BOOK REVIEW

The Making of the Potterverse
By Edward Gross (ECW Press, $14.95)

Unless you've been sequestered in the wizard prison Azkaban for the past few years, you've probably heard that the seventh and final volume in the hugely popular Harry Potter series is coming out in July. A few weeks before that sees the premiere of the fifth film in the blockbuster movie series. In other words, this summer is shaping up to see a resurgence of all things Harry.

No matter what you think of Harry Potter, there is no doubt that he is a phenomenon, and his rise to global stardom has been astonishingly quick.

According to the new book "The Making of the Potterverse," during the first print run of the first volume, "The Philosopher's Stone," in 1997, only 500 copies of the novel were produced. By July 2005, the sixth book, "The Half Blood Prince," sold 6.9 million copies in just its first 24 hours of release.

"Potterverse" uses a month-by-month timeline to chronicle the history of Harry and his entrenchment into the public consciousness: The word "muggle" (a non-magical person) makes it into the dictionary, a Welsh gym teacher creates an earthbound version of quidditch, and the summer of 2007 will see a reality show featuring real kids learning "magic" at a British boarding school.

You've probably heard about the religious controversy that has swirled around the magic-heavy stories from the beginning. But did you know that the second film, "Chamber of Secrets," ran into political controversy when some noted that the movie's version of Dobby the house-elf bore an uncanny resemblance to Russian president Vladimir Putin?

Lovingly detailed (if at times a bit fawning), "Potterverse" is a trove of fun trivia and fascinating details about the business and sociology behind a pop-culture phenomenon for the Harry fan and neophyte alike.

Books reviewed in this column are available online or at your local bookstore.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.