My goodness!
How time flies!
Can you believe we’re on the last week of our little challenge already? I’ve been having so much fun and enjoying all your creativity so much that it seems like we just started!
I want to apologize for getting a little behind with the updating and commenting. A family situation came up and I’m not having much time to work. But I promise I’ll sort it all out eventually, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime! 😊
This is the last week, so if you want to be eligible for the prize drawing (so many AMAZING prizes!!!) be sure to have all 7 of your entries posted in the comment section of the correct post (links to each week below) by Saturday June 27th at midnight! I’ll announce the randomly drawn prize winners next Monday – June 29th.
Now! Let’s jump into Week 7!
Mix ‘n’ Match Mini is a 7 week writing challenge for anyone who needs a little boost or a little encouragement to get writing. . . or maybe just a little fun during this bizarre stay-at-home spring!
You get to write your own story, enjoy and be entertained by everyone else’s stories, and get yourself in the running for some awesome prizes (please see the end of the blog post for a list of all the prize goodies!)
To be eligible for the prize drawing you must enter all 7 weeks.
For a full description of the challenge or to add your Week #1 entry, please go HERE (Week #1)
To add your Week #2 entry, please go HERE (Week #2)
To add your Week #3 entry, please go HERE (Week #3)
To add your Week #4 entry, please go HERE (Week #4)
To add your Week #5 entry, please go HERE (Week #5)
To add your Week #6 entry, please fo HERE (Week #6)
Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Writing Prompt #7 for Week of June 22:
So far we’ve played with characters, setting, and emotion (or a combination, depending on where your random choosing landed you), with nursery rhymes and point of view, with a picture prompt, fun names, and a plot point, with fairy tales taking place in a new setting, with “How To”, and with getting into the young child mindset with only/always/never statements! This week, for our final challenge, we’re going to do Summer Superheroes! 😊
Choose a superpower from Column A and an object/item from Column B and write a 100 word story for kids about a character of your choosing – boy scout, unicorn princess, sweet potato. . . – anything goes 😊 that has, or meets someone with, the super power and includes the object.
| Column A – Super Powers | Column B – Objects/Items |
| Time travel | Sand pail |
| Invisibility | S’mores |
| Mind reading | Picnic or barbecue |
| Xray vision | Popsicle |
| Breathe underwater | Pool float |
| Supersonic speed | Goggles |
| Superhuman strength | Shark or mermaid |
| Elasticty | The Sun |
| Flight | Camp Songs |
You can write about Lily and Ben going on a picnic and meeting up with an invisible squirrel who is making off with their peanut butter sandwiches, or a time-traveling cave cricket who resolves an inter-cabin dispute at Camp Uggahmuggah by gathering all the kids around a fire and teaching them fun camp songs, or a Super Kid with xray vision whose powers are compromised at a crucial moment by ultraviolet swim goggles. . . or anything else that inspires you!
- Stories can rhyme or not – totally up to you!
- You can go under or over 100 words if you want to – also totally up to you! – 100 is a guideline
- If you’re deeply inspired by a super power or object/item that is not on the list you can use that instead – as long as you write a story as outlined above – the purpose here is inspiration and to get you writing!
- For simplicity’s sake (and to aid skimming readers who might be interested in a particular thing) please be sure to put the super power and object/item you chose at the top of your entry along with your name and word count.
I’m not sure I’m going to have time for my little just for fun sample this week, but if I can, I’ll add it in here! 😊
Now 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!
Remember, this is the last week, so if you want to be eligible for the prize drawing be sure to have all 7 of your entries posted in the comment section of the correct post (links to each week above) by Saturday June 27th at midnight. I’ll announce the randomly drawn prize winners next Monday – June 29th.
Ready, set, WRITE! 😊
(And remember, for full details on the 7 week challenge you can check HERE)
(And if you need to motivate yourself scroll down to see all the amazing prizes you could win!!! 😊)
Check out the Week #7 stories!
Time Travel Freezing Power – Dawn Young (time travel, freezing power, popsicle)
Marty The Fly – Sue Lancaster (time travel, the sun)
Princess Supersonic Speed – Sara Ackerman (supersonic speed, popsicle)
Popsicles At Sunset – Matthew Lasley (popsicle)
Endless Freeze – Brenda Whitehead (time travel, popsicle)
Mia Flying Heart Girl – Lily Erlic (flight, hearts)
Supersonic Speed S’Mores – Jamie Bechtelheimer
Elasticity And Goggles – Ugo Anidi
When The Baby’s Allowed To Wish – Colleen Murphy (super size)
Untitled – Dot Anson (invisibility, popsicle)
Ed’s New Pair Of Sneakers – Jess Murray (superhuman speed, popsicle)
Marlene And The Fish – Patricia Nozell (breathe underwater, goggles)
The Crab And The Sun – Candice Conner (flight, the sun)
Soother – Mary Van Beuren (elasticity, electric guitar)
Limerick For Week 7 – Marty (superhuman strength, picnic)
Blaze – Rose Cappelli (invisibility, s’mores)
Untitled – Kay DiVerde (invisibility, popsicle)
The Sweet Smell Of Friendship – Jill Lambert (invisibility, s’mores)
Mind Reader – Rebecca Gardyn Levington (mind reading, goggles)
Lunch Lady – Susan Inez (elasticity, picnic)
Shark Breath – Deb Buschman (breathe underwater, shark)
Dr. Whooo – Susan Schipper (time travel, goggles)
A Melodious Picnic – Deb Sullivan (mind reading, camp songs)
X-Ray Birthday – Genevieve Petrillo (X-Ray vision, popsicle, goggles)
Saving Mermaid Arie – Cindy Boyll (breathe underwater, mermaid, goggles)
Rocks Rule – Amy Flynn (superhuman strength, pail)
Singing For His Supper – Penny Adler (elasticity, campfire songs)
Rocco Raccoon – Ashley Congdon (x-ray vision, goggles)
Fire Focus – Leslie Denkers (lights fires, a surprise, s’mores, bbq grill, popsicles)
Limerick #2 for Week 7 – Marty (supersonic speed, s’mores)
Lindy’s Flight Fright – Sarah Meade (flight)
Fish Camp Rocks – Katie Schwartz (breathe underwater, camp songs)
Dig It Up Jay – Michelle S. Kennedy (superhuman strength, sand pail, mermaid)
Untitled – Alicia Meyers Kelly (invisibility, goggles)
Untitled – Linda Schueler (time travel, popsicle)
Goggles The Supercow – Tracy(goggles)
Week 7 Limerick – Liz Kehrli (flight, the moon)
Week 7 – Ketan Ram (X-ray vision, goggles)
The Super Babysitter – Mia Geiger (elastic, super)
Pudgy The Hero – Barbara Renner (superhuman strength, the sun)
Untitled – Heather Hatch (mind reading, picnic)
Sneaky Drake – Kristy Roser Nuttall (invisibility, s’mores)
All Bread Is Created Equal – Susan Krevat (time travel, s’mores)
PRIZES & PRIZES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!
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! 😊
Please join me 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 gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, suggesting them for school visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
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
Susanna Leonard Hill 
(336 words/ mind reading +picnic)
Hey, Speck”, said Reddy, pausing in the main door to the anthill. “What did one mindreader say to the other mindreader?”
“Uh, Quiet? I’m trying to think?” Speck shifted her leaf piece over her head.”Or maybe, we’re about to get run over?”
“Nope. She said, I knew you knew I knew you knew I knew!”
“Knew what?” Speck followed the rest of the worker ants to the storeroom. Reddy followed Speck. “It’s my super power. I’m a mind reader”.
“What’s that good for? Read my mind, then.” To Speck, carrying a triple leaf load sounded like a useful superpower.
“Can’t, grinned Reddy. It’s so dark, you’d have to turn on the lights. Or so empty, you need to put something in there!”
Speck huffed.“Hey, this mind’s closed!” huffed Speck.
“Alright, alright, my feet hear you,” said Reddy.” I’ll quit bugging you.”
“This mind’s closed, but how about reading some of theirs? Like, find us some lunch? Like, What’s she thinking?”
“Nest building” said Reddy.
And that one? “Digging. Tunnels”.
Over there?”
“Pupa. And the one next to her, larva”
“What does her mind have in it?” Now Speck was curious.
“Juggling the milking schedule of the aphid herd- and her friend is devising a pushup routine to multiply her super-insect strength 20 times our weight. There’s got to be someone around here with food on the brain…. Ah Hah! We found our girl. Ham sandwiches…..potato salad…. I am sensing ‘ Picnic’. When you are a mind reader, you know who’s going places. Follow the leader, Speck! To those cupcakes! “
“Hey team!” shouted Speck. “To baked beans, potato chips , and watermelon juice! March! Camp songs, anyone? “
“The ants go marching one by one, hurrah! hummed Reddy, shouldering a ton of ham and mustard.
“Hey, Reddy, I have a superpower too, “ sang Speck. “I can forcast the weather- And they all go marching down. To get out. Of the rain, Boom Boom Boom,”
So they did. And took every crumb of that picnic with them.
POSTED FOR KRISTY
Sneaky Drake (invisible, s’mores)
by Kristy Roser Nuttall
WC: 188
Once upon a time there was a dragon named Drake who had an unusual superpower . . .at least for a dragon.
He could turn himself invisible.
But he wasn’t sure how to use his superpower.
He just liked lounging in his cave, and there was no point in being invisible in a cave.
Then he discovered marshmallows.
With his dragon breath he could roast marshmallows to perfection.
The best way to find marshmallows was to sneak up on human campfires, but whenever the humans saw him, they would run away and take their marshmallows with them.
So Drake decided to use his invisibility to roam around campsites unseen and pluck up all of the fallen marshmallows from around the campfires.
Then he would fly home with his new marshmallow stash, get out his crackers and chocolate, and make the most delicious dragon sized s’mores ever.
Being invisible actually came in handy.
And the next week Drake found himself visiting a marshmallow factory, because you know, humans around campfires don’t always have a dragon sized supply of marshmallows handy.
And marshmallow factories do. . at least before Drake visits them.
All Bread is Created Equal by Susan Krevat
Baguette stood in the market gazing out the window.
“I wonder what life will be in the future. Will Scali and I
ever get our big break? ” thought Baguette.
Suddenly, Baguette found herself next to Scali at a barbecue
on a deck overlooking a lake. The people were busy
making s’mores and not paying attention to the loaves
of bread.
Scali shared his dreams with Baguette. “Let’s go off
and start our own bread shop where all bread is created
equal. Pumpernickel can have a place beside Challah;
Pita can stand proudly next to Sourdough. White can
have the same rights and get the same respect
as Wheat What do you say, Baguette?
Are you coming with me?” challenged Scali. “This is
our big chance to travel into the future and make
bread right!”
Today you can find Baguette and Scali at
The Bread Shop in Wakefield, Massachusetts where
the slogan is: All bread matters!
Just made it! Here’s my entry – thanks for a fabulous 7 weeks of fun and creativity!
Timmy’s Surprise Ride (Super Ant and Picnic- 92 words)
Timmy watched as a sandwich floated across the blanket and disappear. He shook his head. Must be seeing things, he thought, as he bit into his sandwich.
A banana floated by next, but it disappeared before he could grab it.
He crouched, eyes scanning the area. When the watermelon moved, he jumped and grabbed it. But it kept moving, with him on it. He held on tight, not wanting to fall or lose it.
“Mom! Help!”
(stay tuned for part 2 ` will Timmy escape from the clutches of Super Ant?)