According to the American Camp Association, many summer camps make accommodations—later bedtimes, more free time—when J. K. Rowling chooses a summer release date for an installment of her blockbuster “Potter” series. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, will demand even more attention. The book, set for release July 21, will feature the final battle between Potter and his nemesis Lord Voldemort, and Rowling has teased at least two significant deaths. Scott Weinstein, director of Maine’s Camp Med-O-Lark, has also fielded inquiries from parents anxious to get the book into their kids’ hands, so he is planning a field trip to a bookstore for his campers. Peter Kassen of Maine’s Hidden Valley Camp is issuing a gag order for his faster readers. “We as a community will be sworn to secrecy,” he says. “We want to make sure the surprises aren’t spoiled for the younger kids.” Kleinman is ordering dozens of books for counselors to read aloud to campers, and they’ll be using the book for clout. “Getting them to bed is always a challenge, but we’re going to tell them we aren’t reading until they get in bed.” Eleven-year-old Jake Kern, the camper whose father requested a midnight run, was satisfied to know that counselors will read the book aloud, but when he gets his own copy, he’ll read it straight through, neglecting even archery and baseball if he must. “Once I start it, I probably won’t put it down until I finish it,” he says.
