Rise and shine, my friends!
It’s about time for some new high jinx and shenanigans!
Given the unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in at the moment, I bet you are all challenging yourselves each and every day!
There’s the What Can I Make For Dinner Out Of 1/2 A Cup Of Raisins, A Sleeve Of Saltines, And A Can Of Baked Beans? Challenge. . .
. . .the Total Body Workout On Top Of The Coffee Table Because That’s All The Space I Have Challenge. . .
. . .and the Lord Help Me How Will I Entertain The Children On What Feels Like The Millionth Evening Of Quarantine (If I Have To Play Candy Land One More Time I Will Have To Be Committed!) Challenge!
It is just possible that the novelty is beginning to wear off of these a teeny tiny bit. . . 😊
So I am here to offer you something new and different! (and feel free to use it to solve #3 above as well 😊)
When life is so topsy-turvy it can be hard to find the energy and motivation to write, so how about a little boost and a little encouragement with perhaps a soupçon of competition?
It’s time for
The First Ever Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Writing Challenge
For Children’s Writers!
(Not a contest exactly… no room in the blog calendar, no time for judging, no gigantic prizes on offer…but still (hopefully!) tons of fun!)
Here’s how it works:
Starting today, each Monday until June 22 (which makes 7 Mondays total and will get us to the end of the school term) I will post a Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Writing Prompt for a 100 word story. Post your story in the comment section for that week’s challenge (or if you have trouble posting it, email it to me and I’ll post it for you.) At the end of the 7 weeks, everyone who has posted one story for each week’s prompt will
A) have 7 brand new stories to play with! (Who knows? Your next picture book or even chapter book or longer might be sparked by something you write for the Challenge!)
B) be able to take credit for entertaining lots of stuck-at-home fellow writers and their kids (not to mention you’ll entertain yourself and your own kids!)
and
C) qualify to win a prize from the Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Mystery Bag of Marvelous Prizes for Writers! (I’m not really expecting 400 people to complete this challenge… if that happens we will have to eenie meenie miney mo winners until we run out of prizes, but you will still win A and B above!)
You can compete with yourself to see if you can write all 7 stories! You can compete with your writing friends to see if you can write more than they do! And if you want to get really competitive, you can all read the stories that are posted and “like” the ones you think are best and see who gets the most “likes” 😊 (If you do that there might be some special prizes…who can tell??? 😊)
When the going get’s rugged, children’s writers beat the blues by playing writing games and creating new stories to keep themselves and everyone around them entertained!
So here we go!
Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Writing Prompt #1 for Week of May 11:
Choose one item from one or more of the columns below – minimum 1, maximum 3. You can choose only one item (for example, one item from Column B), or you can choose one from Column A and one from Column C, or you can choose one each from Column A, B, and C – whatever combination you like depending on what you feel you need to spark your story.
Write a 100 word story for kids which includes at least 1 and not more than 3 of the items below. Please either highlight them or list them at the top so it’s easy for me to see who has qualified for the challenge. (If you want to use a title, the title will not be included in the word count.)
Post your story in the comment section (or email it to me to post.)
Read, enjoy, and comment on each other’s stories! 😊
Here is today’s mix ‘n’ match list:
| Column A Character | Column B Setting | Column C Emotion |
| knight | birthday party | cranky |
| alien | school | bored |
| camel | beach | jubilant |
*For those of you who feel you would benefit from a little more structure, you can make this a Mother’s Day story – but that is a suggestion only for people who want it, not a requirement for this week’s story.*
So you might choose “camel” only. Or you might choose “school” and “jubilant”. Or “knight”, “beach” and “cranky”. . . (And you can throw in Mother’s Day if you want to 😊)
Get the idea?
In an attempt to answer possible questions I will say:
- you can write as many stories as you want each week
- you can post them at any time during the week (just make sure they’re on the Monday Mix ‘n’ Match Mini post for the week you’re entering – e.g. below for Week #1))
- you can play catch up (so if you miss a week you can go back and add to an earlier week if you’re trying to complete the challenge and qualify for prizes as long as all entries are posted on the correct week and are posted no later than Saturday June 27th at midnight Eastern time.)
- no illustration notes
- if 2 or 3 items from one column are what get your creativity sparking, that is okay (e.g. you can use knight and alien if you want)
- You may go over the word count if you’re on a roll and you wish to (because there is not judging 😊)
- You may write in poetry or prose
Here’s a little sample to show you how it works:
(No comment on the dreadfulness of the sample 😊)
Week #1: camel, school (99 words)
Camel School
Cami was excited for school!
Would she learn reading? Writing? To count past 12?
“First class, Hydration,” said Miss Dromedary. “Try for 30 gallons of water in 13 minutes. Practice makes perfect!”
Cami couldn’t imagine drinking that much!
“Next, Spitting! Try for 120 feet. Practice makes perfect!”
Cami’s tongue flickered like lightning, but could she spit far?
“Now, Sand Running! A steady 25 mph. Practice makes perfect!”
“Even practice can’t make me that fast!” cried Cami.
Miss Dromedary patted her head. “This is Camel School, dearie. Chameleon School is next door.”
“Phew!” said Cami, scurrying to join her friends.
And here’s a little sampling of the prizes up for grabs to whet your competitive spirit 😊 MORE TO COME!
When it comes time for prizes, names of all those who completed the challenge will be drawn randomly and matched with prizes drawn randomly until we run out! 😊
For Spacious Skies by Nancy Churnin, award-winning author of so many fabulous books I don’t have space to list them all! Visit her website or Amazon Page!
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Kirstine Erekson Call, author of THE RAINDROP WHO COULDN’T FALL (Character Publishing 2013) and the forthcoming MOOTILDA’S BAD MOOD (Little Bee Books, September 2020), COW SAYS MEOW (HMH March 2021), and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown Spring 2021)
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), HAYFEST: A Holiday Quest (ABCs Press 2010), and LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018)
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Lindsay Hanson Metcalf, author of BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST (September 2020), FARMERS UNITE!: PLANTING A PROTEST FOR FAIR PRICES (Calkins Creek November 2020), and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY (Charlesbridge September 2020)
Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non rhyming) from Kaye Baillie, author of BOO LOVES BOOKS (New Frontier Publishing October 2020), and MESSAGE IN A SOCK (Midnight Sun Publishing 2018)
Your choice of EITHER a Picture Book Manuscript Critique or a Virtual Visit with Keila Dawson, author of THE KING CAKE BABY (Pelican 2015), and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY (Charlesbridge September 2020)
Winner’s Choice of Webinar from the amazing Alayne Kay Christian, author of picture books Butterfly Kisses, An Old Man And His Penguin, and the forthcoming The Weed That Woke Christmas and the chapter book series of Sienna The Cowgirl Fairy, and editor at Blue Whale Press! Webinar choices include: How A Picture Book Is Made, Perfecting Your Critique, Top Ten Reasons For Rejection, and How To Write Powerful First Pages Like A Pro!
15 Minute Video Chat – ask your questions about writing, research, submissions – whatever’s on your mind! – with Christy Mihaly, author of DIET FOR A CHANGING PLANET: Food for Thought(Twenty-first Century Books/Lerner 2018), HEY, HEY, HAY!
A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them (Holiday House 2018) , and FREE FOR YOU AND ME: What Our First Amendment Means (Albert Whitman March 2020)
Quick Impressions on your Picture Book Manuscript from Rosie Pova, author of IF I WEREN’T WITH YOU (Spork 2017), SARAH’S SONG (Spork 2017), the forthcoming SUNDAY RAIN (Lantana Publishing March 2021) and others.
RONAN THE LIBRARIAN, (Roaring Brook Press April 2020) brand new fromfabulous author Tara Luebbe
Your Choice of EITHER A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction, non-rhyming) or an Ask Anything 15 Minute Video or Phone Chat with Tara Luebbe, author of SHARK NATE-O,(Little Bee Books 2018), I AM FAMOUS ( Albert Whitman 2018), I USED TO BE FAMOUS (Albert Whitman 2019), OPERATION PHOTOBOMB (Albert Whitman 2019), and RONAN THE LIBRARIAN (Roaring Brook Press 2020) (see above)
Sherry Howard, author of Rock And Roll Woods (Spork 2018) and a series of Nonfiction Middle Grade titles for Escape Publishing (2019)
is offering 6 of her nonfiction middle grade titles which will go to 6 lucky winners!
Ann Whitford Paul, author of Writing Picture Books (being donated by Becky Scharnhorst below), the book we ALL use as our picture book bible 😊, and countless wonderful picture books, is offering signed copies of her IF ANIMALS… Series (Farrar Straus Giroux):
If Animals Went To School (2019) If Animals Kissed Good Night (2008)
If Animals Said I Love You (2017) If Animals Celebrated Christmas (2018)
If you would like to benefit from her picture book wisdom, please sign up for her newsletter HERE!
A hand lettered quote of someone’s choice from a picture book, or a quote about reading or writing that could be framed as a gift for a child’s bedroom, a writer you know and love, or an inspiration for writing in your own work space (why shouldn’t you give yourself a present?!) offered by Kristy Roser Nuttall! (Samples below – you can choose your own quote!)
Making Picture Book Magic – Self Study Class any month (x3)
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul, donated by Becky Scharnhorst whose debut picture book P.S. Camp Wildwood Stinks will be released in Summer 2021 from Philomel!
![Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication by [Ann Whitford Paul]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rbO+CMLNL.jpg)
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert donated by Becky Scharnhorst whose debut picture book P.S. Camp Wildwood Stinks will be released in Summer 2021 from Philomel!
The Nuts & Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books by Linda Ashman (only available for Kindle) (x2)
![The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books by [Linda Ashman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JTh6P3L1L.jpg)
Magnetic Poetry – Little Box of Happiness
The Story Book Knight by Helen Docherty
This Book Is Gray by Lindsay Ward
Writing Journal (x10)
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
So come join the fun! Get some writing done! Encourage your kids (or students) to give it a try! Or just have a good time together reading what other folks have written!
Ready, set, WRITE!!! 😊
Check out the Week #1 stories!
How To Have A Camel Birthday Party – Brenda Whitehead (camel, birthday party)
A Knight At The Beach – Jess Murray (knight, beach)
Puddles From Pluto – Julie Abery (alien)
Untitled – Candice Marley Conner (knight, beach, jubilant)
Birthday Surprise – Genevieve Petrillo (birthday party)
The Knight And The Bouncy Castle – Little Cornish Writer (knight, birthday party, bored)
Andromeda And Nick – Cindy S. Boyll (alien, knight)
Carlos The Camel Goes To Revere Beach – Susan Reese Krevat (camel, beach, bored)
Chloe’s Extraordinary Bunny Beach Birthday Party – Corine Timmer (birthday party)
Wake Up Call – Jill Lambert (alien, school, cranky, Mother’s Day)
Cranky Camel At The Beach – Susan Inez (camel, beach, cranky)
Blast Off – Barbara Renner (alien, school)
Mommy’s Cranky Beach Baby – Jamie Bechtelheimer (beach, cranky)
Night Knight School – Matthew Lasley (knight, school, cranky)
How To Pet A Camel – Jeanette Jones (camel)
Untitled – Carmen Castillo Gilbert (cranky, birthday party, beach)
An Ode To Our Teachers – Michelle S. Kennedy (school)
The Uninvited Guest – Jarmila (alien)
Knight Light – Margo (knight)
Sir Grumpsalot’s Lesson – Dot Anson (knight, beach, cranky)
The Knight’s Princess – Linda Schueler (knight, birthday party)
Camel’s Surprise – Susan Schipper (camel, beach, jubilant)
The Birthday Party: A Circular Story – Rose Cappelli (camel, birthday party)
Alien Beach Adventure – Ashley Congdon (alien, beach)
Prehistoric Hairdo – Kristy Roser Nuttall (cranky)
Beach Bummed – Sarah Meade (beach)
The Cranky Alien On The Beach – Linda Boyden (cranky, alien, beach)
A Good Knight – Patricia Nozell (knight, school)
It’s Not My Party – Sarah Hoppe (birthday party, emotion of cranky but not the word)
Back To School – Deb Sullivan (school, alien, cranky)
Ulric, The Tap Dancing Knight – Brittany Pomales (knight)
If You Invite A Camel To Your Birthday – Sara Ackerman (camel, birthday party)
Grandpa’s Style – Leslie Denkers (jubilant)
Camel On Vacation – Dawn Young (camel, beach, jubilant)
Untitled – D. Litwer (alien, beach)
Alien Annie – Linda Staszak (alien)
Untitled – Mary VB (beach, knight, cranky)
(K)Night School – Bev Baird(knight, school)
Mr. Camel Needs A Break – Sue Lancaster (camel, beach, cranky)
Lost In Time – Colleen Murphy (knight, beach)
Sir Sunny – Rebecca Gardyn Levington (knight, beach)
Horace – Amy Flynn (camel)
Gismos The Alien – Everard Anson (bored, alien, jubilant, cranky)
A Limerick – Marty (knight, jubilant)
Pal – Mia Geiger (camel)
How To Homeschool An Alien – Liz Kehrli (alien, school)
A Knight’s Delight – Nancy Riley (knight, beach)
Zara’s Blooming Flower – Lori Himmel (camel, school, jubilant)
Cranky Camel – Deb Buschman (camel, cranky, beach)
Clanky Cranky – Laura Pomar (knight, school, cranky)
The Jubilant Beach – Ketan & Aiyka Ram (beach, jubilant)
Untitled – Kay DiVerde (knight, bored)
Mix And Match – Shariffa Keshavjee (knight, bored, camel, alien, school)
Good Knight! – Lily Erlic (knight, beach, cranky)
Untitled – Penny Adler (school)
Show And Tell – Elizabeth Meyer Zu Heringdorf (alien, school, bored)
Aliens Have Birthday Parties Too! – Alicia Meyers Kelly (alien, birthday party)
LeeLee Croaks – Katie Schwartz
Untitled – Lauri Meyers (bored, knight)
Untitled – Ugo Anidi (knight, birthday party, bored)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Mr. Camel Needs a Break (100 words)
(camel, beach, cranky)
Mr. Camel was cranky.
What’s given you the hump?” asked Mrs. Camel.
“I’m tired of life in the desert…
The endless sand…
Searing sunshine…
Relentless heat…
I need a change. A break from the norm. A vacation!”
“A vacation!” cried Mrs. Camel, excitedly. “I’ve always fancied the city.”
Mr. Camel groaned. “Far too busy.”
“The mountains?”
Mr. Camel gasped. “Far too dangerous.”
“The lakes?”
Mr. Camel grumbled. “Far too wet.”
“So… where then?”
Mr. Camel grabbed a travel brochure.
“I was thinking here.”
Mrs. Camel peered at the picture…
Endless sand…
Searing sunshine…
Relentless heat…
“The beach!” she said. “Perfect!”
Great twist at the end! Except for the water, beaches & deserts are very similar.
You can take the camel out of the desert but you can’t take the desert out of the camel 🤣
Hahaha! Very funny, Sue! Loved the twist at the end – you made me laugh! 🙂 Thanks for joining in the fun!
Here is an utterly nonsensical story I started. I have no idea how many words. I just had to end it somewhere. I took the knight and the beach – but the knight has ended up in a different era. LOL
LOST IN TIME
By Colleen Murphy
“Sir Tuck, my steed, where hast thou gone?
Wait! What is this I’ve set upon?
A maiden with no clothing on?”
“What‘s that you say, you silly brute.
I’m dressed. I’m in my bathing suit,
more fitting for this day’s pursuit.”
“I must admit,” the knight replied,
“This armor’s rather hot inside.
In what estate dost thou abide?”
“Estate? What makes you talk so strange?
You need a drink. Go home and change!”
“What transport, then, can you arrange?”
“You have two feet. I’ve seen you walk.
(More normally than how you talk)
You’ll find a bus around the block.•
“A Bus, my maiden, what indeed?
Is that the name of your fair steed?
My mount, Sir Tuck, is whom I need!”
“Without him I’ll no dragons slay,
And so, I must be on my way.
To you and Bus, I bid good day!”
Wonderful exchange between this knight out-of-time and the modern girl! Certainly each other’s worlds would look very different to them from their different perspectives! Thanks for joining the fun, Colleen!
Thanks for creating the opportunity Susanna. This definitely does not qualify as a story, but it was fun to think about it.
Who knows what kind of story idea might come out of it, though! 🙂
Susanna! Thank you for the awesomely fun challenge! I used KNIGHT and BEACH. I’m a little over, at 140 words….
SIR SUNNY
By Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Sir Sunny was a noble knight who wished to stroll the beach.
But knowing that he’d likely rust, his dream felt out of reach.
He longed to leap through salty waves, feel sand beneath his feet,
to rest atop a big beach towel and bask in summer heat.
“Alas, I am a knight,” he sighed. “The beach is not for me.
I must forget this silly dream. It isn’t meant to be.”
Sir Sunny went on knighting— fighting dragons, leading quests,
but couldn’t shed the nagging ache within his gallant chest.
And then, one cloudless clear-blue day, he cried: “I must be free!”
He stripped off all his armor and ran right into the sea!
Without the weight that held him down, Sir Sunny smiled and swam.
Buoyed by a sense of calm. “Yes, THIS is who I am!”
What fun, Rebecca, and such great rhyme as always! I love that Sir Sunny finally gathered the courage to be himself, and that all it took was figuring out he had to take his armor off! 🙂
This is a lovely read aloud. It has to become a PB. Well done!
Sorry, just getting around to seeing my comments!! Thank you Susanna and Eleanor for your kind words!
Horace
By Amy Flynn
Horace peered into the mirror. The other camels weren’t lying, he had no hump.
I’ll grow one, he thought. He trotted off to the seed store, in search of a hump seed.
There were no hump seeds.
I’ll catch one, he thought. Spurred by the idea, he built a hump trap.
He didn’t trap any humps.
I’ll borrow one, he thought. He sent a question to every bactrian camel he knew.
They had no humps to spare.
“Horace!” the camels called.
He galloped over, desperate to tell them how hard he had tried to find a hump, how badly he wanted to fit in.
“Silly, horse. You don’t need a hump. We love you just the way you are.”
Love this, Amy! Hump seeds and traps and borrowing – so creative! And your twist at the end made me laugh out loud! Nicely done! 🙂
This is a story written by my husband. I got him interested and now he’s writing too….. awesome.
Gismos The Alien..bored, alien, jubilant, cranky……(112 words) Everard Anson
Gismos the alien was bored. He’d been on earth nearly one year according to the human’s calendar. He thought humans had parties once a year, but he hadn’t seen any.
He had been sent by his cranky boss to gather information about the way humans work, play, learn and interact with each other. Gismos had been hoping for a promotion to the much larger planet Jubilantise, but here he was struck on this small, pretty but scary Earth.
Hardly anyone was moving about, let alone working, learning or playing. No one was travelling between countries or cities.
Gismos was so unlucky. He had arrived amidst a global pandemic called COVID 19.
“Boring.”
I’m so glad you got your husband interested, Dot! Welcome to the fun, Everard! Poor Gismos! What unlucky timing! 🙂
A Limerick ( using knight and jubilant )
There once was a knight brave and strong,
Who lived for the chance to right wrongs.
Foiling dastardly deeds,
Helping folks most in need,
Made her jubilant all the day long!
POSTED FOR MIA
Week #1
(word used: camel)
Pal
By Mia Geiger
105 words
Pal yelled out
just before dawn:
“I’ve lost my hump!
Boo hoo! It’s gone!
“A camel has
to look just right.
Without my hump
I’m quite a fright!”
Owl came quick.
So did Llama.
Next was Sheep:
“What’s the drama?”
Sheep was clever,
not just cute.
(It was his best
attribute.)
“Wait a minute,
let’s think this through.
Let me have
a look at you.
“Two eyes, a nose,
a mouth, four feet.
A tail, soft hair,
a smile — sweet!”
Sheep spied a nametag;
“Hmm, a clue.”
Pal O. Mino —
carved in blue.
“Aha!” said Sheep!
“Yes, of course!
You’re not a camel.
You’re a horse!”
POSTED FOR LIZ
How to Homeschool an Alien – (Alien, school)
by Liz Kehrli
Homeschooling aliens is simple.
First, confiscate all laser rays, stun guns and duplicators.
And be sure to turn off his space pods and solar socks.
Then sit your alien down and stare straight into his glowing green eyes.
If you can make him blink, you’ll have his full attention.
Whatever you do, don’t let him reach into his pocket.
He might have a tickle taser or fart dart in there.
And speaking of stinky stuff, make sure he hasn’t eaten any over ripe orbs.
You can guess why.
And the most important thing is-
Hey, Zorfu, give me back my teacher’s tazbot.
Stop!
Don’t you dare point that at me!
Zap!
Ribbit! Ribbit!
[Teacher/frog writes down: The most important thing, is to always have a backup plan!]
[Frog sips on a giant margarita.]
Very cute!
A tickle taser or fart dart will surely make children laugh. Well done!
Running behind as usual
A Knight’s Delight (Knight, beach) 64 words
by Nancy D. Riley
“I must get to the beach,” said the knight.
“To compete in this year’s dragon fight.”
“Those beasts are a blight
When they set things alight.
I will vanquish one using my might!”
He scanned the beach from a height
And spotted two dragons in flight.
Each danced like a kite.
He was filled with delight.
“I can’t hurt them; it wouldn’t be right.”
Week #1:
I picked camel, school, jubilant. School is used in the story.
Zara means “blooming flower” in Arabic. 99 words
ZARA’S BLOOMING FLOWER
By Lori Himmel
Zara’s smile was bigger than her crayon box in art school.
But now, class was online.
Ms. Barbary organized calls for her students.
But Zara’s hooves fumbled on the keyboard.
Her drool slobbered the computer.
“Why can’t I go to class like before!” she cried.
Everyday she tried to log on.
“Dreaded dromedary!” she yelled.
Then, one day, feeling annoyed, Zara said,
“Computer! Open my class!”
ZIP! ZOOP! HURRAY!
Now Zara could see Ms. Barbary and her friends.
Zara dipped her brush and mixed colors.
Her smile was bigger than her canvas as she admired her
blooming flower painting!
I Picked Camel, Cranky and Beach
98 words
CRANKY CAMEL
By Deb Buschman
Sand, sand and more sand. “I can’t take this place anymore!” shouted Cornelius Camel.
He paged through travel brochures.
Mountains! Fabulous.
Cornelius trudged up the mountain.
“Grrummpf, my hooves are killing me.”
He flipped through more brochures.
Jungles! Awesome.
Cornelius smacked through branches and bushes.
“OUCH! WACK! Too many bugs.”
He rifled through more brochures.
Cities! Excellent.
Cornelius walked down the sidewalk.
“Ummph! Bamm! Too many people.”
He tossed away the brochures, but one stuck to his hump.
Cornelius gazed at the brochure. Why not, he thought.
“AWWW! Water and…
sand.”
Beaches! Perfect.
(Themes: Knight, School, Cranky/ Word Count: 100)
Clanky Cranky
Hippogriff starts a big fray.
His roar scares many away.
Knight takes his long trusty lance
And tells Hippogriff: “Let’s dance”.
Heavy footsteps hold Knight back
For courage he does not lack.
Knight’s armor goes clunk-clanky.
All this weight makes him cranky.
With a poorly done parry
our brave hero grows wary.
Wizard scores the joust real quick.
The final grade makes Knight sick.
Little Knight sniffles and wails.
He always tries. Always fails.
Knight throws down his pillowed pike.
School stinks! He will go on strike!
Knight wants to be far from here.
‘Til Wizard lends him an ear.
POSTED FOR KETAN & AIYKA
The Jubilant Beach Week Mix ‘n Match #1
by Ketan and Aiyka Ram – 92 words
A brilliant sun blinds the eye, while
children splash and swim on by.
Seagulls swirl and swoop in flocks, over
frothy waves and slippery rocks.
Ice cream, popcorn and drinks in hand, as
two and four leg-eds trample the sand.
Parents read under cabana shade, while
moated sandcastles are being made.
Soon sunset comes and takes the sky and
everyone must say goodbye.
Still floaties and beach balls bob in the sea
“A few more minutes!” is every child’s plea.
Alas, the jubilant beach rests for the night, but
only ’til tomorrow’s light.
POSTED FOR KAY
Kay DiVerde
Week #1: knight, bored (100 words)
John Henry was a knight in Baileyville. He was bored!
It was a time of peace. He exclaimed, “What can I do? No one needs me.”
A boy named Freddie whispered, “I do.”
“Who said that?” asked John Henry.
“I said that,” answered Freddie. “I have no one to play with. Can you play, sir?”
John Henry replied “Well, it’s been a while since I played. What should we play?”
Freddie suggested, “Can you throw?
John Henry grabbed a ball and threw it. They became friends. John Henry even let Freddie try his armor.
John Henry was no longer bored.
POSTED FOR SHARIFFA
Mix and Match by Shariffa Keshavjee
(school, bored, alien, camel, knight)
School has begun at last
My boredom now is past
The bus is here at last
With children all aghast
They will buy my candy
The money will be handy
Today I dress as an Alien
Shall I be camel and then?
Next day I can be Knight
Make me feel so bright
For kids it’s just so right
They cheer with their might
I watch them with delight
Alien did not give them fright
The Knight was a such sight
Camel was humpy not right
Good Knight!
Once there was a good knight who had trouble sleeping. He tried everything to help him sleep.
He sang lullabies to himself.
He thought about a quiet beach and lapping waves.
He painted his room blue. He thought blue was a calming color.
He listened to sleep music.
One day he became a cranky knight.
His room looked like a storm passed through.
He knocked things over with his tail wherever he went.
He fell asleep at a cat concert.
He fell asleep at the movie theatre.
He asked Mama Cat, “I need a story, please?”
“ZZZZZZZZ,” snored Good Knight.
Sorry I forgot to add the words at the top! Knight, beach, cranky!
Penny A.
WC: 115
Setting: School
Wyatt led Cricket Bug to the front of the class. “M….m…mmmmm….mule!” Mule starts with M and this is my mule, Cricket Bug”
The class cheered and clambered around Cricket. Mrs. Kraut said, “Cricket Bug is full of M words. What else can you find?… “
…Mane
…Muzzle
…Mud (ooops…that was embarrassing!)
“Very good! Now let’s talk about another M word – Manners.”
Cricket’s ears drooped. He wasn’t very good at manners. He tried to sneak out the back door, but Mrs. Kraut caught him.
Rule # 1: Always open the door for others.
Cricket Bug, will you hold the door open for us as we go to lunch?
Cricket Bug hated going last…
Catching up – posting a week one entry!
Alien
School
Bored
Show and Tell
100 words
It was Show and Tell at school and Lara was standing in front of her classmates.
“I found something an alien left behind here on Earth!” she announced.
She pulled something very small out of her pocket and showed the class how it glowed, how it could talk, and how it could make music, and explained that it could vanish and reappear whenever it wanted.
The children looked either confused or bored.
“Lara,” said the teacher, “I appreciate your imagination, but we all know that’s a horse chestnut. Put it away and sit down. It’s time for Fun with Phonics.”
Very cute, Elizabeth! I love Lara’s imagination and how believably kid-like she is! 😊
Just heard about this, going to try my best to catch up!!! 🙂
Aliens Have Birthday Parties Too!
Words: Alien, Birthday Party
Have you ever been to an alien’s birthday party?
Did you know they have parties, too?
They start their day with their birthday pajamas.
Yep, that’s right! Aliens get to wear pajamas on their birthday!
Next, they decorate their alien spaceship with bright, neon lights and green confetti everywhere!
They even hire the alien orchestra to play live music.
Then, they put on their birthday goggles, birthday boots, and birthday gloves.
When it’s time for the party, the alien citizens arrive with their gift: a new antenna for the birthday boy! The more antennas, the cooler the alien!
They sing the “Happy Alien Birthday” song, make a wish for what planet they will visit next, and blow out their mud pie cake. Mmmmm!
They may not be the same as you, but aliens have birthday parties too!
Katielisbeth
LeeLee Croaks. – 100 words
LeeLee woke up early.
She had an invitation
“Please come to school, we think that you’ll
fit in our Alien-nation.”
She thought for just a moment.
Decided she should try
She’d learn new things, like why her singing
made the angels cry.
Her name was on the check list
“A. Lee En” the zombie shrieked
That’s when she knew, things were askew
“This class is wrong”, she squeaked.
She wandered through the hallway
Heard voices harmonizing
She trilled along, her favorite song,
began a class uprising!
Back to the alien class she went,
croaking to her heart’s content.
Great job Katie! You have me guessing- is LeeLee an alien or just a bad singer?!
Actually, I’m not even sure. But glad you liked it!
This is terrific, Katie! I love the rhyme scheme and unusual premise of a frog, alien, and zombie. So creative!
Thank you. I had thought the whole thing was a little confusing . . . But fun to write!
Fun. I’m glad LeeLee found her voice!
Fun! Thank you for getting my writing muscles going. Here’s what I have for “bored” and “Knight”
The kingdom was peaceful.
The southern invaders were away surfing.
The northern tribe entered a knitting competition.
The west warriors were at an ax-throwing convention.
The knight was terribly bored.
He tried gardening, but digging with a sword was tricky.
He tried bird watching, but his clanging armor scared the chickadees.
He tried professional pie eating, but his face guard slowed him down.
One day while sword twirling, he saw a dragon.
“You lazy lizard!” he yelled. “Let’s fight!”
“I have painting class today,” the dragon said.
The knight joined the dragon for class.
A week later when the south invaders surfed in with sharks, the north tribe aimed cannons covered in yarn, and the west warriors came with blue ribbons on their axes, the knight said, “Hold it!”… and painted a picture of them all.
Ugo Anidi
179 words
Knight, Birthday Party, Bored
Kike waved her sword in the air.
“Knight Kike needs something to save!”
She looked around.
“I’ll save this cockroach from Mummy.”
She waved her sword in front of Mummy’s broom and the cockroach got away.
“Kike!”
She took off.
“I’ll save the book from Daddy”
She waved her sword in front of Daddy’s book and he dropped it.
“You’ve read it too many times Daddy, it needs a break”
She took off.
“What else can I save?” she wondered as she looked into the garden next door.
“I’ll save Lota’s birthday party. They’re all sitting around doing nothing! They must be bored”
She dashed over there.
“Hello damsels! Knight Kike is here to save you from boredom!” she yelled
All the kids sat still. Nobody moved. Kike stared at them.
“Hello …” she whispered.
Then one burst into laughter and all the others did too!
“Kike! We were playing sleeping lions and you just made us all lose to Kemi.”
She dropped her sword. “Can I play?”
“Of course, we would love to save Knight Kike from boredom!”
(Posting to complete my personal challenge- Thank you, Susanna!)
(Knight, school jubilant – 545 fast words)
Knight Night School wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the six ‘Your Royal Highnesses’ presiding over the Royal Princess Club of Consolidated Kingdoms.
That Board of Six decided it high time their resident Knight be called in upon the royal carpet. “You are a good knight, but you are a dumb knight. Can you paint, embroider, or play the lute? Do you dance or sing in Italian? How many languages can you speak, and can you pen poetry in curly calligraphy? Don’t answer. We know you can’t even read, write, or do geometry. Maybe you don’t even know your fractions very well. We decided you need to be smart for this job. Smart equals degree only. You’re fired, Sir Knight. You can have your job back when you fix all that.“
So the Knight went to night school, because he was too busy during the day, doing knight things. It was hard to finish homework when you’d been fighting dragons all day. For if the princesses didn’t want a knight, people still needed saving. Lucky for him, it was a little easier saving the other sort of young lady: her clothes were not so fancy but her life skills were considerably better than the average princess. He even went into business with some of those young ladies, opening Saving People franchises here and yonder in his spare time.
Meanwhile, the Royal Princess Club was in trouble. They couldn’t paint, embroider, sing ,pen poetic calligraphy or play lutes because of bothersome dragons crashing, slashing, and generally besieging their castles. And their dragon fighting knight was gone. They sent passenger pigeons out to all the neighboring castles to find him, and ask him humbly in six syllable words to report back upon their royal red carpet.
Unfortunately, the passenger pigeons interrupted Sir Knight’s graduation ceremony, where they made no little amount of mess. But the Knight was skilled at saving many things, and he wrapped up the many things in a jiffy and presented himself before the Royal Board of Six .
“Oh Sir and Noble knight, why did we think we would ever manage without you? Even a dumb knight enables we princesses to pursue all the royal things we do to be so accomplished. We fear we were hasty in kicking you off Our Royal Protection Squad- Would you forgive us? And would you please resume your post?
Six pairs of luxuriously enriched eyelashes fluttered eagerly in his direction, expectant.
Our knight was jubilant. It is nice to be needed, better to be appreciated, and best to hold the ball in your court.
“Your Royal Highnesses, I forgive you most willingly. it is true, when you fired me I couldn’t write my name, but I knew who I was. I knew what I knew, too: I had a brave heart, a good hand,a sharp sword, and a sure eye- and pretty thick skin.
“Now, I knew I can always learn more, so this knight went to night school. I am too busy to take up my old job, but I know six lovely ladies who could fill it within six months, if they get good grades.
. Here is a dozen county permits to start building my new Night Knight Schools for New Knights- a subset of my dairy-maid owned and operated Saving People franchises. My schools are taking applications from royal princesses ready to learn to do their own saving. Want a flyer?”