NORWALK, Conn., July 26, 2005 – More than 500 fans attended Stew Leonard’s midnight Potter parties on Friday, July 15 to be among the first to read J.K. Rowling’s sixth installment of the Harry Potter book series. In conjunction with the book release, Stew Leonard’s held a book review contest, asking readers to submit an evaluation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by the following Friday, July 22, for a chance to win a $50.00 Stew Leonard’s gift certificate.

Stew Leonard’s is pleased to announce the following three winners of the contest (one from each store location.) Not only did these young readers devour all 652 pages in one week, they also took the time to thoughtfully critique the book:

NORWALK STORE WINNER: Will Connors, age 11, Norwalk. Connecticut
● What did you like or dislike about the book? “I disliked the fact that the book only had a few more plot twists. I only learned a few new things. Other than that, it was great.”

● Would you recommend the book to others? “Only if you have a keen memory of the other five books. If your memory is fuzzy or you haven’t read the other books yet, I suggest brushing up on your Harry Potter history first.”

● What was your favorite Harry Potter book? “I really like the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”

● Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? Sirius Black.

● Overall rating? (out of 5)

DANBURY STORE WINNER: Luke Aho Shearin, age 11, Newtown, Connecticut
● What did you like or dislike about the book?“I liked how Harry was allowed to continue his studies to become an Auror and also allowed to play Quidditch.”

● Would you recommend the book to others? “Yes, I would recommend it very, very highly.”

● What was your favorite Harry Potter book? “There is no way to decide. I liked them all.”

● Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? “My favorite is Sirius Black because he’s fun and isn’t afraid of anything – even death. He also doesn’t care about getting in trouble.”

● Overall rating? (out of 5)

YONKERS STORE WINNER: Cara Ledwidge, age 11, Bronx, NY
● What did you like or dislike about the book? “I liked how Harry is ready to complete every challenge he is faced with, or at least willing to die trying! Harry shows loyalty to those living and deceased and makes known that they did not support him for nothing.”

● Would you recommend the book to others? “Yes, I would recommend this book to others because it shows the virtues of courage, faithfulness, loyalty, friendship and love, which are extremely important things.”

● What was your favorite Harry Potter bookHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

● Who is your favorite Harry Potter character? “Harry Potter because he shows loyalty to his friends.”

● Overall rating? (out of 5)

“Congratulations to Will, Luke and Cara – you all did a great job on your reviews! I am very impressed with how quickly you read the book, and also your insightful comments. You are terrific role models to encourage others about the importance of reading. Bravo!,” said Stew Leonard, Jr., President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s.

Stew Leonard’s still has available copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for $17.99 (40 percent off the retail price of $29.99) and customers also receive a free two-liter bottle of soda with every book purchased. The three store locations sold more than 2,000 copies of the book in the first week.

About Stew Leonard’s
Stew Leonard’s, a family-owned and operated grocery founded in 1969, has three stores in Norwalk and Danbury, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y., with additional stores planned in East Farmingdale, N.Y. and Orange, Conn. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work” for the past four consecutive years. For more information and directions to store locations, visit Stew Leonard’s website at www.stewleonards.com.