UPDATE: Amazon has updated their site with their first review of the tale The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. Use the links below to see that review and more as they are posted. The online retail store has announced on their website that they made the $3.98 million purchase of Tales of Beedle the Bard at the Sotheby's-hosted charity auction today. Along with this announcement, they have released several details about the book: - The book is 157 pages. - Amazon plans to "take the book on tour to libraries and schools so that kids can get a look at the magic in the Bard's own handwriting." - Amazon will not be making a print version of the book (they have no rights to publishing its contents). - On this page, you can find several high quality pictures of the book in all its glory. At the bottom of the page there is a video where JK Rowling's note to the buyer is read. - Amazon promises reviews of all five tales included in Beedle the Bard. - Official press release right here. For more information about today's bid, click here.

As reported earlier this week Amazon.com, the winning bidder of The Tales of Beedle the Bard for a staggering $3.98 million will be posting reviews of all the stories contained within the book. They have now released a review of the second story, The Fountain of Fair Fortune. All reviews can be seen on this page. The auction was held to benefit The Children's Voice. Thanks to Dylan for the update!

Amazon.com has now released reviews of the third and fourth stories found in The Tales of Beedle The Bard, The Warlock's Hairy Heart and Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump. All reviews can be seen on this page and keep checking back as a summary of the final tale has yet to be posted.

Ah, and what a year it was. 2007 was BY FAR the biggest year for Harry Potter fans that we have ever seen. It was filled with book releases, movie releases, theme park announcements, gay character announcements, and oh-so-much more. We now present to you our fourth annual Year in Review, highlighting the biggest and most interesting stories of 2007. Feel free to use the comments of this news post to reflect on this year and discuss what's coming in 2008. Also, look for two more big projects appearing here from MuggleNet within the next week!

Back in December, Amazon purchased JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard for $3.98 million in a charity auction. The online retailer promised they would work on some plans, and today they've announced a new contest that will let you fly to London and read the tales yourself! For more details on how to enter (you must be 13 or older), click here! Good luck to everyone who enters, and thanks to everyone who e-mailed with the tip!

Yahoo! Local has posted a new video giving an inside look at just how much care Amazon puts into protecting Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of small fairy tales that JK Rowling donated to charity (the winning bidder was Amazon). Daphne Durham, Amazon's Book Managing Editor, talks about what it's like to hold the book and it's said that there are still some hidden secrets yet-to-be-revealed within the book. Thanks to Lori and Charles for the tip!

About a month ago, Amazon announced a new contest giving a lucky winner the chance to read Tales of Beedle the Bard themselves. The semifinalists were announced today and voting has commenced for the two different age groups. Click here to vote in the 13 - 17 age group and click here to vote for 18 and above. You must have a free Amazon account. Each group's winner will receive a $1,000 Amazon gift certificate. They will also move on to the final round of voting to determine the grand prize winner, which begins May 13th. Voting in the current semifinalists round wraps up May 11th, so make sure to get your vote in soon! Thanks to Becky and Tessa for the tip.

Last month they kicked off the contest, last week they announced the semifinalists, and today Amazon has posted the two finalists from the 13 - 17 and 18+ categories. You can now vote for which contestant you believe should win the trip to London to read from JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard. To vote, click here! As with voting for the semifinalists, you must have a free Amazon. The voting runs from today through May 19th, and the winner will be announced on May 22nd.

Amazon has revealed the one lucky Potter fan who'll fly to London and read JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard: Rhiannon D of Australia! She spoke to Amazon about her big win: "I am so thankful and honored for all the votes I received from Amazon customers in this contest. I'm flattered that they felt my entry was worthy enough to win this fantastic prize, said Rhiannon. "I can’t believe I get to read this special book, and can't wait to spend a weekend with Beedle the Bard!" You can view Rhiannon's winning ballad right here on Amazon's site. Congrats to her!

The AFP is reporting that Amazon brought JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard to Japan in celebration of the their translation of Deathly Hallows: Amazon unveiled the book at a Tokyo press conference to promote the release of the Japanese translation of "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final novel of the series. The Japanese edition goes on sale later this month, but Amazon has already received more than 70,000 advance orders, the company said. Thanks to Cat for the tip!

Spanish and Catalan language publishers, Salamandra and Empúries respectively, have announced that Beedle the Bard will be released on the same date as the English version: December 4th. The titles are 'Los cuentos de Beedle el Bardo' (Spanish) and 'Les rondalles de Beedle el Bard' (Catalan). Good news for our Spanish visitors, si? Thanks to HarryLatino and BlogHogwarts for the tip!

The slipcase cover for the French edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was released earlier today. It depicts a picture of Dumbledore reading a book at his desk while taking copious notes. You can get a closer look at the image here courtesy of SnitchSeeker.com. This French edition will be released on December 4th.

BBC News is reporting this morning that our favorite author will be reading from Tales of Beedle the Bard at a 'Beedle' tea party in Scotland on the same day the book is released in the US and UK: She will read extracts from one of them at the Beedle tea party at the National Library of Scotland (NLS), hosted by The Children's High Level Group (CHLG). The party will take place in Edinburgh on Thursday 4 December, the same day as the tale goes on sale in shops. The National Library of Scotland has borrowed an original copy of the tales from Barry Cunningham, JK Rowling's first editor. The Scotsman has a quote from Jo where she describes the importance of the Beedle proceeds: "Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children in eastern Europe are living in appalling conditions in large, residential institutions," she said. "Contrary to popular belief, fewer than 4% of them are orphans, but are in care because they are considered disabled or their families are poor or from ethnic minorities. The charity is publishing The Tales of Beedle the Bard to raise money to fund our work in helping these children out of institutions and in to loving families or community care homes. "I hope that The Tales of Beedle the Bard will not only be a welcome present to Harry Potter fans, but an opportunity to give these abandoned children a voice. It will encourage young people across the world to think about those who are less fortunate and help change many young lives for the better."

The US publisher of the Potter series has announced a children's essay contest, with the grand prize (five of 'em!) being a trip for two to Jo's Beedle the Bard tea party on December 4th: ...fans are asked to write an essay of 200 words or less describing how they have helped others. Because so many kids today are taking an interest in helping others in their schools, communities and around the world, the Scholastic contest gives them an opportunity to write about causes they care about and what they’ve done to make a difference. The contest begins today and entries must be received by 5 p.m. EST on October 30. Additionally, Scholastic announced that an original copy of Beedle the Bard will be on display from December 5th to January 4th at The New York Public Library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City. The original copy was graciously lended to the library by Scholastic's Arthur Levine, who edited all seven Potter books.

Fans may remember last summer when MuggleCast hosted a live podcast in the heart of London at Waterstone's Piccadilly. Now, we're very excited to announce that Jamie, Matt, Elysa, Micah and I will be back at the same store for their Tales of Beedle the Bard release party! We'll be hosting a live podcast shortly before the midnight release, and Waterstone's will also play host to a variety of other entertainment throughout the night. Tickets will cost 5 pounds for the event, which INCLUDES Beedle the Bard itself (the rest is for the live MuggleCast and other entertainment). Tickets will be available soon and we'll make another post as soon as they're ready for purchase. The event will be limited to 500 tickets, with a limit of 4 per person, so stay tuned to MuggleNet to make sure you grab your spots! This page will stay updated with the latest details. We can't wait to see everyone there!

The online retailer is currently running two Beedle the Bard-related contests: - First, the Amazon Customers Vote promotion will be held again this year and Beedle the Bard is included in their discount sales for 50% off: Of the 1,000 copies available for purchase through Amazon Customers Vote, the first 35 customers to place an order with a valid payment method will receive an extra special holiday surprise--a copy autographed by J.K. Rowling herself. Read all of the details right here, as the process for being able to purchase the Collector's Edition for 50% off are pretty detailed. - Second, Amazon Germany is holding a contest from now through December 2nd to win a signed Collector's Edition of Beedle the Bard. Simply answer the question on their site and submit the form. The contest is open to everyone outside of Germany as well. Thanks to Elysa, Kevin and Koury for the tips!

For our visitors in the United Kingdom, Amazon is now offering ten signed copies of the Beedle the Bard Collector's Edition. To enter, simply pre-order the Collector's Edition (if you've already pre-ordered, you're in!). Don't forget, there are also two contests for US and German customers. Additionally, three more versions of the cover and a scan from the Bulgarian version have now made their way online: - Bulgarian cover - Scan from Bulgarian version, featuring sketch by JKR - Spanish cover - Japanese cover Beedle the Bard is now 10 days away from release and will benefit The Children's High Level Group. Don't forget, MuggleCast will be hosting a live podcast at Waterstone's in London during their midnight release party. For more details, click here! Thanks to Harry Latino for the pictures!

There are more contest updates today regarding Beedle the Bard for you. First, Scholastic has announced the five winners of their national essay contest. These lucky Potter fans will each receive a trip to Edinburgh for JK Rowling's Beedle the Bard release event. Congratulations to them! Also, Amazon France is now a part of the signed-Beedle the Bard giveaway. The contest is only open to residents of France, and there are ten signed copies up for grabs. Simply answer five questions and you'll be entered! Don't forget, Amazon is hosting other Beedle-related contests: click HERE for American visitors, HERE for British visitors, and HERE for German visitors. Thanks to Gazette Du Sorcier and Emily for the tips!

For Harry Potter fans in Southern California, Whimsic Alley is the place to be Wednesday night when The Tales of Beedle the Bard is released. The party starts on December 3rd around 10:00 p.m. PT with refreshments, games, contests, readings, and special guests. The book goes on sale at midnight. Admission to the event is free to all who would like to attend and no purchase is necessary. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes. WhimsicAlley.com is also offering all MuggleNet readers a 15% discount on your order this holiday season. Click below for complete information on this special offer as well as further details on the release party.

In addition to MuggleCast's live show at Waterstones Piccadilly and Whimsic Alley's release party, it has now been announced that most Borders and Waldenbooks stores will host release parties beginning at 6 p.m. on December 4. The release notes that "the events will include trivia games, arts-and-crafts activities and a discussion of a crucial chapter from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' that features one of the fables detailed in 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard.'" Please contact your local Borders or Waldenbooks to find out their plans!

- The AP's London base has a new report about The Tales of Beedle the Bard online tonight, and we now know that 8 million copies have been printed for the initial worldwide release. 3.5 million of those copies are in the US alone. - Lastly, one MuggleNet reader has reported seeing the book already on sale. From Michael: [My friend] was shopping at our local Kroger Supermarket when she surprisingly came across the new Tales of Beedle the Bard book. She was outraged because the book's release is not until Thursday December 4th. She refused to open and read the book, but took plenty of photos of her finding (with herself and the supermarket in plain view of the books on the shelf). I immediately notified the store manager about the dilemma but he was very rude about the matter. So, I made a phone call to Scholastic Inc. They were very helpful and are currently trying to solve this problem as we speak.

Earlier today, one of the seven original handwritten copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard was unveiled at the New York Public Library. Performing the honors were Arthur Levine, Scholastic co-editor of the Harry Potter series and Paul LeClerc, President of the New York Public Library. Levine, who has lent his own personal copy to the library for display discussed the importance of the Potter series as a whole and his enjoyment in working on The Tales of Beedle the Bard, particularly the back and forth commentary between author J.K. Rowling and Albus Dumbledore. He went on to say that his favorite tale was the "Fountain of Fair Fortune," which you can see him reading from later tonight. Video and pictures of Rowling and Levine reading from Beedle the Bard will be available right here at 12:01 AM EST. The book will be on display in a free exhibit (within the library's Humanities and Social Sciences Library) from December 5th until January 4th. Scholastic also announced that they'll be donating three copies of the book to all 87 branches of the New York Public Library. Following its run at the library the book will reside at Brown University, Levine's alma mater. I was able to capture a few photos at the event which you can see below: Before the unveiling Copy unveiled by Arthur Levine and Paul LeClerc Full Beedle the Bard display Poster in display case Paul LeClerc with display, Beedle boxes and video Close-up: Beedle the Bard Close-up: Opening Page Scholastic has also sent us the following three photos: Scholastic 1 Scholastic 2 Scholastic 3

BBC News covered our live podcast at Waterstone's last night and has this video online from when the books went on sale at midnight. The Scotsman has an article highlighting a midnight release party in Scotland, and they quote MuggleNet staff member Christie Roberts and her friend. The Telegraph also made note of the midnight release and quoted my first review from this morning. As for reviews, those are surfacing through various press outlets: The Daily Mail, The Associated Press, and The Telegraph. Much more to come later today! JK Rowling's Beedle release party will begin shortly in Edinburgh, and we hope to have pictures from the event.

Have you ever wanted to go to Hogwarts? Magical Tours is currently registering for their summer 2009 tours but they are filling up fast! This is your chance to join other MuggleNet visitors on a once in a lifetime trip to see the filming locations of the movies! To read more about the filming locations visit FindHogwarts.com and then learn about the tours at Magicaltours.org To celebrate the release of JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Magical Tours is giving away one Collector's Edition of the book to the person who submits the best Harry Potter fan photo! There are other great prizes as well including wands from Alivan's! Upload your best fan photograph from a Harry Potter related event - whether it's a tour, a book release party, or just waiting to see the movie with friends! We want to see pictures that best capture the Harry Potter phenomenon! Entries are due Monday, December 8th. Click Here for more details and the complete rules.

According to a report earlier today from CinemaBlend.com, Warner Brothers is looking into making The Tales of Beedle the Bard a major motion picture. "Knowing that the magical gravy train is coming to an end, the WB is looking for ways to squeeze more out of Potter." According to their sources, WB is still trying to figure out exactly how the book would translate into a film. Please remember that this is pure speculation and should be treated as a rumor until more info becomes available! Thanks to Kat for the tip!

The Telegraph is reporting that JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard has become the fastest selling book of 2008: The Tales of Beedle the Bard – mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the latest book in wizard boy series – sold 367,625 copies in the first three days after publication on December 4. Next on the list was Guinness World Records 2008, which sold 73,000 over the same time period, according to market analysts Nielsen BookScan. Philip Stone, charts editor at The Bookseller magazine, commented: "None of the other big releases managed to get near the sales figure for Beedle the Bard. I would be very surprised if it is not Christmas number one, but it's not a dead cert." Congratulations, Jo!

On top of this morning's news of The Tales of Beedle the Bard becoming the fastest selling book of 2008, USA Today now reports that it's holding the #1 spot on their bestseller list: Stephenie Meyer, the American author who is often called the new J.K. Rowling, has been bumped from the top of USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list — by J.K. Rowling. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Rowling's collection of five fairy tales, will enter the list Thursday at No. 1. Even though Rowling has loosened Meyer's iron grip on the top spot, Meyer's teen vampire novels remain sizzling hot, thanks to the hit movie adaptation of Twilight, the first book in the series.

Last week, we told you about some rumors that revealed Warner Brother's interest in creating a film based off of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Now, the Los Angeles Times has an interesting piece about what WB could do to make it a successful film. For example: Expand "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" -- and don't fuss with the ending. The darkest of the stories is also the most ripe for fleshing out into a two-hour movie, should Rowling be interested in picking the unconventional fairy tale back up. We'd need to see the Warlock before he decided to stow away his heart, lest we watch the selfish wretch for two hours straight, it'd be kind of gory, and without a happy ending. But there are directors who know a thing or two about dark fantasies. ("Pan's Labyrinth" anyone? Looking at you, Guillermo del Toro.) Do you think WB could pull it off? Tell us your answer in our latest Beedle poll, on the right side of this page.

Scholastic has issued a press release this morning, detailing the first official international sales figures for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which has sold 2.6 million copies and grossed roughly $8.5 million in its first full week for the The Childiren's High Level Group. J.K. Rowling has expressed her thanks today to all those who have bought a copy of her charity book, making it the fastest selling title of 2008 and raising millions of pounds for children suffering in institutions. "I am absolutely delighted that so much money has been raised," she said, "and would like to thank everyone who has so far purchased a copy of the book. All royalties will be going to help children without families, many of them with disabilities, whose voices have been unheard for many years." Read the rest of the press release below.

It's finally here! JK Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard is now available in the United States and United Kingdom. Fans across the world have participated in midnight release parties (including ours) to celebrate the book. Those of us in the UK right now have had a few hours to digest what we've just purchased for charity. The book is honestly a work of art - as precious as one of the original seven copies. The pages of the book feel so delicate, enclosed by a hardback cover with a soft texture. Each tale ends with a few pages of additional details from Albus Dumbledore, and JKR added a few (quite humorous) footnotes to each detail area so that we can understand some of the things Albus gets into. What are YOUR thoughts on Beedle if you've gotten your hands on it? Leave 'em in the comments below! We're eager to see what the fandom thinks. MuggleCast will be recording a full review show in the next few days. If you want to participate, send an e-mail to mugglecast at staff dot mugglenet dot com with any questions or comments you have. As Scholastic promised, a video of editor Arthur Levine reading his handwritten copy of the book can be found right here. Just scroll down to "Video Downloads" to see that and video of Wednesday's media unveiling at the New York Public Library!

New videos of JK Rowling at The Tales of Beedle the Bard release in Edinburgh has been posted on the Bloomsbury website. At the tea party which housed roughly 200 students, she signs copies of Beedle, answers a few questions, and reads an except from the book. The Tales of Beedle the Bard was released on December 4, 2008. Thanks HarryLatino.com!