Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the best-selling series is already on its second print run since its release last week. Readers of all races say they can relate to the young wizard's latest adventures.
ED GORDON, host: Unless you've lived under a rock for the last week or so, you know that      "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is the hottest thing going this      summer.  The sixth book in the best-selling series is already on its      second print run. Adults are reading it almost as much as children, and      NPR's Allison Keyes reports that readers of all race relate to the young      wizard's latest adventure.</s>ALLISON KEYES reporting: In the first 24 hours of its release, the newest Harry Potter novel sold      6.9 million copies in the United States.  By a second day, it had raked      in $100 million.  That's more than the combined weekend box office for      the movies "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and the "Wedding      Crashers."  The US publisher Scholastic calls it a cause for celebration      for book lovers everywhere.</s>KEYES: That includes readers of color.  Harlem's black-owned Hue-Man      Bookstore hosted one of 5,000 midnight book-release parties held across      the nation.  Marva Allen is one of the three owners.  She says Hue-Man      usually sells around six copies when a new kids' book comes out.  With      the latest Potter, the store had sold more than 200 copies in the first      four days of sales.</s>Ms. MARVA ALLEN (Co-Owner, Hue-Man Bookstore): Why shouldn't they read      this book, you know?  It's kind of a fantasy and, you know, encourage      imagination whichever way, you know?  And it's a good story.</s>KEYES: Allen says that means African-American and Latino kids are      definitely reading this book, even though there aren't that many black      characters.</s>Ms. MARVA ALLEN (Co-Owner, Hue-Man Bookstore): Kids just like the fantasy.  Kids, you know, maybe at that      age right now are not so totally aware of the color divide, and are just      into good stories.</s>KEYES: Ten-year-old Samantha Green(ph), an African-American soon to be a      sixth-grader, says she agrees.</s>SAMANTHA GREEN (Reader): I don't really, like, pay attention to that.  I      don't really, like, care at all.</s>KEYES: Green, of Fairfield, Connecticut, says when she saw on the news      that everybody was reading the book, she wanted to read it, too.  So far,      Samantha says, she really likes it.</s>SAMANTHA GREEN (Reader): I sometimes read that in the dark, and my mom, she catches me      sometimes.  I get to--and I try to get as closest to my night light as      possible, 'cause the font's pretty small.  So yeah, I read that under the      bed, too.</s>KEYES: Twelve-year-old Austin Gibbs(ph) in Fayetteville, North Carolina,      says he's been into books for a long time.</s>AUSTIN GIBBS (Reader): I've been a pretty strong reader before I got      into Harry Potter.  I like to read mystery.  I like "Lemony Snicket      Series of Unfortunate Events," and I like to read fantasy, like the "Star      Wars" and stuff, and I like to read adventure titles.</s>KEYES: He says some of his classmates are bookworms, too.</s>AUSTIN GIBBS (Reader): I have several friends who like to read.  It might not be books,      but they like to read, like, comics and Japanese title books and stuff.</s>KEYES: Angela Dodson, executive editor of Black Issues Book Review, says      the success of the Potter series, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the      movies of both are luring kids back into literacy.</s>Ms. ANGELA DODSON (Executive Editor, Black Issues Book Review): I think      reading is cool again, and it could be attributed to Harry Potter, but      it's cool because there are more books to be offered that show children      of color, that have children of color.</s>KEYES: Dodson's publication is recommending several, including Marilyn      Nelson's "A Wreath for Emmett Till," Brenda Woods' "Emako Blue" and      Walter Mosley's "47." She says there are several ways parents could help      get their children more involved in reading, including helping them to      create reading clubs or taking them to book-related events at stores.      The best way, Dodson says, is to show your children that you value books      by letting them see you read.</s>KEYES: Allison Keyes, NPR News, New York.</s>ED GORDON, host: To see more of the Black Issues Book Review recommendations,      visit our Web site at npr.org.</s>ED GORDON, host: This is NPR News.