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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) | 
| Author: J.k. Rowling
Creator: Mary Grandpre
Brand: SCHOLASTIC BOOKS (TRADE)
Category: Book
List Price: $12.99
Buy New: $5.99
You Save: $7.00 (54%)
New (58) Used (47) Collectible (6) from $5.68
Avg. Customer Rating:  3596 reviews
Sales Rank: 1305
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 652
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 1.2
MPN: SB0439785960
ISBN: 0439785960
EAN: 9780439785969
ASIN: 0439785960
Publication Date: July 25, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
This must-read fantasy takes you inside Hogwarts again for Harry's 6th year. What's in store for the wizard and his friends? What danger does his greatest enemy have planned? And who is the half-blood prince? Find out in this long-awaited adventure!\nWinn
Amazon.com Review
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page. A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way. --Daphne Durham Visit the Harry Potter Store
 Our Harry Potter Store features all things Harry, including books (box sets and collector's editions), audio CDs and cassettes, DVDs, soundtracks, games, and more.
Begin at the Beginning
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Hardcover
Paperback | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Hardcover
Paperback |
Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
| | * Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat. | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
| | * The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms. | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
| | * Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape. | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
| | * Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses. | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
| * Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry. | Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling
 "I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.
Did You Know?  | The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. |  | Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. |  | Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer. | A Few Words from Mary GrandPre
 "When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from illustrator Mary GrandPre.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3591 more reviews...
 perfect. December 31, 2008
got my item on time just as i ordered it. no surprises. i would purchase from this seller again.
Suspenseful sixth December 8, 2008
The Half-Blood Prince is somewhat of a build up to The Deathly Hallows. There is a great deal of suspense throughout the book, making the book a very fast read. From the beginning, this thrilling adventure entangles you and never lets you go until the very last page. Also in this book, unexpected events conclude with one of my favorite characters dieing making the ending have a very sad tone.
Anyone who likes suspense and action should read this book (and the series)!
Brilliant Novel, Yet the Darkest Harry Potter Book Thus Far December 5, 2008
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince follows 16-year-old Harry Potter through his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The book is darker than any of the prequels.
The book begins on a serious note. The new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour warns the muggle Prime Minister of Voldemort's return. Voldemort is ready to kill on impulse and should be avoided by both members of the magic community and members of the muggle community. The number one target, of course, is the protagonist, Harry Potter. Harry has survived several former attacks by Voldemort and is prophesied to be the "chosen one" to kill him.
At Hogwarts, life is grimmer than it has ever been. Professor Snape replaces Professor Umbridge as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This was the one job that Dumbledore refused to give him in the past because of his former connections to Lord Voldemort. Snape has gained Dumbledore's trust in recent years and accepts the job. Professor Slughorn, a former teacher at the school, obtains Snape's former position as Potions Teacher. Slughorn is immediately fond like to any student with supreme magical abilities and invites them to his parties. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny are included in this group. In addition, Dumbledore returns to the school with a charred, shrunken hand. He refuses to tell anyone why this has happened. Lastly, Malfoy is bestowed an important task by Lord Voldemort, which Harry overhears in the Hogwarts Express. Harry has no idea what the task is, but is convinced that he needs to stop him by any means possible.
On a lighter note, Harry is enjoying his sixth year at Hogwarts. He finds a used potions book with written in tips and spells on how to make the best potions in the quickest amount of time. The person who previously owned the book, the "Half-Blood Prince" remains an important mystery in the novel. He receives high marks in this class for the first time, sealing his position as Slughorn's favorite student. On the Quidditch team, Harry continues his position as seeker and Ron becomes the new keeper. Harry also begins his first serious relationship with a girl. Also, Dumbledore gives private lessons on Harry on how to defeat the Dark Lord. They continuously use the Pensieve as a means to discover who Lord Voldemort was as a child and how he came to be the evil man that he is now. This is probably the biggest highlight of the school year for Harry.
As usual, J.K. Rowling has written a world-class novel: a mix of action, adventure, romance, and deceit, but has given this novel a scarier twist. The reader can easily decipher the story and follow the characters as they grow emotionally. Instead of solving mysteries set forth by previous novels, this one presents several new questions. What is Malfoy's task? Can Snape be trusted? Why is Dumbledore's hand charred and shrunken? What will learning about Voldemort's childhood do to help Harry defeat him? And, finally, who is the "Half-Blood Prince"? Read this novel to find out the answers to these questions, you will be in for a surprise. I recommend this novel 100%.
An incredible novel December 3, 2008
With every Harry Potter installment, I find myself saying the new installment is my favorite of the series so far. Book 6 is no exception, and I think it is a credit to the author. The hopelessness and despair have increased in order for the readers to feel the plight of the characters. Starting with this book and continuing into the next, the reader feels the despair that afflicts the good wizard community. It has some similarities to World War II Germany. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, even if it was a bit gloomy.
Riddled With Riddles About Riddle December 1, 2008
Ms. Rowling has created another well-crafted adventure/mystery to the Harry Potter series. The reader will come to understand why and how Lord Voldemort became the evil, obsessed antagonist of the wizardry world. The author did a fine job of depicting the main teenage characters in an age-appropriate manner. Just like many 16-year-olds of this difficult age, some of Harry's, Ron's, and Hermoine's decisions are completely self-serving, unethical and, dare I say, meanspirited. Also, their puerile mood swings are very convincing and believable. A few new colorful characters are introduced as well as the enmity between Potter/Snape grows deeper and darker. There are smatterings of happy and funny moments, but for the most this book is pretty gloomy. Ms. Rowling has crafted a cliffhanger that easily will propel me into reading the last installment.
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