My sincere apologies that the finalists are not going to be listed for your votes until at least Wednesday! Editorial deadlines… enough said. I’m so sorry for the delay and will do my very best to get the finalists posted as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience and understanding ❤
Ear of bat and toe of worm! It’s finally time for. . .
The 7th Annual HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!!!
~ for children’s writers ~
aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!!!
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words candy corn, monster, and shadow. (Candy corn will be counted as 1 word.) Your story can be scary, funny, or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂 (And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got nearly 150 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. monsters, monstrous, shadowy, shadowed, whathaveyou 🙂 NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES PLEASE! (And yes, you may submit more than one entry if you’re so inclined 🙂 )
Post: your story on your blog between right now this very second and Tuesday October 31st by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Perfect Picture Book or Would You Read It posts for the duration of the contest so the links will stay up for everyone to visit and enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section below (please include your byline if your posting handle is something like AwesomeWriter92 so I can identify you.) If you have difficulty posting in the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and I’ll post it for you. Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS!
Please Note: although you are welcome to submit more than one entry, please only post each entry ONCE! If you post it on your blog (preferred method) everyone will come visit you and you’ll make new friends! 🙂 If you don’t have a blog, post it in the comment section below. If you’re unable to post, please email me with your entry and byline in the body of the email. Please DO NOT post on your blog, and in the comments, and send me an email to post. It makes things confusing!
P.S. Although I try to stay glued to my computer 24/7 I am sometimes forced to leave my desk. If you haven’t commented on my blog before, your comment won’t show up until I approve it. It may take a little while if I’m away from my desk. Likewise, if you send me an entry to post, I promise I will do it as soon as I can!
The Judging: in a grueling marathon over the following days, my devoted assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 top choices (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with only 3, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Monday November 6th (sooner if possible, although I’m warning you ahead of time I have a deadline for something else and if time gets dicey the finalists may get posted later.) The winner will be announced on Thursday November 9th, good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 🙂 If we get more than 25 entries, I will post 6 finalists and give prizes for 1st – 3rd. If by some chance we get the kind of turnout we’ve had the past couple years, I may post as many as 10-12 finalists and I’ll probably end up giving everyone a prize 🙂 But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it!
Judging criteria will be as follows:
- 1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
- 2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
- 3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 🙂 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
- 4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 🙂 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important.
- 5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
The Prizes:
– a read and Skype critique of a picture book manuscript by the fabulous editor Callie Metler-Smith of Clear Fork/Spork Publishing!!!
– a spot in Renee LaTulippe’s fantastic INTENSIVE RHYME AND METER SELF-STUDY COURSE!!!
– a 30 minute Skype conversation/critique of a picture book manuscript with the amazingly wonderful and talented author Penny Klostermann!!! (THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT – Random House 2015, A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE – Random House 2017)
– a webinar of your choice from among the selection offered by Julie Hedlund on her Teachable site (details of selection choice to be discussed with Julie)
Julie Hedlund
– a picture book manuscript critique from accomplished author/illustrator Cori Doerrfeld (PENNY LOVES PINK – Little Brown 2011, LITTLE BUNNY FOO FOO: THE REAL STORY – Dial 2012 and the forthcoming THE RABBIT LISTENED – Dial 2018 and THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF ESTHER THE WONDER PIG – Little Brown 2018, and many, many more!)
Cori Doerrfeld
– a picture book manuscript critique from talented author Lynne Marie (HEDGEHOG GOES TO KINDERGARTEN – Scholastic 2011)
Lynne Marie
– a query letter critique from SubIt Club Founder and fabulous author Heather Burnell (BEDTIME MONSTER – Raven Tree Press 2010, KICK! JUMP! CHOP!: The Adventures of the Ninjabread Man – Sterling 2017)
Heather Burnell
– an e-pub or PDF copy (winner’s choice) of Linda Ashman‘s Nuts And Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books. OR a paperback copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation To Publication (on the off chance you don’t already have it 🙂 )
– a Bundle Of Books from KidLit411 (must be selected by someone in the USA due to postage) which will include picture books and middle grade book, about 7 in total, details still to come. (Totally awesome for writers, readers, parents, teachers, or gift-givers!!!)
– a personalized signed copy of GRIMELDA AND THE SPOOKTACULAR PET SHOW by Diana Murray PLUS a personalized signed copy of BIG SISTER, LITTLE MONSTER by Andria Rosenbaum
– a personalized signed copy of MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN by Nancy Churnin
– a copy of MEET WOOF & QUACK by Jamie Swenson and donated by the illustrator, Ryan Sias
Please join me again in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N or anywhere else if you like them, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 🙂
Now then. Time for my sample entry which I provide because I would never ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. Also, in case anyone is worried about the quality of their entry they have only to read my truly horrific attempt to be filled with confidence that their’s is MUCH better! I have to confess, I was really down to the wire this year (my schedule is a lot nuts!), I have some looming deadlines for various things… which is why I may be a little behind getting started reading entries and why the judging may be slightly delayed… just so you know… but I digress!
So, here goes nothing…!
Sneak Attack! (95 words)
Minnie Monster feels forlorn.
How she craves some candy corn!
Why do children have no clue
That monsters covet candy too?
Min peers out the closet door.
Plastic pumpkin on Jen’s floor
Brimming full of trick-or-treat
Surely more than Jen can eat!
What’s a monster girl to do
But help herself to just a few?
Min darts left, then tiptoes right.
Silent, stealthy, out of sight.
Candy corn within her reach,
Min emits a fearful screech!
Hurtles underneath Jen’s bed.
Hides her hairy monster head
From the THING that scared her so –
Nothing but her own shadow!
[And the two lines I had to cut from the end because they took the word count to 105:
Moral of this monster tale?
Don’t filch from another’s pail! 🙂 ]
Now then, darlings! Is everyone feeling better about their way-better-than-that! stories? I certainly HOPE so! 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of your entries! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still nearly 5 days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the google form below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!)
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links, click on them, and enjoy the stories!
Happy Writing and Happy Halloween!!! 🙂 🎃
Susanna Leonard Hill 
ENTRY #3 POSTED FOR RISA
SENDAK ADMIRER
By: Risa Rivera
It was October 31st and Scott woke up ecstatic. He was all decked out in his book character wear (no costumes allowed at school). As soon as he walked in, Mrs. Shadow called him over. He was waiting for her to point out that his “monster” outfit was a costume, but he loves Where the Wild Things Are. Instead she opened her hand, and pointed to his candy corn colored fidget spinner, and confiscated his most prized possession. Before heading to his seat, his teacher nods and says I like that wild thing! Day made.
Fidget spinners have now been recorded in the annals of Susanna’s Halloweensie contest. They’re official cultural icons. And I know many a teacher who would like to place them in the dust bin of history. Love how Scott gets around the “no costume” rules. Works for me!
Love that they dress up as book characters and that Scott kind of outsmarted the teacher by being a wild thing 🙂 And fidget spinners drive me nuts – but I’m glad they’ve made it into Halloweensie history! Thanks, Risa!
ENTRY POSTED FOR MIA
99 words
Ghosts and Goblins and Gremlins, Oh, My!
By Mia Geiger
Monsters are chomping,
romping and stomping.
Hold my hand, Mama.
Oh no, it’s a ghost;
he scares me the most.
Hold my hand, Mama.
A big Frankenstein:
No, that is NOT fine!
Hold my hand, Mama.
A creature with slime,
she’s creepy — big-time.
Hold my hand, Mama.
Gadzooks! A zombie!
Don’t let him see me!
Hold my hand, Mama.
Those shadows are weird;
much worse than I feared!
Hold my hand, Mama.
Okay, I’ll be brave —
I hope they behave!
Ding dong! Ding, ding, dong!
Candy corn? For me?
And all of it’s free?
Let me go, Mama!
Cute and sweet.
Very sweet,. But such a bittersweet moment too. Good luck.
Nice job, Mia! Fun story with great read-aloud rhythm. Love the repetition of “hold my hand” fun for kids to participate in when they learn to anticipate – and the great twist ending which sums up childhood completely! Thanks for a great entry!
Monster’s Woe 83 words
Nancy Riley
A witch, a monster, and a sprite,
Boldly march into the night.
“Treat-or-treat” they brightly cheer,
On this night – just once a year.
They knock upon each neighbor’s door
And hope for sweets they will adore.
They wander many shadowed streets
Begging for their candy treats.
“Whatcha get?” they ask each other
‘Neath the gaze of their watchful mother.
The witch and sprite are happy misses,
With Snickers, Mounds, and Hershey’s Kisses.
Monster’s face grew so forlorn,
“All I got was candy corn!”
I feel so sad for monster. Perhaps his friends will feel sorry for him and share their tasty candy…one can hope. Good luck in the contest!
I’m with ya, Monster, I want the Snickers and Hershey’s Kisses too! Delightful story Nancy!
Love it! Candy corn would make me sad, too.
Poor monster! But I like your sweet trick-or-treaters.
Oohhh! Awww! So sweet! And I love the rhyme!
Great rhyme and meter. Poor monster!
Nancy this reminds me of how Charlie Brown only got rocks. Very cute story.
Aw! Poor Monster! I feel for him! I would be very sad if all I got was candy corn! I hope his siblings share! Thanks for another fun entry, Nancy!
Nice job, Nancy!
That is cute and fresh rhymes!
THE GREAT CANDY CORN DEBATE
By: Mary Miller
100 words
Hear ye, hear ye!
Come one, come all.
To settle the debate,
we have each fall.
The mayor of Monsterville
questioned the mob.
Was candy corn better than
corn on the cob?
The witch yelled,
“Candy corn is delicious!
The ghost agreed.
“Plus, it’s somewhat nutritious.”
From the shadows
a tiny mummy spoke.
Candy corn nutritious?
This must be a joke.
“Folks disagree!
That’s okay.
Halloween only lasts
for ONE day.
If you love candy corn,
gobble it down!
If you don’t –
pass it around.”
From that day forward,
a deal was made.
Don’t like candy corn?
Then make a trade.
Love your solution to the candy corn debacle. At least I consider CC to be a debacle. Or perhaps a plague to society….LOL. Thanks for sharing your story!
Mary, what an original and fun entry! A great message too. If you don´t like it, trade it 🙂
What a fun conflict! Nicely solved too!
Very cute! Good luck!
Great entry Mary, love the debate, and the solution.
Society does seem to be divided where candy corn is concerned! Cute!
Clever and fun, Mary! Love the idea of a debate over which is better – corn on the cob or candy corn! I have to say, I’d vote for corn on the cob! 🙂 Love the ending solution – there’s always a peaceable way to solve debates! Thanks for joining in with this creative entry!
Cute story with great rhyming! Poor Monster – I would be forlorn, too! 😦
Oops. This comment is meant for the previous story, Monster’s Woe.
Very cute story! Love the debate and the solution. Good luck!
TRICK OR BE MY TREAT
Corine Timmer (second entry)
99 words
On All Hallows´ Eve,
under a humpback moon,
Chiseltooth Rat and Spiny Pocketmouse
set off in search of a treat.
But they were not alone.
Hoots and howls echoed through the night.
At the edge of their favorite field,
their hearts sank.
The giant corn stalks had vanished!
How could they avoid being spotted?
Spiny stood on her hind legs, inspected their turf,
and peeped the all-clear.
While the friends snooped for tidbits,
from the shadows of a corn stalk bale
slid a monstrous candy corn snake.
“Trick or be my treat!”
So the buddies sang him a lullaby.
ew, creepy. This one would put me off hunting for treats in a field. But I love the names of your characters! And I’m glad they’re singing the snake to sleep. I’d hate to think of them as treats, LOL. Nice ending!
Corn snakes are harmless to humans and help control populations of wild rodent pests 🙂 The are stunning snakes with gorgeous colours and patterns (some are similar to candy corn :)) On a different note, I see something went wrong with my capitalisation. It should be: On All Hallows´ Eve.
Sorry, I just fell in love with Chiseltooth Rat and Spiny Pocketmouse and didn’t want them to meet their demise. I have no problem with snakes mixing with humans, LOL. I do understand the desire to control rodents in the “real” world, but I had just tumbled head first into this storybook world and its characters.
The chisel-toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps) and the spiny pocket mouse (Chaetodipus spinatus) are real creatures 🙂
Jilanne, thanks for your comment and for falling in love with Chiseltooth and Spiny. I also didn´t want them to be eaten on Halloween, LOL. The lullaby worked 🙂 I am a bit of a Nature Nerd! I stumbled upon the word chisel tooth kangeroo rat and another story was born. To think that two years ago I couldn´t write a story in so few words. These contests are helping reduce my word count. Thanks, Susanna (and Vivian) I am amazed by the variety of the stories. I don´t envy the judges.
Nice job ! I love your ‘humpback moon’. Good luck in the contest!
Thanks , Julie 🙂 Good luck to you too. I love your title.
Corine nice story, I’m glad the friends were smart enough to sing that snake to sleep.
Thanks, Jean 🙂
Love these real-life characters in the natural world, and the opportunity to include something educational, Corine! I hope the lullaby worked – I’d hate to see little Chiseltooth and Spiny end up as the corn snake’s dinner, even though snakes have to eat too! Thanks for another entertaining entry!
Thanks, Susanna 🙂 Glad you love them. Yes, the lullaby worked 😉
Love how the child is clingy until the end! Reminds me of the small child my husband scared once when he was wearing his dragon head at Halloween. I’ll never forget that high-pitched scream when she looked up at him. My husband felt so bad, he gave her piles of candy. Nice story!
The previous comment was for the “hold my hand, mama” story. Not the “Trick or be my treat” story. I do believe your blog has reached the exploding point, Susanna.
I think you may be right, Jilanne! 🙂
Susanna, I think you are well over 200 entries this year. Best of luck to you and your crew choosing! Excellent turnout!!! ❤
I know, Traci! I’m amazed! It was at 206 at last count and that was a couple hours ago! 🙂
Apologies, but I might have posted my story “Pointed Monster” twice with the Google form. I can’t seem to see it listed, but I have faith it’s somewhere in the mix. Thanks for hosting such a fun contest Susanna!
No worries, Suzie! I’ll make sure it’s there once and delete one if it’s up twice 🙂
Yup! It’s up, and I deleted the second one 🙂
Thank you!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARON
It’s All About The Treats
By
Sharon Engberg
It’s not about the shadows
not about the ghosts
not about the monsters
It’s the treats I love the most!
It’s not about the costumes,
though they’re lots of fun,
not about the masks
not even scary ones!
It’s not about the goblins
running through the streets,
not about a flying witch,
It’s all about the treats!
It’s all about the popcorn balls
It’s all about the sweets
It’s all about the candy corn
It’s all about the treats!
I’ll be knocking on some doors,
It’s gonna be a blast!
It’s all about the trick or treats
It’s Halloween at last!
Love the pace! Oh! That insatiable desire for sweets 🙂 Where´s my box of chocolate eyeballs?
Perfect rhythm Sharon and undeniably a fun fantastic read. Wishing I was a kid who was trick or treating. 🙂
This is extra fun because it IS Halloween at last! Here I am eating sweets and reading treats. Great job!
Nailed it! Love the language and perfect meter to my ear.
This is my son’s anthem. Thank you!
Love this! Brilliant Sharon! Good luck!
Yes it truly is all about the sweets. Nicely done!
Oh, ain’t it the truth?! 🙂 I know for many it IS about the costumes and the spookiness, but for many it really is all about the candy! 🙂 Thanks for a fun rhyming entry, Sharon, and for joining in the Halloweensie high jinx!
ENTRY #2 POSTED FOR SHARON
Hildy
By
Sharon Engberg
One Halloween night my candy sack was overflowing
with popcorn balls, carmel apples, candy corn, and treats!
A cold wind began to blow, and I realized I had gone too far.
There I was in front of Hildy The Haunted House! Her windows were
broken, her paint worn off, and monsters lived inside! Shadows
danced about the yard. I stopped and listened to my pounding heart.
” Run, run.” said a little voice inside and I did, dropping my treat bag
along the way. Faster and faster I ran until the friendly jack-o-lantern on
my front porch welcomed me home!
Halloween plays tricks on our minds! There´s nothing like a cosy lantern to welcome us home 🙂 What a shame though that you had no treats to nibble on 😦
Oh man, she lost all of her treats! But I’m glad she listened to that little voice. Who knows what would have happened otherwise?
Oh, my! There’s nothing like that moment of panic when your realize you’re not where you should be! The pounding for home! The relief at being back safe where you belong! Nice job, Sharon! You made me feel it!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JEANETTE
Monster Impostor – Jeanette Bonfiglio
There once lived a monster named Marvin who felt like an impostor.
Marvin was five.
He came from a family of sinister monsters.
Every October his family concocted plans to wreak havoc on Halloween!
And it was all quite normal for monsters
There was just one thing, Marvin didn’t want to be scary.
Marvin went to his room and secretly filled bags of candy corns for the neighbors.
He felt a shadow lurking.
He froze!
It was his momster.
Would she be disappointed?
She sat next to Marvin without uttering a word, winked, and began filling bags of candy corns!
I like Marvin. Some monsters just don´t want to be scary. I love that no words are needed between Marvin and his momster 🙂
Monster?m That’s adorable! Love it!
Nice, understanding momster. That’s what we all want, isn’t it? Sweet story!
Aw! Isn’t it nice that even monster mamas can understand their little ones?! I’m glad Momster accepts Marvin for who he is! Thanks for a sweet entry, Jeanette!
Oh so fun. So many great entries. Good luck to the judges!
I second that 🙂
We’re going to need it, Johnell!!!!! 🙂
Even Ghosts Get Scared
100 words
JC Kelly
“MOMMY!,” cried the little ghost.
“Time for bed,” said Mommy. “You’ve been flying all night scaring trick-or-treaters.”
“But…”
“You shouldn’t have eaten all that candy corn. You knoooow it goes right throooough you.”
“There’s a monster in my roooom.”
Mommy flew into the room and turned on the light.
“See? Noooo monster.”
“But….”
“There’s noooo monster.”
“But it was just oooover there.”
“Goooo to bed, “ said Mommy as she turned off the light.
“It’s…it’s…it’s right behind you!”
Mommy turned and chuckled. “That’s not a monster – it’s just a shadoooow. See, it disappears when the light is on.
“Ooooh.”
“Gooood night.”
This is delightful! Oh, no pun intended, but there it is!
LOL, “you shouldn’t have eaten all that candy corn. You knooooow it goes right throoooough you!” Hilarious!
Nicely done! Good luck!
Oh, how delightfully ghostly, JC! Love all those long oooos that sound like moaning 🙂 And the little ghost learned something 🙂 Thanks for a fun entry!
I’m sorry, I entered a bad link for my story. Here is the correct link. I didn’t want to cause confusion by entering it twice. Little Miss Candy Corn: https://rachelhamby.com/2017/10/31/little-miss-candy-corn/ Thanks for the fun contest!
Thanks, Rachel! All fixed 🙂
ENTRY POSTED FOR KATHLEEN
Witchie on Her Toes
by Kathleen Bahr
“The candy corn on my pinky toe is KILLING me!” said Witchie, kicking off her pointy black shoes.
“I won’t be able to scare anyone tonight. I’m a shadow of my former self.”
She hobbled over to the broom closet. She put on her furry slippers, her furry robe, and her furry eye mask.
“I’m going to take the night off,” she said, propping up her sore foot.
Then the doorbell rang.
Trick-or-treaters eyed Witchie’s furry self —from head to toe.
“It’s a monster!” they yelled, running down the block.
“A witch’s job is never done,” Witchie said, smiling.
Well now, I’m happy that turned out well. Very cute!
Favorite line: “candy corn on my pinky toe” Love it! Glad witchie ended up smiling. We’d hate to think she’d lost her touch!
Nice job Kathleen…I like ‘candy corn on my pinkie toe’ too! Good luck!
Love the candy corn toe…so funny. Great character, and funny ending.
Hahaha! Love that in all her cozy nightwear the trick-or-treaters thought Witchie was a furry monster – very creative! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun, Kathleen!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARON
Candy Corn’s Big Night
By
Sharon J Wilson
Candy Corn was sick of being a Treat.
This year, Candy wanted to
be a monster-a Zombie!
She borrowed ‘blood’ from Jelly Bean. She dodged claws as she pulled hair from the cranky cat.
Teeth? The plastic vampire would do. She carefully extracted his fangs.
Candy felt so scary. No one would dare eat her.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The door creaked open.
Candy screamed as the Zombie Hunter lurched out of the shadows.
“Zombies make great treats,” grinned the Zombie Hunter. “I’m so tired of candy corn.”
Sharon…this is really cute! What a twist at the end…so Candy Corn will get eaten after all.
I guess we can’t escape our fate. 😉
Now that’s what I call a twist! A fun twist!
Ooops. Knocked on the wrong door. No change of costume goes unpunished, or something like that, LOL. Nice twist of an ending!
I like the twist at the end! Every living thing likes to eat something 🙂 I guess it´s best to just be yourself 🙂
Sharon this was great, love the twist at the end.
Poor Candy! Best laid plans foiled! Who’d have thought she’d get eaten as a zombie! What are the odds?! Thanks for an original fun story, Sharon!
ENTRY POSTED FOR VERONICA
WHERE IS LILU?
Veronica A. Taylor
87 words
“Lilu, it’s time to go.” “Lilu, we’ve got so much to do.”, her mom wails out. “Lilu, where are you?”
She looks under the bed, she looks behind the stairs, she looks in the laundry basket and even under the chairs.
“There you are!”
Sitting under the table amongst her bag of candy, her mom should have known.
Her love of sweet candy corn overshadows anything that she needs to do.
That’s why on this monstrous day you’ll always find a trail of wrappers leading right to Lilu.
Hmmmm, could this be based on a real person? Cute!
Candy wrappers. This one hits quite close to home. I’m finding them everywhere tonight!
I think I’m related to Lilu! 🙂 Can’t keep me away from that candy pile either… although I’m more interested in the chocolate than the candy corn 🙂 Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun, Veronica!
ENTRY POSTED FOR MARY
WHICH WITCH
By Mary Warth
Which witch made the stew?
Which witch spoiled the brew?
Filled with candy corn, apples and snails,
monster’s teeth and rusty nails.
Which witch hatched the plot?
Which witch stirred the pot?
Ruined by bubble gum, breath mints and shells,
shadows of pixies and little gold bells.
Which witch on Halloween?
Which witch sneaky and mean?
You there, witch! You know what you did!
“Don’t look at me; I’m just a kid!”
Trick-or-treat!
Mary…this is excellent! I love the repeating lines of ‘which witch’…so much fun…kids will love listening to this one!!!
This made me chuckle! And it’s fun to read out loud!
Great word play here!
Nicely done Mary. I too like the repeating of ‘which witch’! Good luck 🎃
I absolutely love this entry Mary. This is so much fun to read.
Love the repeating “which witch”, Mary, and the fun surprise ending – because after all, on Halloween, it’s hard to tell the real witches from the dressed-up ones! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking part in the Halloweensie madness!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JUDY
Oh My!
(Sung to ‘Oh, My Darling’)
By Judy V.
Oh, the shadow,
Oh, the shadow,
Oh, the shadow on the wall-
terrifying, multiplying
is a creepy puppet doll!
Oh, the monster,
Oh, the monster,
Oh, the monster on the stair,
horrifying – could be dying
to come up- so please beware!
Oh, the candy,
Oh, the candy,
Oh, the candy made of corn,
looks suspicious and delicious,
guess I’ll eat it in the morn.
Halloweeensie, Halloweeensie
What a fun writing contest!
Gratifying as I’m spying,
I can’t wait to read the rest!
Lol! Me too!
Love it! Now I’ll be singing this all night…..
Guilty! I sung it! 😊
This was fun to sing to Judy.
Love this, Judy! So fun! Nicely written! Although now I’m going to be singing this song for weeks…. 🙂
ENTRY POSTED FOR GRACE
No Candy-Corn!
by Grace Donnell
98 words
Nubbin’s toes were twitching. He was ready to go trick-or-treating to get his favorite candy—candy corn!! His parents only let him come out of the shadows on Halloween. Humans liked monsters on Halloween.
Finally—time to go!
Nubbin raced to the first house—no candy corn!
He raced to the second house—no candy corn!
No candy corn all night!
Nubbin howled in despair, “All I wanted was candy corn!” He began to cry.
A little girl, in a candy corn costume, went over to him and said, “Don’t cry. I’ll share.” She pulled candy corn from her costume and gave them to him.
aw, so sweet! What a generous kid! Nice story!
Love Nubbin’s name, Grace, and his dedication to his candy corn mission! Imagine his despair when he doesn’t get any! And how nice of the candy corn girl to share! Thanks for a sweet story!
Hey Susanna. Pam here, I am posting for Mona Pease. She is in Maine without electricity due to the storms. Told here I’d post for her. Please delete the one I posted on your 10/16 announcement. I’m such a dunce. Man! Without further mishaps … here’s Mona!
Monster Surprise
CROUCHING. CREEPING. CRAWLING.
Toward a pot of gold.
But when the floor creaked and eerie lights glowed,
I froze right there on the spot.
Shivering while I watched …
Shadows dancing on the wall
A creature flailing arms and legs
And then … it suddenly disappeared.
I edged closer, closer and found the treasured loot.
Arrrgh … Boo!
Candy corn flew.
I flew too.
Chasing the monster out the door …
Oh brother dear of mine.
Those pesky brothers, cute story!
Those brothers. They’re an untrustworthy lot!
Nice job Mona! Good luck!
Hahaha! Drat those pesky brothers! Always up to something! Thanks for a fun entry, Mona, and for going the extra mile to get your entry in! (And thanks to Pam for helping!)
Shadowy Footsteps
By Midge Ballou Smith
Purveyor of bellyaches and fine cavities, Mr. Can D. Corn, heard footsteps behind him. On Halloween, adoring fans followed him everywhere, so he wasn’t too surprised. Turning around, he saw no one! He took another step, and heard the same suspicious footstep. What monstrous thing followed him? He would set a trap.
Mr. Can D. Corn hung sticky paper up, and pretended to walk away. When he heard those footsteps—he quickly twisted, then tossed that someone onto the sticky paper. Brushing himself off, he heard a voice…
“I’m Your Shadow, can you help me out of this sticky situation?”
Ha! So fun! Love your surprise ending! Well done, Midge. =) Good luck to you!
Clever and unique way to use candy corn! Made me chuckle. 😁
HA! And here I thought it was going to be a fly! Great twist of an ending!
Love the way you presented Mr. Can D Corn as a salesman! And that he ended up catching his own shadow! Funny last line, too! Thanks for an original and entertaining entry, Midge!
Thanks, Pam…for posting Mona’s entry! Mona…this is great…and I love the surprise ending. Wonder if they will share their trick or treats at the end of the night.
Halloween No Fear
Deborah Allmand (dlapmandi@aol.com)
Monsters, goblins, ghosts and ghouls alight from house to house,
Until one shelter shrouded in shadow
Where no sprite dared to tip-toe.
The shrills and screams echoed throughout the crumbling poorhouse,
One small fairy with gossamer sequined wings walked toward the bungalow,
The others stood gaping at the tiny puck with such grit.
Her mom told them her little pixie had endured a year of chemo – so being afraid was not in her spirit,
As stood on the porch, lights and music went airborne.
Reaching in a bowl on stoop, “Look, Mom, my favorite candy corn!”
Ooh! Brace little thing! Glad she gets to trick or treat this year!
Bravo for that little pixie!
Glad that little pixie was able to trick-or-treat this year… and hope she has many more years of Halloween fun ahead! Brave indeed! Thanks for a different twist on the Halloween stories, Deborah!
ENTRY POSTED FOR AMY
SCARY MARY’S HALLOWEEN HARVEST
Amy Benoit
Scary Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With witches’ spells
And pumpkin shells
And masquerade maids in a row.
With the beat of a drum,
A pointy green thumb,
And help from the Harvest Moon
On shadowy nights
When monsters give frights
I sing a silvery tune
Candy corn kisses
And marshmallow wishes
Start at dawn each day
Here’s a trick…
With a swish of my stick
I sweep all their cares away.
Mix in Hocus
Add extra Pocus…
then Mary leaned in with a grin,
Halloween will set the scene…
Let the hair-raising harvest begin!
Fantastic, unusual rhyme scheme. I enjoyed this immensely! Particularly the “hair-raising harvest,” LOL. Good luck!
I particularly like the phrase candy corn kisses. Nice word play!
Really nice Amy. Loved all your rhymes and word choices.
Scary but fun and beautifully written, Amy! Love your use of language! Thanks for this original fun twist on Mary Mary Quite Contrary and for joining in on Halloweensie!
ENTRY POSTED FOR LAURA
Me and My Shadow – Laura Gutman
Lee O. Monster gave a wave
when he saw his shadow, Dave.
Much to the chagrin of his
Mom and Pop and sister Liz
Dave and Lee were thick as thieves,
stuck together like two peas.
On Halloween they knocked on doors,
collecting treats and sweets in scores.
As night ended, Lee felt torn.
Should he share his candy corn?
Yes, Lee thought. “You know that you’re
my best friend. That’s for sure.”
He held some out. “It’s only right.”
But Dave declined. He was polite.
‘Cause shadows aren’t the eating kind.
Lee went home, Dave close behind.
Love this shadow story! Funny and clever. Well done! Good luck!
Fun to read about good buddies! Great job!
What a fun shadow story, Laura! And Lee’s generosity was rewarded by not having to share after all! Love the line about the shadow close behind! Nicely done!
ENTRY #2 POSTED FOR LAURA
Boycott Halloween – Laura Gutman
Monster costumes are a bore.
Trick or treating’s such a chore.
On Halloween I hold a torch
just past the shadow of my porch
and shout to every passerby
“Boycott Halloween! Here’s why:
“Candy corn, licorice
“dumdum pops, Swedish fish.
“They are tasty. This is true.
“But cavities will make you blue.
“So eat more greens and applesauce.
“Always brush your teeth and floss.
“My mom’s a dentist. I know best.”
I raise my chin, puff out my chest.
Dental visits are what slay.
So boycott Halloween I say.
Save yourself from tooth decay!
Hilarious, but no one is going to take this advice unless they’re a dentist. Good try, though! Great poem!
What Jilanne said! Too cute though!
Haha! A spokeschild for dentists and general tooth health! But I have to wonder if maybe s/he is hoping that all the treats will be left over for her/him! 🙂 Thanks for another fun story, Laura!
The Walk Home
99 Words
JC Kelly
Kirsten was practically running to make it home before curfew. She dragged her pillowcase, bursting at the seams with Halloween loot. It made an eerie scraping sound as it picked up dead leaves and crinkly candy wrappers. Suddenly she heard another noise. Footsteps? They got closer, and closer. She froze when she saw a shadow looming over her.
As she bravely turned to face him, the monster opened his gigantic mouth. And he sneezed the biggest sneeze imaginable. She put her hands up to block the stream that came flying out of his nose. And caught a handful of….candy corn?
Oooooh! I totally thought it was going to turn out ok! Tricks on me! 😆
I nearly spewed candy corn at that last line, LOL. Brilliant!
And now I’m wondering if that spew of candy corn would cause a bad case of the stripes?
Hahaha! Nice build-up of tension, JC, and love that the monster sneezes candy corn – way better than what usually comes out! 🙂 Thanks for another fun entry!
ENTRY POSTED FOR CHARLOTTE
Candy Corn Mystery by Charlotte Sheer
“There’s licorice, chocolate, and plenty of pops,”
the children all called in a chorus,
“But the white, orange, yellow triangle-shaped candy
is missing! Who got here before us?”
The store keepers wondered what kind of a monster
would scoop every bag of those treats
Perhaps they’d find out by Halloween night
when kids in their costumes would wander the streets.
As shadows grew long on the evening of spooking
Tricksters called out, “Look who got here before us!
That must be why all our sweets disappeared,
‘twas to costume Candy Cornosaurus!”
That last line is perfect! Bravo!
Candy Cornosaurus! I love it 🙂
Great mystery, Charlotte! Love that the candy corn disappeared and culprit was the Candy Cornosaurus! What a great idea! I think there’s a picture book there 🙂
What fun to read through these submissions! Such creativity and imagination. Good luck to all.
Now there’s a good book idea, Candy cornosaurus! Fun!
Marjorie David
marjiedavid@yahoo.com
Needed: Halloween Partner
On Halloween I’ll be a super hero with a sidekick.
I have my cape and a smaller one for our dog, Dizzy.
But Dizzy doesn’t like clothes.
I chase her, but she hides.
I hear scratching under the bed.
Candy corn will trick her out.
Now I have another problem.
Mom says, “ No Dizzy, cause she runs from monster shadows.”
That stops me, but only for a second.
My baby brother will be my partner.
Me and him can be super-duper heroes.
But first Mom must born him.
Golly! What’s a kid to do when s/he needs a Halloween partner and the dog’s off limits and the baby brother has yet to arrive?! It’s so hard to wait… 🙂 Thanks for this creative entry, Marjorie!
Marjorie David
marjiedavid@yahoo.com
Mrs. Smith’s Halloween
In Mrs. Smith’s classroom, her costumed students transform.
Princesses in princessy gowns move royally.
Cowboys, thumbs hooked in pockets, swagger.
Super heroes, trying daring fetes, carry ice packs.
Rock stars and celebrities screech to sing.
Witches cast spells. Fairies grant wishes.
Draculas, ghosts, and scary monsters snatch candy corn treats.
Pumpkins grin or scowl under flying bats and dangling spiders.
Finally, tired children troop home.
In the night’s shadows, Mrs. Smith dons cape and hat.
Opening the garage, she cackles.
Tricker-treaters enter her witch’s parlor.
Mrs. Smith sounds like a teacher who knows how to have fun and that the kids would love! Thanks for another fun story, Marjorie!
Hi Susanna,
Here’s my entry with a link to my blog…
Thanks a lot and Happy Halloween!
MONSTER JR.’S HALLOWEEN
by Edna Cabcabin Moran
Monster Jr. cried. “Mummy!” He flung himself on the couch. “Owweee!!!”
“What’s wrong?!” asked Mummy.
“My tail hurts!” whimpered Monster Jr.
Aunt Witchelda stopped by for a spell but Monster Jr. refused it.
Then Spirit appeared and handed Monster Jr. candy-corns. He gobbled them down and said, “I feel better!”
Mummy said to Spirit, “Thanks for the trick!”
“And the treat!” added Monster Jr.
Aunt Witchelda asked Spirit, “How did you know?!”
“I knew beyond a shadow of doubt,” Spirit replied, “That a candy-corny story can fix anything—even a monstrous little tale!”
Aunt Witchelda sighed then cackled, “Oh, how punny!”
————–
http://kidlitedna.com/2017/11/helloooooo-happy-halloween-2017/
Love the rapport between Spirit and Aunt Witchelda (great name). They share a sense of humour 🙂 Aunt Witchelda stopped by for a spell but Monster Jr. refused it—love that!
Cute story, Edna! Love the word play 🙂 And the name Aunt Witchelda! I’m glad everything turned out alright! Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
Max’s Halloween Costume
93 words
by Donna Consiglio
“Grrrrrrr”, Max mumbled to himself as he put on his candy corn costume.
The Mega-Mutant Monster costume that he really wanted was sold out. His mom got the ugly orange, white and yellow candy corn costume for half price.
“Time to go, Max” Mom called.
Max and his mom went trick or treating from house to house for hours.
Until…
Boom! Shriek! Crash!
Max turned around to see where the scary sounds were coming from.
He caught a glimpse of his shadow.
It was not shaped like a candy corn, but that of a monster!
Good luck, Donna!
Ooh! Spooky! How did Max in his candy corn costume cast a monster shadow?! Look out! It’s Halloween! Thanks for a spookily fun entry, Donna!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SUSIE
(which came in on time, I just didn’t add it until this morning!)
The Scariest House on the Block
By Susie Sawyer
“Brace yourself, Bobby,” Penelope said.
Anxiety’s shadow enveloped his head.
“Why me?” Bobby whimpered, his voice growing thin.
“Because it’s your turn,” she replied with a grin.
He knocked on the door, and its monstrous feet
approached with a rhythmic, unwavering beat.
It opened the door and met Bobby’s eye.
“Trick or Treat,” Bobby mumbled and tried not to cry.
With a candy corn smile and breath just as gross,
it grabbed Bobby’s head and pulled him in close.
Then … SMACK!—its red lips planted square on his face.
Bobby suffered a kiss from his Aunt Mary Grace.
LOL. The terrifying indignities of childhood.
A terrific ending!
Hahaha! Too funny, Susie! Haven’t we all been subjected to those smacky, lipsticky kisses from overbearing relatives! Poor Bobby! I hope he got some treats worth suffering through Aunt Mary Grace! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the Halloweensie fun!
Oh no! I thought I entered mine, but I don’t see it on the list. I should have checked twice. Ah well, next year I’ll have to make sure it get on there. Still lots of fun!
It’s there somewhere, Johnell! I saw it! I have your entry. The Choco-Candy Momster, right?
Yes! Oh good. It did make it. This is getting more and more popular each year. Well done I say. 🙂
245 entries I counted. Woweee! So many fantastic stories to read! Excellent turnout Susanna.
I think one is in there twice, but yes! Unbelievable! 🙂