Next stop, Hogwarts

With some writers, you wonder if they will ever complete a projected book, and some never do. But after six volumes, nobody wonders about J.K. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter novels. There's one more book to go, and Rowling has let the word be known that it will contain new sorrows. But no one knows exactly when the book will be finished.

But that's no reason not to start selling. Borders Books & Music this week began taking potential orders for the book with no title and no publication date -- surely another of the many firsts for this remarkable series, which has virtually redefined children's literature. We say "potential" because no money changes hands -- you just put your name in to be notified "as soon as the book is available for pre-order."