Braille Translation Begins on Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince  7/4/05

Scholastic and the National Braille Press Begin Process of Braille Translation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Braille Edition to be Released No Later Than July 19, 2005

NEW YORK, July 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, and the National Braille Press, a nonprofit braille publishing and advocacy organization, announced today that the braille edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released no later than July 19, 2005 -- just a few days after the July 16th release of the text edition.

"We are thrilled to once again work together with the National Braille Press to serve the blind and visually-impaired community with a braille edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince so close to the July 16th publication date," said Barbara Marcus, Executive Vice President, Scholastic.

National Braille Press, in a close relationship with Scholastic, has produced the braille edition of all previous Harry Potter books starting in the spring of 1999, a few months after the first print release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Since then nearly 10,000 braille copies of all Harry Potter books have been purchased by blind children and blind adults nationwide.

"Braille allows blind youngsters to keep pace with their sighted peers and participate fully in cultural phenomena like this wildly popular book series," said Bill Raeder, President, National Braille Press. "We have blind readers all across the country eagerly awaiting their braille copy so they can read it at the same time as their sighted peers. We are so happy to work with Scholastic to produce the braille edition and will be working on the transcription, pressing, collating, and binding around the clock for the next few weeks."

According to the National Braille Press, producing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in braille is a massive, labor-intensive task that will result in the publication of a nine-volume edition that spans 13.5 inches and weighs approximately 11 pounds. It will take only three weeks to transcribe, proof, emboss, collate, and ship the braille edition, because National Braille Press will allocate sufficient resources to accomplish the monumental task in order to meet Braille readers' request for timely access. Most braille publications can take months or years to go from a print edition into a braille edition.

National Braille Press was founded in 1927 to ensure that blind people have the same access to information as sighted people in a medium that they can read-braille. Literacy is the key to success in life for all people, and braille is the only vehicle available to blind people to achieve true literacy. Most blind children are taught in public schools where braille instruction and materials are in short supply, and where tape recordings and computer technology are used as a substitute. Although these media provide children with access to information, they do not allow blind children to learn to read and write independently; only braille allows for complete command of the written language. The Press produces books and periodicals for blind children and adults and actively promotes braille literacy.

Scholastic Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school- based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, http://www.scholastic.com . SOURCE Scholastic

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