11-year-old wins by ending Potter series
Harry Potter fan Amy Iwasaki, 11, of Grayslake submitted the winning entry.
"She did a great job," said Jackie Harris, proprietor of Under the Sycamore Tree, the Grayslake bookstore that sponsored the contest. "She said it was challenging to cut it down to the 300 word limit."
Harris said while the number of the entries was small, they were very clever and detailed like the popular books by J.K. Rowling.
Customers continue to come in a pre-order the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
"We already have 100 books pre-ordered through the store," Harris said. The book retails for $36.
For winning the contest, Iwasaki will receive a special edition of the new Harry Potter book, a $65 value. Other entrants receive stacking cards they can use to build a replica of Hogwarts castle.
Anyone who pre-orders the book by Friday, July 13, will receive an invitation to the Muggles Countdown to Midnight party held at Under the Sycamore Tree.
It will be held Friday, July 20, from 10 p.m. to midnight, prior to the book going on sale.
The Shops at Station Square at Prairie Crossing are "Calling all Muggles..." to a full day of magical activities on July 20 from 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Iwasaki's winning entry will be read at the bookstore at 1:30 p.m. Magician Brent Allen will perform in the square from 2 to 4 p.m. The Prairie Croissant Cafe will sell Butter Beer and other flavors. Wand making will be done at Little Skye. Herbology will be performed at Ten Thousand Villages.
For more information, contact (847) 548-0311.