Harry Potter fans got a taste of this summer's release of J.K. Rowling's sixth book. On Tuesday, March 8th, 2005, Rowling's publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic revealed a number of covers of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6).

The adult version of the book jacket design includes a photograph by Michael Wildsmith of what looks like an old book entitled 'Advanced Potions Making'.

A hardcover deluxe edition will also be available.

It will include a 32-page insert on special paper at the end of the book featuring near scale reproductions of Mary GrandPre's interior art, as well as a never-before-seen piece of full-color-art for the frontispiece.

The book, which comes in a foil-stamped cardboard slipcase printed with the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince cover image, will also include a blind-stamped cloth case, full-color endpapers printed with the jacket art from the regular edition, luxurious foil, and a wraparound jacket featuring exclusive, suitable-for-framing art from Mary GrandPre.

The version for American children was illustrated once again by Mary GrandPre.

GrandPre has illustrated all six Harry Potter book covers for Scholastic.

Her job has been to draw the boy wonder wizard who was introduced to the world when he was 11 and who will be 16, the next time we read about his adventures at Hogwarts.

Mary was featured on the cover of Time magazine for her work with the Harry Potter series.

She also worked as a visionary in the environment/scenery development in DreamWorks' animated film Antz.

Illustrator Mary GrandPre

The 51 year-old artist from Sarasota, Florida is one of the lucky few who is given the privilege of reading J.K. Rowling's books before they are published.

Soaking up the book gives her the inspiration to inspire the unlucky few, who have never read about Harry, Ron and Hermione, to buy it. She also has an influence on Rowling's devoted fans who read J.K.'s books not once, not twice but many times.

Yet another children's version, which will be seen in Canada, is an illustration of Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore surrounded by a circle of flames.

This illustration was created by British illustrator, Jason Cockcroft.

Rowling's sixth of seven books in the series will be published on July 16, 2005.

In the Editorial Review on Amazon.com, the book description reads:

We could tell you, but then we'd have to Obliviate your memory.

One thing we know: It will be Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where a battle of good and evil is inevitable.

We also know that it will be 672 pages long.

J.K. Rowling has revealed that the Half-Blood Prince is neither Harry nor Lord Voldemort aka "He Who Must Not Be Named."

We hear the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been brewing in J.K. Rowling's mind for 13 years.

Since J.K. Rowling announced last December that she had completed writing the book, Rugged Elegance has sold 10 pre-orders. Keep them coming!

Last week, my nine year-old read the fifth book for the fifth time. The first four books she has read twelve times. Our next investment is likely to be the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix audio cd for this summer's road trip. To date, her favorite book is this one, "the fifth."

12:01am, July 16th can not come too soon. We will be there with bells on, in costume.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "a welcome hint of Harry Potter 6" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegant Living publisher

Bloomsbury & Scholastic To Release Harry Potter 6 by J.K. Rowling in July 2005