"We can easily say that grade school children are reading more foreign languages," said Rolf Pitsch, chairman of the foundation. He called it the "internationalization of literature," one that is having an important bolstering effect on the stagnating German book market.

The Foundation for Reading, funded largely by private sponsors, promotes reading at all levels of German society.

"Harry Potter" does indeed have something to do with the phenomenon, Pitsch told the news agency dpa. German editions of the books generally appear three months after the original versions, inspiring many kids to get a jump on their language skills to keep ahead of the pack.

Rather than creating unwanted competition, foreign language books printed in Germany can be a boon to German publishers. "They offer great opportunities for marketing," Pitsch said.

But when it comes to the "Potter" series, at least, children themselves are more likely to be in for the trend than for a language lesson. More than 100,000 copies of the book were pre-ordered in Germany before its July 16 release date.