTLY #5: GHOULS GONE WILD by R.L. Stine
Max's family is selling their house and moving to Texas. But what does that mean for ghosts Nicky and Tara? They're not happy that the one person who can see, hear, and help them is leaving --- and they make their displeasure known!

MOSTLY GHOSTLY #6: LET'S GET THIS PARTY HAUNTED! by R.L. Stine
Max and his rather mysterious new friend Quentin are planning to perform magic tricks at Max's twelfth birthday party. Max has an ulterior motive: he wants to impress the cool kids he hopes will come, and teach them that being a magician is very cool. What could go wrong? Oh, let us count the ways!

THE WILD, WILD WEST: Geronimo Stilton, Book 21 by Geronimo Stilton
An excited Geronimo is headed to America for the first time ever, along with Thea, Trap and Benjamin. They will be visiting a real ranch, and riding and herding cattle cowboy-style. Sounds like they'll have a fun and relaxing time, right

STOP THE CLOCK: Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective, #12 by Carolyn Keene
Major trouble is brewing at the Mahoney Library. While preparations are underway to celebrate the library's 75th anniversary, the beautiful clock in the library is stolen. But there's more here than meets the eye --- and Nancy must not waste any time in her pursuit of this treasured possession.

ONLY YOU CAN SAVE MANKIND: The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy, Book 1 by Terry Pratchett
Johnny Maxwell's computer war game is becoming more real all the time. Meanwhile, the real-life war in the Middle East that he watches constantly on television appears to be more like a game. Can Johnny save his peaceable alien acquaintances? Or is he actually going as bonkers as he fears he is? Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon and excerpted.

ALEX AND THE AMAZING LEMONADE STAND by Liz and Jay Scott, with help from Alex Scott
Two days before her first birthday Alexandra "Alex" Scott was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. At the age of four, Alex came up with a plan to help raise money to research the disease and find a cure --- she would sell lemonade from a lemonade stand in her front yard. This picture book, written by Alex and her parents, Liz and Jay, is the inspirational true story of a little girl whose single act of kindness impacted the lives of so many people.

ALEX'S LEMONADE STAND by Running Press
Running Press has joined the fight for the cure with their own ALEX'S LEMONADE STAND book and kit. The book contains a number of tips on planning and organizing a lemonade sale, with plenty of ways to increase donations and make the most of any stand. The kit includes some extra special goodies --- stickers that read "I donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand," creative advertising posters, a lemon squeezer, flyers that you can photocopy and hand out, and much more!

LUNCH MONEY by Andrew Clements
Greg Kenton always has had a natural talent for making money. Just before sixth grade, he notices that his fellow classmates each have an extra quarter or two to spend almost every day. Greg decides to take advantage of this incredible discovery by selling them comic books that he writes and illustrates himself. Reviewed by Renee Kirchner.

GOLDEN & GREY (AN UNREMARKABLE BOY AND A RATHER REMARKABLE GHOST) by Louise Arnold
Grey Arthur is a ghost who hasn't found his place in the world. Tom Golden is a boy who doesn't fit in at school. When Tom and Grey mutter the same three words, "Life isn't fair," at exactly the same moment, a connection is made between them. Suddenly Grey knows what he has to do: He must become Tom's Invisible Friend. Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle.

THE EMERALD WAND OF OZ by Sherwood Smith
Sisters Em and Dori are two modern-day descendants of Dorothy Gale who follow in her famous footsteps to the magical land of Oz. But this new Oz is different in many ways from how it was when Dorothy traveled down the yellow brick road. Princess Ozma and her people are under an evil spell cast by Bastinda --- the new Wicked Witch of the West --- and Dorothy is nowhere to be found. Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts.

HARRY SUE by Sue Stauffacher
Harry Sue Clotkin's mother is in prison, and Harry Sue wants nothing more than to be reunited with her as soon as possible. But it's not easy becoming a juvenile delinquent when you have a tender heart. When Harry Sue finds an unlikely confidante in her new art teacher, her ambitions toward a life of crime are sidelined as she comes to a deeper understanding about her past --- and future. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

THE OLD COUNTRY by Mordicai Gerstein
Mordicai Gerstein, winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal for THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS, has tapped into his childhood as well as his fruitful imagination to bring to life a fable told to him by Gisella, his great-grandmother. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

How did you get your copy of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE?

I pre-ordered it online.
I pre-ordered it from my bookstore.
I went to my bookstore.
I don't have the book yet.
I am not interested in reading Harry Potter books.

What is your favorite Harry Potter book?

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
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
I do not have a favorite.
I am not interested in reading Harry Potter books.

What is your favorite part of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE?