Thought of the day: as if the original Harry Potter readers weren’t young enough, now the series will be released with newly designed covers intended to “appeal to the next generation of readers who did not grow up” with the series, according to British publisher Bloomsbury.

The “signature” edition of J.K. Rowling’s incredibly successful books will be released Nov. 1 exclusively in paperback. Linocut artist Clare Melinsky created the new illustrations; Webb & Webb Design Limited produced the design. Melinsky’s work will appear on the front cover, back cover and spine for all seven Harry Potter titles. 

Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of the series, also launched a newly redesigned Harry Potter website.

I’m sure, though, that the redesigns have nothing to do with the fact that Bloomsbury’s sales figures for 2009 showed a 39% decline – thanks in no small part to an absence of new Harry Potter books that year.