The hype surrounding “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is lovely proof that children still like to read nowadays – television is not the all-too-powerful stimulant.

The seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series has topped all previous sale records, which was something to be expected, considering the fact that numerous fans took their place in lines in front of bookstores days before the release.

US publisher Scholastic said an overwhelming 8.3 million copies of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” were sold within the first 24 hours on sale in the United States.

Fans dressed up as wizards and witches and other representatives of the Hogwarts universe and waited to get their hands on the precious book, wondering what fate author JK Rowling had reserved for their favorite characters.

There were fears boy-wizard Harry Potter or one of his close friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, would die in this final book – as soon as they had their prized possession, the eager readers retreated to their lairs and savored the pages.

The Harry Potter series has sold over 133 million copies in the past ten years in the US, according to Scholastic, adding up sales of “The Deathly Hallows.” The counting continues.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” came out in 2002 and was quickly snatched by more than 6 million people, according to the Times. With the new book, Rowling has set a whole new record.

“Deathly Hallows” averaged more than 300,000 copies sold per hour, which equals more than 5,000 copies a minute.

With $34.99 per book, the revenue reaches a fair $250 million.

“The excitement, anticipation, and just plain hysteria that came over the entire country this weekend was a bit like the Beatles' first visit to the U.S.,” Scholastic president Lisa Holton said in a statement Sunday.

“This weekend kids and adults alike are sitting on buses, in the park, on airplanes and in restaurants reading 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.' The conversations the readers have been waiting to have for 10 years have just begun.”

It’s nice to see young ones reading. Rowling has even hinted that she may publish a new book about Harry Potter’s world in the near future, something resembling an encyclopedia. All good news for fans.