Would You Read It is here. I promise 🙂 And anyone who wants to can skip the special first part of this post and scroll right down to the pitch, which is pretty close to the bottom. But for those of you who are up for a little insanity fun… 🙂
Once upon a time, I had a hairbrained scheme to send Phyllis on a World Tour. During the tour, it came up somewhere along the line that the treasure hunt in April Fool, Phyllis! was based on the birthday hunts my dad used to make for us when we were kids, which I now do with my kids. A dear friend of mine, who welcomed Phyllis into her Saskatchewan home during the tour, remarked that a birthday hunt sounded like fun, and she’d really like to give it a try sometime.
Beth Stilborn is a pillar of our writing community. She writes a wonderful blog about writing and the arts, with a special love of theatre. She, along with Emma Walton Hamilton, established The Children’s Book Hub Face Book page. She is incredibly supportive to all of us in the writing community, and she is always up for a hairbrained scheme 🙂 And she’s a nice person 🙂 and kind to groundhogs 🙂
So, Beth, Happy Birthday from me, and Phyllis, and a whole bunch of your blogging family. Here is your birthday hunt 🙂 It’s not quite the way my dad did it, but hopefully it will work and be fun. And of course, anyone else who likes solving puzzles is welcome to play along! It’s not too hard because it is a bit long (12 clues because your birthday is 12/12 :)) but should you have any difficulty, there are hints 🙂 Many hints can be found right here on my blog too, in the side bars or recent posts.
Instructions:
Solve each clue in order. When you have cracked the code and figured out what the clue says, do what it tells you. When you get there, you will find a word in colorful bold-face font. Write it down! Then come back here for the next clue. Eventually all the words will make a message and lead you to your present 🙂 If you need a hint, click the HINT button 🙂
#1
ashowy omet whowt swithe ipositivet aparentall oparticipationg
egor etherel
#2
LEVI GSV ML DZGVI IREVI ZMW GSILFTS
GSV DLLWH GL IVMVV’H YOLT DV TL!
#3
#4
Go there!
#5
1-18-20-9-19-20, 23-18-9-20-5-18, 23-9-6-5, 1-14-4
8-15-13-5-19-3-8-15-15-12-9-14-7 13-15-13 12-9-22-9-14-7
9-14 20-8-5 23-15-15-4-19 15-6 13-1-9-14-5 – 19-20-15-16
9-14 6-15-18 1 22-9-19-9-20!
#6
A3 C4 C2 A5 B3 A1 E3 A5 D3 C4 C2 A5 B1 D5 C3 A1 D4
D4 B3 A5 B3 A1 A2 B4 D4 D5 A1 C1 D2 B3 E4 C2 A5 D2 ‘ D3
#7
…- .. … .. –
– …. .
– .- .-.. . -. – . -..
.- .-. – .. … –
.– …. —
-.-. .-. . .- – . -..
– …. .
.–. . .-. ..-. . -.-. .
.–. .. -.-. . ..- .-. .
-… — — -.-
.-.. — –. —
#8
golf oscar foxtrot india november delta alpha papa lima alpha charlie echo whiskey hotel echo romeo echo charlie hotel india lima delta romeo echo november’ sierra bravo oscar oscar kilo sierra hotel echo alpha lima
#9
Cubomube crubeubatube cuburubiuboubus wubith Kubirstuben!
#10 (apologies, I ran out of secret codes and time so I’m reusing one! but no hint since you’ve already done it :))
HLNV KVLKOV ZIV ZIXSRGVXGH,
VMTRMVVIH, XLLPH
YFG GSRH LMV RH HKVXRZO –
GSRH PRW IVERVBH YLLPH!
TL KZB SRN Z ERHRG!
(I told you – no HINT :))
#11
g s jl rwn zch wh wrts llstrts nd rds chldrn’s bks
#12
PHEW! I hope Beth (and at least a few others) made it this far before next week 🙂 and I hope everything worked as it was supposed to and there weren’t too many glitches and/or mistakes. Any complaints about execution may be directed to the management, who will probably refer you to the resident Seer Of Seers, Prognosticator Of Prognosticators, Weather Prophet Extraordinaire 🙂 (because she’s cute and furry and hard to stay annoyed at :))
(Side note: this hunt will only work properly (assuming it ever does :)) on 12/12/12. After that, when you follow the clue directions, you will have to scroll back to the bloggers’ 12/12/12 post.)
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 🙂 Would You Read It!
The winner of the first ever tied pitch pick is: LARISSA!!!
That was quite a hard-won win – congratulations! Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for a read and comments! And congratulations to everyone who wrote wonderful pitches and then made them even better. You are all winners as far as I’m concerned 🙂
Now then, the runner up of the first ever tied pitch pick, has a new pitch!
Kim is “Mama” to a wonderful 8-year-old with multiple nicknames, wife of a genius, and has switched careers numerous times in her short (ha!) life. She has been passionate about picture books since her first encounter with Dr. Seuss, though it has taken her decades (don’t ask) to realize that writing them is something that she can probably do for the rest of her life. She writes a wonderful blog over at Kid Lit Dish and is a regular participant in PPBF. She would love it if you’d like to follow her on Twitter or like her on Face Book!
Here is her new pitch:
Working Title: Oyster And Pearl
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Pearl is a tiny grain of sand that lives in the bottom of the ocean. She feels insignificant in her world and both envious AND enamored of the star in the sky that she can see above her at night. As she sets her sights on joining the star, she encounters many challenges… until finally, one night, she meets Oyster, who helps her become a star of her own.
Kim is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! And I am looking forward to seeing whether Beth can solve her birthday hunt and whether anyone else takes a crack at it! If you solve it, let me know 🙂
Have a terrific day, everyone! And happy birthday dear Beth, happy birthday to you 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
thanks for sharing.
Happy Birthday to Beth! Wow, my head is still reeling from that Birthday Hunt! Your Dad sounds amazing, Susanna, and you must be a genius to have grown-up solving these puzzles..phew!
The story sounds sweet. I would just tighten up the pitch a bit. “In the sky that she can see above her at night,”for example, can be shortened by eliminating obvious words as “above” and “night.” Love the idea!
Happy Birthday to Miss Beth, but the challenge puzzles made my eyes cross! As for Oyster & Pearl, a hearty YES! I can envision the characters, and the pitch suggests a twist that very often happens in life: you desire something with all your heart, but then fate intervenes with something better. Good Luck, Kim!
I like it. I would definitely read this story. All of us feel insignificant at one time or another.
The birthday challenge? Listen, I'm old. I may not live long enough for my petrified old brain to figure it out.
I would read it. I'm not sure if this has all the elements of a pitch, though. There's no conflict. But I'm already visualizing the illustrations (not that I'm an illustrator).
Susanna, you are simply amazing!
I am a yes for the pitch and would agree with Iza's suggestions for a little tightening by word elimination. We can al relate to that feeling of being insignificant.
Susanna, I am left speechless by your clues! Mindblowing. You're amazing!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear Beth!
WOW, that was an amazing treasure hunt! I had such fun deciphering the clues (okay, okay, I confess to checking the hints for most of the codes…) and visiting the blogs. THANK YOU, Susanna, and THANK YOU everyone who participated. You've knocked my socks off with this wonderful birthday surprise! (For someone who used to exchange letters with her honorary nephew in Morse Code, having coded clues was perfect… although it's been several years since Wilson and I did that letter thing, and I did have to look it up! I knew the international aviation alphabet, though! Alpha bravo charlie delta…)
THANK YOU!!!!
And yes, I would read it, getting back to the pitch!
Susanna…kudos for the birthday treasure hunt puzzle…thanks for including me in the fun for Beth!
I love this story idea, Kim. I would definitely read it…and agree that perhaps a little tightening might not be amiss…it's a great concept…most of us can understand and appreciate the feeling of envy AND adoration directed at the same object/person. 🙂
Happy 12/12/12 everyone. 🙂
Yes I'd read it! Great message and very unique. 🙂
And what an amazing b-day puzzle. My brain is on the sidelines cheering everyone on in the hunt!
Susanna, that is amazing hunt. Very cool and sweet of you. Happy Birthday Beth!
Yes would read the story, but I think the pitch could be tightened up.
Trying to type with tears in my eyes. What a wonderful act of friendship for a dear friend. Happy birthday, Beth! How fitting that your birthday coincides with the 12x12x12 blogfest.
Re Kim's pitch, Yes, I would read this story! It sounds so lovely. I do think, thought, that the pitch could be tightened a bit.
WoW! Beth certainly solved that quickly. Happy Birthday Beth. I only figured out 3 clues. Don't even know which clue led you to my blog, What was the treasure message?
Congratulations Larissa! And, yes, I would read it. The pitch, needs to be a little tighter as others have suggested. Great idea for a story.
I love the pitch and the story idea. I love the idea of becoming something special from just a grain of sand and I love the idea of teaching actual science about how pearls are made. I do think the pitch could be tightened a bit, and my one hesitation when I read it was how relatable a grain of sand could really be? Good illustrations and good writing can go far, but I think I'd like to see some of that in the pitch so that I'm sold. Can you give a hint of Pearl's voice and character so I understand how I'm supposed to care about sand? 🙂
I'm no genius, Iza, but I did grow up solving these kinds of puzzles. They're not so hard when you know the codes 🙂 Thanks so much for your helpful comments for Kim!
Hence the hints, Linda 🙂 Just because I've done puzzles like these since I was little, doesn't mean they make sense to anyone else! 🙂 Thanks for your comments for Kim!
Hahaha! You are funny Delores! I *PUT* hints… I'm sure you could do it! Thanks so much for your comments for Kim!
Muchas gracias for your comments for Kim, Stina! (Can you believe how well I speak espanol?)
Kind of you to say, but not that amazing 🙂 Maybe your boys would have fun solving the codes 🙂
Thanks so much for your comments for Kim, Joanna! And the clues just look impressive – they're really pretty simple codes, and once you know them, not that clever 🙂 I am not responsible for thinking up Morse code, for example 🙂
I'm glad you had fun, Beth! Excellent job flying through the clues 🙂 And thanks so much for you comment for Kim. Happy Birthday!
Thank you so much for being a part of it Vivian – I couldn't have done it without you and all the others 🙂 Thanks so much for your comments for Kim, too!
Thanks for your comments for Kim, Coleen! And as for the treasure hunt, the only one I know who tried it besides Beth was Renee 🙂
Well, you know me, Darshana – always up for puzzles and games 🙂 Thanks for your comments for Kim!
I'm pretty sure the one that led to your blog, Pat, was the international aviation code – you know, Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta. And I don't think I should tell you the message – you have to work a little harder than that 🙂 If you solved 3, you've got 25% of the message, plus you already know your word 🙂 Get back to me in a day or two 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment for Kim, and for being game to join the birthday hunt – your message was lovely!
Thanks so much for your thoughts for Kim, Patricia! And I'm glad you liked the birthday hunt idea 🙂
Thanks so much for your very helpful comments for Kim, Wendy!
Thanks Susanna, for schlepping me along on (truly honored) on another hair-brained scheme! Congrats to Larissa. Yes, I'd read Kim's book! Great premise, and I imagine it would be a fun challenge to illustrate a grain of sand! And I'd buy the book for my mom, Pearl! But I would tighten the pitch. You could take out 'that she can see above her at night', because we can figure that already; and leave out the word 'finally', without changing much.
Well thank YOU for being willing to schlepp along, Julie 🙂 And thanks for your helpful comments for Kim!
You're a nut and I love that about you! How do you find the time? What great birthday elves you have! What a fun birthday treat! I'm still trying to figure out the clues. Happy Birthday to the Amazing Beth! Also congrats, Larissa!
As for the pitch, YES! I'd definitely read it. The journey and adventure of a grain of sand sounds exciting. The vastness of the sky and the ocean opposite the tiny grain of sand is poetic. I agree with everyone else about editing. For example, the tiny grain feels insignificant. She's envious, yet enamored of the night star and “sets her sights…” Your sentences won't be as naked as that, but you get the idea. Kim, it sounds like it's going to be a wonderful read. Please keep us updated on your progress.
What a FUN treasure hunt . . . I got #1 straight away, no hint required. 😉
Happy Birthday to Beth.
Congrats to Larissa.
Happy 12/12/12 to ALL!
Well, you know, Pam – sometimes you feel like a nut 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the clues. Let me know if you figure them out! And thanks so much for your comments for Kim!
Good for you, Nancy! The thing about these kinds of codes is that if you see them, they're so obvious, but if you don't they're so hard! 🙂 I think #3 was the easiest 🙂
Thank you for posting my pitch, Susanna… And thank you, everyone, for your comments! I'm sorry for the delay– crazy day! I'll review these now… Thanks again!
Thank you, Iza… Yes, I do see that now. Thank you for pointing that out!
Thank you, Linda! And — yes, that was my intended “theme” for this one… It's one I started eons ago. It never finished. Appreciate your hearty yes! 😉
Thank you, Delores! And LOL on your challenge comment!
You're welcome, Kim! And no worries – I know exactly how you feel! I wouldn't know where my head was today if it wasn't attached… wait a minute… 🙂
Thank you, Stina! I was thinking the conflicts would come along the way of Pearl's journey– you know, all of those typical things we all run up against when we're trying to swim up from the bottom of an ocean (without arms or legs) in order to meet up with some elusive star… ;-). Seriously, I am envisioning conflicts aplenty in that ocean! Appreciate your feedback!
Congrats to Larissa and a Happy Birthday to Beth!
Thank you, Joanna!! And Happy B-Day to Beth, too!
Happy Birthday, Beth! Hope it was a great one!! And thank you!
Thank you, Vivian! And definitely agree on the tightening now… Can't wait to finish this one now!
Thank you, Coleen! I'll take unique!
Thank you, Darshana! I appreciate it!
Thank you, Patricia… and, yes, I agree and I will! 🙂
Thank you, Patricia!
OK OK I have to admit I've been busy decoding the clues and am getting back here to finally comment 😉 This was a totally cool idea Ms. Hill… hey YOUR Birthday is in December too right?!? 😉
I love the pitch. I think is sounds like a great bedtime story already!
Great thoughts, Wendy… thank you! I will do that when I revise!
Thank you, Julie! If I ever finish this and get it published, *I* will send a copy to your mom! 🙂