HARRY POTTER IV DELIVERY MAY SEEM LIKE MAGIC

SUN-SENTINEL

It will be something like Christmas in July.

But instead of Santa's elves delivering the goods, picture an army of FedEx drivers granting the wishes of America's kids.

And with engines cranking, the cough of exhaust and the beepbeepbeep of the back-up signals sounding, the much anticipated Harry Potter Book IV will be on its way.

On Saturday, July 8, the book's release date, FedEx's entire fleet for the day -- 9,000 drivers, 400 exclusively delivering Harry Potter -- will provide same-day delivery to Amazon.com's first 250,000 customers, presumably Muggles.

"It's going to be the largest distribution event of any single item in e-commerce history," says Brian Wendel of FedEx.

"Books are being picked up on the 5th, 6th and 7th in order to get to the distribution centers on time," says Kathy Kinney of Amazon.com.

On D-Day, delivery day, trucks are expected to roll by 7:30 a.m.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some early risers waiting to get the new Harry Potter book," says FedEx executive vice president Rodger Marticke.

Edinburgh author J.K. Rowling racked up sales of more than 37 million copies with her first three books about the orphaned Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts school of wizardry.

Since February, pre-publication orders for the latest entry in the series have kept the untitled book at the top of Amazon.com's best-sellers list.

The question, of course, is will Amazon have a quarter-million books to deliver?

"Yes," assures Kinney, who noted that a day after the special delivery plan was announced, sales of the book by the online vendor shot up from a June average of 3,700 a day to 12,000.

Scholastic Press, Rowling's U.S. publisher, has announced an unprecedented first printing of 3.8 million books.

Other booksellers, also reporting record-setting advance sales, have storewide festivities planned for the day.

With books going on sale at midnight, some Barnes & Noble stores will stay open till 1 a.m. and reopen at 8 a.m. on July 8, while Borders Books & Music stores will open early that day with a Harry Potter breakfast and costume party.

Margo Harakas can be reached at mharakas@sun-sentinel.com or 954 356-4728

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