Care for a cup of tea with J. K. Rowling? To celebrate the U.S. release of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Scholastic, Rowling's U.S. publisher, is sponsoring a national essay contest for U.S. kids—and the five winners and their chaperones get an all-expense paid trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, to attend an exclusive event at the National Library of Scotland. The December 4, 2008 celebration includes a children's tea party, where Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter books, will read from Beedle the Bard and then take part in a question-and-answer session hosted by Barry Cunningham, publisher of the Chicken House imprint and Rowling's first editor. To enter the essay contest, fans are asked to write an essay of 200 words or less describing how they've helped others. For instance, kids can write about causes they care about and what they've done to make a difference. Entrants must be legal residents of the United States and be between ages eight and 17. Each winner will have to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and both must have valid U.S. passports. See complete details on how to enter and official contest rules. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. EST on October 30. Beedle the Bard is a book of five fairy tales, originally produced in a limited edition of only seven copies. It was announced on July 31, 2008 that the book would be published for the general public on December 4 in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the U.S., with the proceeds going to charity On its release date, one of the original copies of Beedle the Bard, hand-written and illustrated by the author, will go on display at the New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, where it will remain until January 4, 2009.