***FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE***
Sorry for the delay in posting finalists, everyone! So many great entries – it’s really hard to narrow the field and it’s taking us longer than expected. I will do my best to post them no later than Monday afternoon, sooner if I can. Thank you all so much for your patience, and have a great weekend!
Witch’s wart and wing of bat! It’s time for. . .
The 11th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!!

~ for children’s writers ~
THE CONTEST: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in word count) using the words glow-in-the-dark, goosebumps, and goodies.
- Your story can be poetry or prose, scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words. Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 😊
- You can go under the word count but not over!
- Title is not included in the word count.
- Also, being super clear for this year, glow-in-the-dark counts as 1 word (even though it looks like 4 😊)
- You may use the words in any form i.e. glowed-in-the-dark, goosebumpley, goody (“Oh, goody!”, goody-two-shoes etc.), whathaveyou 😊
- You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
- No illustration notes please!
And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got just shy of 300 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!
POST: your story in the comment section below between right now this very second and Sunday October 31st at Midnight – the witching hour! Please include your title, word count, and byline with your entry so that if your posting handle is MomNeedsAVacation I’ll still be able to tell who wrote your entry 😊
- For those of you who would also like to post on your blogs, please feel free to do so! You are welcome to include the link to your blog with your entry in the comment section below so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of This Post between now and Sunday October 31st at Midnight.
- If you have difficulty posting your entry to the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! Contact button above or [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! They will not be opened.
- I know how hard you all work on your entries, and how anxious you are to get them posted, but please try to be a little patient if your entry doesn’t show up immediately. Many comments have to be manually approved, and it sometimes takes me a little while to post entries that come in by email. I promise I will get to everything as soon as I can. I try never to leave my desk during contests, but sometimes it’s unavoidable 😊
- Side Note: WordPress will not properly format entries written in the shape of a pumpkin (or anything else!) or with fancy or colored fonts or unusual spacing. No matter how great it looks in whatever program you compose it in, be forewarned that when you post it in the comment section it is going to be basic and I am not able to change that for you, I’m afraid.
THE JUDGING: in a grueling marathon over the days following the contest close, my devoted assistants and I will read and re-read and narrow down the entries to a finalist field of about 12 which will be posted here for you to vote on I hope by Friday November 5th (though if the judging takes longer than expected it might be a little later – we will do our best!) The winner will be announced Monday November 8th (good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😊)
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. Use of all 3 required words and whether you came it at 100 words or less.
- 4. 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.
- 5. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
- 6. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
- 7. How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines, they won’t even read your submission.
THE PRIZES: So amazing! What wonderful, generous people we have in our kidlit community! Just wait til you see what you can win!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids, 2019), COUNTING ELEPHANTS (Running Press Kids, 2020), THE NIGHT BAAFORE EASTER (WorthyKids, 2021), THE NIGHT BAAFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (WorthyKids, 2021), and the brand new ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids, October 19, 2021)!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonrhyming) by Janie Reinart, author of WHEN WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN (Blue Whale Press, 2021)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (biography) by Lindsey McDivitt, author of NATURE’S FRIEND: THE GWEN FROSTIC STORY (Sleeping Bear Press, 2018), TRUTH AND HONOR: THE PRESIDENT FORD STORY (Sleeping Bear Press, 2020), and A PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE: NELSON MANDELA’S HOPE FOR HIS NATION (Eerdman’s Books For Young Readers, 2021)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or any) or First 10 Pages of a longer MS (winner’s choice) by Kenda Henthorn, author of the forthcoming BAA, BAA TAP SHEEP (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2022)
Kenda works in the aviation industry now so it’s no surprise that her writing inspirations and aspirations are sky-high, too. She resides in Oklahoma and when the winds aren’t sweepin’ down the plains, Kenda enjoys acting, flying, kayaking and riding horses or her motorcycle. (Vroom-vroom!)She has served as a Regional Coordinator for the Oklahoma SCBWI and a Best in Rhyme Award committee member and judge.

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or lyrical) by Randi Sonenshine, author of THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT (Candlewick March 2020) and the forthcoming THE LODGE THAT BEAVER BUILT (Candlewick Fall 2022)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Danielle Dufayet, author of YOU ARE YOUR STRONG (Magination Press, March 2019) and FANTASTIC YOU (Magination Press, September 2019)

⭐️ Storyboard Notebook – a great way to draft your picture books! PLUS a deck of What’s The Story Cards to inspire the drafts! PLUS the Making Picture Book Magic Self Study Course to help you craft your draft!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS by Dawn Young PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of BRANCHES OF HOPE: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of MIMIC MAKERS: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Kristen Nordstrom PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of A PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE: Nelson Mandela’s Hope for His Nation by Lindsey McDivitt PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT by Randi Sonenshine PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Personalized signed copy of 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY by Sue Heavenrich PLUS your choice of one of the writing craft books listed below!

⭐️ Winners of the 6 signed picture books above may also receive their choice of any one of the following writing craft books to go along with their picture book:






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 birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Happy Writing! Happy Reading! And Happy Halloween!
Now, let the Halloweensie begin!
The 294 entries listed below are linked to where they appear in the comments so you can click on the titles and get right to them! (Assuming WordPress cooperates . . . fingers crossed!) Anyone who feels kind can start at the bottom of the list so those entries get some comments too! 🎃 😊
- Isolated For Halloween – S. J. Little
- A Halloween Time Machine – Sara Kruger
- Weather’s Trick, Witch’s Treat – Abby N. Wooldridge
- Halloween Is LIT! – Anne Lipton
- Kit’s Costume – Kari Ann Gonzalez
- Mean Halloween – Heather Ferranti Kinser
- A Witchy Switch – Katie Schwartz
- The Porchlight – Chris Garcia-Halenar
- Bruce Goose – Jessica Hinrichs
- Undersea Halloween – Vashti Verbowski
- Sweet Swap – Daniella Kaufman-Schloss
- The Halloween Witch – Trista Herring Baughman
- The Lonely Pumpkin Head – Elle Jaufret
- Hallows’ Eve – E. A. Peterson
- Whose Cat Is THAT? – Beth Stillborn
- This Pumpkin’s Not For Picking – Laura Howard
- The Jimjam – Carrie Karnes-Fannin
- Trick Likes Treats, But So Does Swoop – Melissa Valente
- The Haunted House High Up On The Hill – Sue Lancaster
- Tricked The Treats – Katie Fischer
- A Helpful Ghost – Emily Durant
- The Wraith On My Wrist or Ghostie Lost In City Mist – Sally Yorke-Viney
- Three Little Geese Do Halloween – Linda Williams Swanson
- A Glowing Solution – Nicole Loos Miller
- Warning: May Contain Sugar – Amy Leskowski
- How Hannah Saved Halloween – Colleen Murphy
- Double Meaning Halloween Knight – Debbie Meneses
- Untitled – Shariffa
- The Scavenger’s
FeastBall – Sarah Hetu-Radny - ‘Tis The Season, Candy Eaters – Hannah Roy LaGrone
- Greta’s Glow-In-The-Dark Goosebumps – Susan E. Schipper
- Bobbing For Apples – Lyn Jekowsky
- The Perfect Pumpkin – Barbara Kimmel
- No More Sugar! – Sarah K. Rose
- Fairy-Fire – Vanessa Konoval
- Creepy Cook-Off – Sarah Meade
- Macy & Lucy’s Halloween – Sarah Meade
- Ghostly Linens – Stephanie Maksymiw
- Happy HOWL-oween – Lindsey Hobson
- Three Glowing Bats – Sherry Roberts
- Halloween Family Secret – Jennifer Mary Grolemund
- A Sick Day – Jany Campana
- The Pied Pumpkin Of Halloween – Marta Cutler
- Creatures From The Couch – Julie Hansen
- Alligator The Ghost – Marta Cutler
- Goose-Zilla – Linda Staszak
- Welcome To The Skeleton Dance – Sue Heavenrich
- Teal Halloween – Kathleen Lowry
- The Gloves – Stephanie Rondeau
- Ghoulie Rulies – Brenda Whitehead
- Tricky Treaters – P. J. Purtee
- Garth’s Game Changer – Darcee A. Freier
- Nabbed! – Abby Voss
- The Wart-Covered Tree – Danielle Arndt
- The Last Fall Firefly – Meagan T. Gentry
- Who Cares If It’s Cold? – Allison Strick
- Glenda’s Goosebumps – Susan Burd
- The Candy Thief – Meagan T. Gentry
- Halloween Hero – Rose Cappelli
- The Halloween Ball – Marta Cutler
- Scary-Go-Round – Catherine Catcho
- The Scariest Monster – Marty McCormick Bellis
- Fright Night – Marty Findley
- Halloween Eve – Barbara Renner
- Wilbur Werewolf – Deb Buschman
- Teeny Owl’s Spooky Halloween – Janet Parkinson Bryce
- No Room For Monsters – Jill Stuck
- Ghost House – HC Morris
- Boogie Man’s Bright Idea – Jenn Shetsen Wierda
- Swamp Beast Falls For Sweets – Jilanne Hoffman
- Have You Seen My Monster – Alan Elliott
- Halloween Hang-Ups – Russell Wolff
- Mark Lights The Way – Karyn Curtis
- Halloween Pie – Jill Stuck
- The Costume – C. E. King
- I’m Coming To Get You – Pat Holloway
- The Frightmare – Linda Staszak
- Frankie & Gigi: Trick Or Feet – Kira Barrett
- Home For Halloween – Melissa Miles
- Not The Costume I Wanted – Michelle S. Kennedy
- Goosey Glender’s Fall Feast – Bartybear
- Halloween Scavenger Hunt – Denise Seidman
- Stink Fairy’s Hallo-smelly-ween – Stacey Miller
- Hallowmas – Danielle S. Hammelef
- Goosebumps For Mother Goose – Lynne Marie
- How Do You Tickle A Ghost? – Kizzi Hutcheson
- Dragon Magic – Melissa Rotert
- Gretyl Hobbled Into Halloween History – Royal Baysinger
- Shiver And Sugar! – Abby Voss
- Monster Feast – Abby Voss
- Are You Ready To Trick-Or-Treat? – Corine Timmer
- Christmas In October – Vanessa Konoval
- Spooky ABCs – Alan Elliott
- Dragon And Pirate’s Halloween – Alan Elliott
- Tiny’s Halloween Flight – Carolyn C. Snelling
- Rainbow Bridge – Corine Timmer
- Great-Aunt Broomhilda – Josh Cohen
- Cirque Fantome – Kizzi Hutcheson
- A Knock On The Door – Pamela Swanson
- Trick-Or-Treat Nightmare – Cindy Sommer
- Worth The Climb – Armineh Manookian
- Thank You, Trick-Or-Treaters! For Protecting Your Mother – Sharon McCarthy
- Beware, Out There – Julie Lerczak
- The Haunted Bathroom – Jill Lambert
- Plan Bee – Jenny Morales
- “BOO!”K Spooky Halloween – Laura N. Clement
- The Witch’s Mistake – Jennifer Kaap
- Itsy B. Spider – Molly Ippolito
- Too Many Goodies – Rachel Krackeler
- Ghostmetics – Rozana Rajkumari
- Santa’s Halloween – Jen MacGregor
- My Scariest Halloween Night – Les Degnan
- Winnie Trick-Or-Treats – Dorothy Kohrherr
- Camping Surprise – Meredith Flory
- Halloween Hunt – Mary Ann Featherston
- The Glow-In-The-Dark Bowl – Kathy Scott
- The Haunted House – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
- Once Upon A Halloween – Colourbeam
- A Witchy Potion – Susan Summers
- A Giant Surprise – Susan Summers
- Hollow-Eeek! – Karen Keesling
- Once Upon A Halloween – Nadia Ali
- Halloween Battle: (Vampire) Squid vs. (Goblin) Shark – Laura Bower
- Happy, Happy Halloween – Claire Freeland
- Mr. O’Leary’s House – Nina Nolan
- Phantom Festival – Lynn Moore
- The Surprise Halloween Friend – Cindy Greene
- Goosebumps – Amy Flynn
- Ninja Goose And The Halloween Hi-Yah! – Deborah Foster
- Tricky Treat – Patricia Nozell
- A Halloween Snack – Debra Daugherty
- Escaping Planet Taradiddle – Colleen Daugherty
- First Halloween Treat – Natalie Cohn
- My Last Trick-Or-Treat – Reed Hilton-Eddy
- Glowing Ghost – Lauri C. Meyers
- hALLYween SPELL – Paul Roncone
- Halloween Love – Marla Yablon
- Cockroach’s Glowing Problem – Lori Himmel
- Scaredy-Cat Pat And The Haunted House – Sara Dean
- Let The Real Halloween Begin! – Lori Evans
- Ixchel’s Belizean Halloween – Blanca Manzanilla
- Emy Is Always Right – Katharyn R. Benessa
- Tricky Treat – Ann Grilli
- Jack’s Pumpkin Plan – Diana Murrell
- Lights In The Dark – Ivanka Dimitrova
- Fraidy Cat No More – Jennifer Cherry
- Galactic Trick-Or-Treat – Tiffany Hanson
- My Ghost Bubble Friend – Sheila R. Schmotzer
- R-R-R-Rattled – Gennie Gorback
- Glow-In-The-Dark Goodies – Leslie Collins
- Moonlit Love – Liz Kehrli
- Un-Spooky Halloween – Krista Legge
- Stella Shines – Laura Barens
- Tabby The Trouble Maker – Dawn Renee Young
- The Nameless Ghoul – Imelda Taylor
- How The Jack-O-Lantern Found His Real Smile – Sheri Palmer
- Halloween Chase – Connie Newbauer
- Spidey Sparkles – Angelique Lamour
- Never Trick A Witch – Tiffany Hanson
- Halloween Monster – Tiffany Hanson
- The Halloween Sleepover – Kelsey E. Gross
- Goose Bumped – Jen Subra
- The Rock – Trista Herring Baughman
- Halloween Pumpkin – Shariffa
- A Tricky Tattoo – Gregory E. Bray
- Brave, Adalaide – Katie Walsh
- March Of The Skeletons – Jill Richards Proctor
- Little Night Terrors – Obbverse
- The Mansion On Maple – Glenda Roberson
- The Graveyard Picnic – Gabrielle Cardwell
- Halloween Heebie-Jeebies – Karen Pickrell
- A Few Of The Scariest Things: A Parody To The Tune Of My Favorite Things – Ingrid Boydston
- The Witch Of Jekyll Island – Shampa Enayet
- FEELINGUNSEENONHALLOWEEN – Nicola Beach
- Hank’s Halloween Costume? (A Riddle In A Story) – Ken Major
- All Hallow’s Eve – Stacey Miller
- Molly’s Ghost – Hobbo
- The Witch’s House – Emma Wood
- My Word – It’s Halloween! – Jamie Donahoe
- Switched On And Off – Diana Webb
- A Night With Gran – Diana Webb
- Boys Will Be Boys – Matt Snyder
- Flicker Of A Cat’s Tail – Jacqui Boulter
- Pumpkin Train – Kathy Raggio
- The Alien – M. Waknitz
- Jellyfish George’s Halloween – Scott Kinder
- Skeleton’s Halloween – M. Waknitz
- Twyla Z. Witch – Lori Dubbin
- Witch’s Brew – K. Sibilia
- It’s Halloween – Elizabeth Muster
- Capture The Goodies On Halloween – Ames Jegen (age 11)
- (Not) A Very Scary Story – Linda Staszak
- Halloween Helpers – Ellen Seal
- Halloween Warning – Stephanie Henson
- Leaping Lizards! – Sharon Match
- Graveyard Bully – Jean James
- The Greatest Night Of The Year – Krista Harrington
- Halloween Hide And Seek – Melissa Wrex
- Trick Or Treat Night – Emily Keifer
- Oscar’s Irresistible Brew – Lucretia Schafroth
- All Hallow’s Eve At The Roller Rink – Bonnie Kelso
- My Halloween Crew – Alana DeVito
- Post Halloween Goals – Amy Reitz
- The Card Game – Cathy Lee
- Quiet Night – Thelia Hutchinson
- Trick-Or-Treat, Night Animals!: A Halloween Story – Mary Catherine Amadu
- A Halloween Tail – Janice Kay
- An Inch – Susan Leigh Needham
- Underwater Halloween – Judy Sobanski
- The Lonely Scarecrow – Sarah Atherton
- The Little Witch – Deborah Hunt
- Waking The Dead – Nancy Derey Riley
- A Not-So-Sweet Halloween – Erika Romero
- It’s Halloween In Toothytown – Kristen Littlefield
- Until It’s Safe – Brittany Saulnier
- First Halloween – Karen deWilde
- You Are What You Eat – Alexa Tuttle
- Once Upon A Halloween – Carrie O’Leary
- Goodie Ghost’s Halloween Screams – KJ Albright
- A Bunny Can Dream – Becky Walker
- Ogre’s Halloween – Barbara DiMarco
- Monster Lipstick – Kathi Morrison-Taylor
- Ghoulies Grand Soiree – MaryAnn Cortez
- Haunting Gnomes – Lindsay Moretti
- Goosebumped Ghoul And Scattered Skeleton – Sarah Kohls Roberts
- Not This Time – Sandhya Acharya
- How To Sneak A Halloween Treat – Alicia Meyers
- I Wish. . . – Amy Duchene
- Bram’s Hunt – Michaela Almeida
- Terrific Toothpaste! – Heather Gallagher
- The After Party – Samantha Sinclair
- The Final Hour – Ashlee MacCallum
- Halloween Gala – Tonnye Williams Fletcher
- Halloween Bites – Melissa-Jane Nguyen
- Double, Double Toilet Trouble – Stephanie Amargi
- Henley’s Haunted House – Jeannette Suhr
- Disguise Surprise – Nancy Derey Riley
- Enough – David McMullin
- Witches Aren’t Supposed To Be Afraid Of The Dark – Ally Piper
- Frankenpixie – Paul Kurtz
- Scaredy-Monster – Paul Kurtz
- Halloween’s The Worst! – Donna Kurtz
- Bunny’s Bored! – Donna Kurtz
- The Goblin Market – Aly Kenna
- Wilfred The Wizard – Nicola Thackrey
- Halloweenie – Jana Mattern
- The Last House On Halloween – Bru Benson
- Ghostly, Ghastly, Goosebumps – Janet F. Smart
- Astronaut Aidan – Kaye Wright
- The Halloween Dare – Erin Cleary
- Dracula’s First Halloween – Eleanor Cullen
- Pumpkin Dawn – TSW Sharman
- A Southern Halloween – Trista Herring Baughman
- The Candy Monster – Judy Cooper
- The Halloween Potty – Andrew Hacket
- It Absolutely Will Be A Fine Night – Susan Krevat
- Halloween Goodies – Una Belle Townsend
- It’s Dark In Here – Sue Ko
- Eyelashes – Sue Ko
- Fall – Sue Ko
- Too Dark – Rae Harkness
- Boo – Mary Ann Napolitano
- Much Too Goody – Sarah Hawklyn
- Candy Surprise – Julianna Kurtz
- Halloween Surprise – Judy Egan
- Trick-Or-Treat At 20 Below – Matthew Lasley
- Gotcha! – Pat Finnegan
- The House Next Door – Aundra Tomlins
- No Grownups! – Penny McNally
- The Halloween Party – Claire Schlinkert
- Can We Please Skip The Costumes? – JC Kelly
- How Would She Know? – Meredith Adams
- The Day After Halloween – Haven Blough
- Brujita’s Treat – Desi Vee
- Spooky Investigates – Jessica Murray
- The Best Medicine – Becky Falkum
- You Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hot Dog – Joyce Schriebman
- Witches Holiday – Nadia Nakib
- Halloween Hocus Potion – Shelley Kinder
- Goats And Goblins – Briana Joy McCormick
- Next Halloween – JC Kelly
- Pirate’s Halloween – Marjorie David
- Silly Goose – Sarah Marhevsky
- All’s Fair In Spook And Scare – Patricia J. Weaver
- Smartie Treat – Steena Hernandez
- Haunted Hunt – Dea Brayden and Linsday Brayden Ellis
- The Glow-In-The-Dark Goodies – Christopher Singleton, Sr
- Witches Woods – Bevin Rolfs Spencer
- Invite A Witch To Your Halloween Party?! – Holly Vagley
- Pumpkin’s Halloween – Holly Vagley
- Halloween Moon – Martha Holguin
Isolated for Halloween
By S. J. Little
Word count: 99
URL: https://sjlittle.ca/uncategorized/isolated-for-halloween/
“It’s no fun if we can’t go out for Halloween,” Jess moped.
“COVID’s too rampant,” Dad explained.
Later, Dad whispered, “You got them?”
Mom handed him a bag.
“Glow-in-the-dark paint. Perfect!”
They worked hard. Finally they finished.
“Now wait until tonight.”
At supper, Mom smiled sneakily. Jess didn’t notice.
Dad glanced at Mom. “Time for lights out.”
Jess frowned. “It’s not bedtime.”
Dad flipped off the lights.
The room transformed. Goosebumps tickled Jess’ spine. Everything glowed.
Mom uncovered goodies.
Jess licked her lips.
“Time for glow-in-the-dark foosball?” Dad asked.
Jess grinned. It would be an exciting night after all.
Glow-in-the-dark foosball is so much FUN! I enjoyed your story, S.J.!
Thanks, Sarah! I agree. Glow-in-the-dark foosball adds a whole new element of fun to the game.
What a clever way to make it a memorable night!
Thanks, Katie!
Aw! WTG Mom and Dad! What a fun way to celebrate Halloween in the midst of Covid.
Thanks, Michelle!
Such creative parents! Love it!
Thanks, Jill!
Excellent job being the first to post AND writing a great and timely story!
Thanks, Colleen! Most of the time I end up far back in the pack, but this time I decided to aim for being one of the first posts.
Well you clearly succeeded!! Good luck!
Well you clearly succeeded!! Good luck!
💗Fun night after all! Good job.
Thanks, Dawn!
What great parents for making staying in fun. Good job and good luck!
Thanks, Nancy!
Awww, making the best of it. That’s the way to make Halloween memories. 🎃
Sometimes those impulsive and out-of-the-ordinary family times are the very best memories.
A fun and safe alternative to trick-or-treating = a win-win. Nice job writing a timely story for Halloween 2021! Good Luck, S.J.!
Thanks, Lucretia!
So glad Jess was able to have some Halloween fun!
Me too!
Great use of the three words needed for the story! 🙂
Thanks!
Necessity is the mother (and father) of invention – Great job!
Indeed. Thanks, Patricia!
I love the glow-in-the-dark idea and making it fun when kids have to stay inside. Good luck.
Thanks, Janet.
What creative parents, S.J.! And what an inventive way to make a COVID Halloween fun! I like the way you used the required words. I’m sure Jess had tons of fun playing glow-in-the-dark foosball!
Thanks, Susanna! Also, thank you for putting on these fun contests!
Very clever parents! Just like so many that kept things going in spite of COVID.
I agree, Jeannette, there are so many people who have kept things going in creative ways.
A Halloween Time Machine
By Sara Kruger
Word count: 99
URL: https://savoringeverymoment.wordpress.com/2021/10/28/a-halloween-time-machine/
Friend, why the frown?
Too few goodies this year?
No fear! I’m Jack:
Your Halloween time machine.
Light my candle; hold on tight
(my grin is a great place to grasp).
We’ll hit up the house with unsupervised bowls
And the one with large chocolate bars.
We’ll fly past the one that just hands out stickers
Wait–
You actually want those glow-in-the-dark stars?
Ah. Your sis can’t have sweets.
You’re filling her bag this time.
That gives my pumpkin skin goosebumps all over!
All right, we’ll show her
What we know is true:
Halloween is awesome without candy, too.
This is very sweet, Sara! I love the unusual POV and voice.
Time travel stories are my favorites! Now I want a time-traveling jack-o-lantern. Thank for sharing your fun halloween piece.
Time travel to get more goodies? I know many kids would love that.
What a thoughtful sister and a great take on a sugar-free Halloween!
What a thoughtful sibling! But that Jack certainly understands the sentiments of many.
Unique POV and fun voice. Love your entry!
💗Sweet to think of the sister💗
I want a pumpkin like that! What a creative idea. Good luck!
Ooh, Halloween time travel! So fun!
Very creative, kind and fun!
So sweet that she’s getting goodies for her sister!
Sara, this is so “sweet”!! 🙂
You had me at TIME MACHINE! Well done, Sara!
I love your sweet sibling in this story, Sara ❤
“Light my candle; hold on tight” reminded me of Scrooge’s journey with the Christmas ghosts! And great idea to show that there is more to Halloween than just candy – Good luck!
Nice job, Sara! I love how thoughtful the sibling is, and that there are ways to celebrate Halloween without candy! And a Halloween time machine? Very creative!
Weather’s Trick, Witch’s Treat
(96 words)
Abby N. Wooldridge
One dark Halloween, the wind stole her hat.
The storm broke her broom and frightened her cat.
Rain splashed her cauldron and spilled all her brew–
soaked her glow-in-the-dark socks and new shoes.
She picked up her wand and uttered some spells.
Her cottage soon filled with wonderful smells.
The potion she made–this magical stew–
chased goosebumps away and calmed her cat Boo.
Without her black hat, she reached for a hoodie–
warm cozy hands, pockets of goodies.
Tricks from the weather she turned into treats.
The witch grabbed her spoon and sat down to eat.
http://abbywooldridge.com/2021/10/28/halloweensie-2021/
This is delightful, Abby! I love “chased goosebumps away” and her cat’s name– so cute!
Fun rhymes and I love the idea of wrapping up in a hoodie instead of the lost pointy hat.
I love the cat’s name, too! Might as well get cozy when Halloween is rained out!
This was a fun story! I love how the MC doesn’t give up.
This is great! I love the magical stew and Boo! Nice touches.
Great rhyme!
Very fun. Nice rhyme and I love the cat, Boo! Good luck!
This makes me feel all cozy and happy. Happy Halloween! 🧡
Haha! She is a very resilient, talented and practical witch! Great lessons and a fun story for all. Good luck!
I love how Witch turned a bad day into a good one!
Great title, great rhyme! 🙂
I love that she didn’t let her snatched hat get the best of her day. Nice work, Abby!
What a clever witch – Good luck with your story, Abby!
Fun story, Abby, and great use of the three words! I love “chased the goosebumps away” and the fact that she had goodies in her hoodie 😊
Nice and cozy on a rainy night. What a delightful story.
Halloween is LIT!
by Anne Lipton
(97 words)
Let’s go trick-or-treating down in Jack O’Lantern Park
and gather all the goodies that we know glow in the dark.
We’ll catch the one-celled wonders dropping stars in Lost Lagoon,
snatch dragonfish and jellies that eclipse the Harvest Moon.
We’ll scoop up giant slime mold sure to make our goosebumps ooze
and bitter oyster mushrooms bound to brighten witchy brews.
But bioluminosity depends on cells that live,
and when such life has ghosted, they have zero light to give.
So let’s go trick-or-treating down in Jack O’Lantern Park
and forage only photos to preserve that lovely spark!
Spooky bioluminescence! Love it!
Thanks, Heather!
Great meter, visuals and environmental concepts! Well done!!
Thank you!
This is FANTASTIC, Anne! I love the title, excellent-as-always rhyme, and the layers of learning.
Thanks, Sarah!
Love the alliteration and science focus in this story!
Thanks, Jill!
I love how you have incorporated so much science into your story!
Thanks, Colleen!
Nice bit of science and environmental sensibility worked into this cute story.
Thanks, Lori!
Very interesting.
Thanks, Dawn!
Love this! Anyone who can use bioluminosity gets a round of applause! Great!
Thanks, Nancy!
Always a joy to read your writing, Anne! This is an absolute treat. I saw some footage of bio-L in the ocean, the other day. So beautiful.
Awww, thanks so much, Roo!😊
Love this “sciency” poem, Anne! You always have uniquely excellent entries. My favorite line. . .We’ll catch the one-celled wonders dropping stars in Lost Lagoon. I had the pleasure, excitement, and awe-inspiring privilege of observing the the waves flash bright white, or blue, or green during a red tide in Oceanside, CA a few years back, and turning to see my footsteps glow in the sand. I’ll never forget it.
Thanks, Glenda, for your kind words and for sharing such a lovely reminiscence. That is so cool!
Now that’s a pumpkin STEM story! Fabulous use of science for fun! 🧡🎃🧡
Thanks, Ingrid!
I love your creative approach to telling a story how a (fellow) bioscience nerd might celebrate Halloween. Good luck, Anne!
Thanks, Lucretia! And you get me. I am a total bioscience nerd!
Love the science aspect of this! Well done!
Thanks, Judy!
You had me at “Bioluminosity”!!!! Great job! 🙂
Thank you!
What an unexpected treat to read!
Thanks, Kari!
“Glow in the dark” takes on extra special meaning in this story. Loved the blend of Halloween and science!
Thank you!
Nice meter, Anne, fun to read aloud! And I love that your Halloween story manages to educate about bioluminescence! Well done!
Thanks, Susanna, for your kind words and for all you do to support writers! ❤️
Wow, science, great rhyming, and a story…reads like a 3 course meal. So nicely done.
Kit’s Costume
By Kari Ann Gonzalez
WC: 99
“Finally, Halloween!”
Kit couldn’t wait to go trick-or-treating.
The ooey-gooey goodies, the goosebumps, the KIDS!
All he needed was a bit of black paint
and he could be part of it!
One last glob…
“Purrrrfect!”
Under the moon’s glow-in-the-dark light
Kit crept to the corner and peeked.
“Look Mum, a kitty!”
Kit beamed,
finally walking freely.
And with so many people in sight!
Kit marched with creative costumes,
devoured thrills, chills and too-much candy
Until…
He felt a wave of wet.
“SPRINKLERS!”
Kit raced to stay dry
but, the paint had…
“Run! SKUNK!”
“Well…that had been fun.” Kit sighed.
URL: https://www.karianngonzalez.com/blog
Your MC is perfectly named to keep us in the dark before the fantastic twist at the end. This piece made me smile–great work once again, Kari.
That is such a GREAT twist, Kari! Love it.
Ha ha! So fun to fool us all until the end…you have to love a good skunk story!
Ha ha! Well at least Kit was able to pull it off for a while.
Whoops, I’m glad Kit had a good time before getting found out.
Cute twist.
Great twist! A very fun story. Good luck!
Great set up and a super twist! Well done! 🧡🧡
What a fun, engaging story. Great surprise ending–good luck, Kari!
Fun twist…I didn’t see that coming! Best of luck!
Poor Kit! Great twist! 🙂
Great surprise ending. Poor little Kit!
About half way through your story, I expected a twist but wasn’t able to “sniff” out what it would be – What a great surprise ending!
Fun twist at the end, Kari! You got me – I wasn’t expecting that! 😊
A treat to read with a clever Halloween trick. Love the big reveal!
Such a cute story, loved the ending!
Love this! Of course kitties want to be part of the fun! Great ending, so well told in 99 words! Good luck!
MEAN HALLOWEEN
By Heather Ferranti Kinser
Word count: 100
URL: https://www.heatherkinser.com/blog/halloweensie-2021
On mean Halloween, the Greedy Green Ghoul
ignored every Halloween trick-or-treat rule.
Instead of a necklace that’s glow-in-the-dark…
it carried a torch with a fiery spark.
Instead of a “thank you” for Halloween hosts…
it cursed them with goosebumps and cackling ghosts.
We offered to share—a candy-corn trade.
It took without asking—a sugar-sack raid!
It gobbled my goodies, pilfered your treats,
lifted our candies, robbed us of sweets!
We tangled it tight…in a tied-taffy knot.
(That Halloween meanie deserved what it got!)
Hey. It’s okay. Don’t worry or pout.
Later, the meanie just licked its way out.
Delightful rhyme and delicious double-twist ending! Move over, Great Pumpkin. You’ve created a hilarious Halloween anti-hero in the Greedy Green Ghoul.
What a wonderful treat you’ve given us this Halloween! Loved the twist at the end!
This is delightful, and I especially like the cute ending line!
great visuals!
Very cute Heather, love it! Great rhyming and meter, fun to read! Good luck!
Wow! Awesome poetic language throughout and spot-on meter! I love “sugar-sack raid” and “tied-taffy knot”. Fabulous!
Great job with your rhyme and your story.
That made me laugh, both the ghoul getting it’s comeuppance and also licking it’s way out of the taffy ties.
Hello to everyone who’s left a lovely comment. Thank you all so much! Seriously, rhyming is like the ONE thing in life I can do really well, so these opportunities to share mean a lot to me. Happy Halloween, and good luck to all! -Heather
Great vision here!😊
Ha! Cute last line.
Great rhymes and meter and a super fun story too! Good luck!
Lovely use of language AND a fun twist! 🧡🧡
Fun, rhyming story and great twist for the ending! Good luck, Heather!
Love the ending! Meanie will be on the war path again! Good Luck!
What a delicious comeuppance, Heather!
Fun story and so well done! I am in AWE of folks like you who make rhyme seem so effortless.
“It cursed them with goosebumps and cackling ghosts” was one of my favorite lines – What an image that created:-)
Cute story and rhyme! Love the line, “That Halloween meanie deserved what it got!” Sweet ending! I always look forward to reading your stories!
Great story, love the rhyme, and the ending!
A WITCHY-SWITCH
by Katie Schwartz
Word count: 100
Study spells. Chant all night
mummy’s bone, cadaver’s bite!
Last year’s hex for something scary
evoked a goody-two-shoes fairy!
Yuck…enchanting! Ugh… delightful!
zero goosebumps. So unfrightful…
“Hocus-Pocus pointy shoes….
calling witches, snitches, shrews…
a glowing-in-the-dark phantasma,
gelatinous putrescent plasma!”
Cyclonic winds…a specter – nigh –
descending from the stormy sky!”
Dare I look? An eensie peek…
Nooooo… MARY POPPINS??
EEEEK!!
Foolishly, I tempted fate…
my super-spell is out of date!
Someone’s cackling…“Raven-Sue!
Return anon, I’m boiling stew.”
Mama? Chortling like a witch??
She’s sugar-sweet. A witchy-switch!
Here comes Ma…astride a broom!
Next year I’m staying in my room…
This is so delightful to read aloud, and your word choices throughout are STELLAR. Great job!
Thank you! I posted in the middle of the night, making a couple last minute changes, and woke up this morning thinking – hope the changes were okay, LOL!
funny and so clever! Kids will love it!
Thank you Susan! I love Susanna’s Halloweensie contest, it’s just fun to write about ghostie things. Well, as long as they aren’t TOO scary👻!
So much fun! And your last line is great! Nice job, Katie!!!
Thank you! It was fun to write!
I love every couplet, Katie! Wonderful eerie language building up to the EEEEK, and then to find out the spell had expired! Perfect way to wrap it up at the end, too. Brilliant!
Great job Katie!
Thank you! It’s lots of fun entering this contest, and there are so many wonderful entries!
There really are!
What a fun rhyme, that bounces along so well!
Thank you! From 1 Katie to another, good luck in the contest!
Great job! I especially like “glowing-in-the-dark phantasma!” Good luck!
Thank you Nancy! And good luck in the contest!
So very clever – enjoyed the rhyme and the story it told.
Thank you for reading!
This is so much fun! Very original! 🧡🧡
Thank you Ingrid! Love these contests, they are good writing practice!
Love the bouncy rhythm, clever rhyme, and the surprise appearance of Mary Poppins! Love the ending, too!
Thank you for reading! Played around with the ending – but it had to end somewhere! Good luck!
Wonderful multi-syllable rhymes! So fun to read!
Thank you Judy! And good luck in the contest!
Love the last line! 🙂
Thank you, it was challenging – 100 words! But fun!
I really love this Katie! Great job and good luck!
Thank you Jen! And good luck, your entry is stellar!
What fun rhymes and language!
Thank you! Got me in the mood for a spooky, and fun, Halloween!
Very fun! Love the switcheroo at the end.
Yes, a Halloween story should have a twist, don’t you think? There are a bunch of amazing stories this year, with or without twists!
Hahaha! A surprise appearance by Mary Poppins – What a clever story:-)
Thank you! I almost had Twinkletoes in there also, lol! Good luck in the contest!
Love the rhythm and rhyme! Such a fun read aloud!
Thank you Karen! Good luck in the contest!
Love your use of language and rhyme. This was a fun read aloud.
Thank you! It kind of came together as I ruthlessly cut words to get it to 100! Good luck in the contest!
THE PORCHLIGHT
by Chris Garcia-Halenar
Word Count: 99
URL: https://www.xanmaxbooks.com/blog
“This is humiliating – can we go home now?”
Xander was cranky. No other 6th grader had to wear matching glow-in-the-dark skeleton costumes with their 3-year-old brother.
“one mo, pweeeeze,” little Max begged.
Xander sighed, grabbed Max’s hand and yanked him to the final house.
The porch light flickered.
A boy dressed as a skeleton opened the door. His costume was different – he looked REAL.
Max whimpered.
The light flickered again. The boy vanished.
“Where did he go?” Xander’s neck prickled.
A voice whispered from behind, “Trick-or-Treat.”
Ker-plunk!
Their goodie baskets were full.
Even 6th graders still get goosebumps.
Creepy fun! Great last line, too.
Love it, Chris! Great job!
Ghoulishly and delightfully fun to read!
Oooh! You captured 6th grade annoyance perfectly and followed up with just the right amount of scary. Well done!
I am not sure I would be trusting those goodies! Good job with the suspense.
FUN!
Spooky and thrilling! Great job!
Creepy, but not too creepy! Nice job and good luck!
Ooh fun-an ending that’s spooky and happy! 🎃🧡
Mysterious, spooky and very fun story, Chris! Great job.
You really nailed the 6th grade voice and the eerie vibe!
Chris, great ending! 🙂
I can relate to this. I was the youngest in the family. I could picture the kid’s expression at the end. Well done!
Ohhh, 6th graders get spooked too! Nice twist!
Spooky, but not too spooky for young readers – Loved it!
Spooky and fun. Love the last line!
BRUCE GOOSE
By Jessica Hinrichs
100 words
Bruce Goose had a problem. He had no goosebumps.
Who ever heard of a goose with no goosebumps? Ridiculous.
Bruce determined this would be the Halloween he got his goosebumps back, so he asked his friends to scare him, and scare him good!
Duck dressed as a vampire and circled overhead.
Sheep dressed as a glow-in-the-dark skeleton and shimmied and shook.
Pig dressed as a witch and cackled a spooky spell. “Honkus Ponkus!”
But still, no goosebumps.
Then, Lucy Goose—Bruce’s crush—held out a treat bag. “Wanna share my Halloween goodies?”
And she planted a kiss smackdab on Bruce’s beak.
GOOSEBUMPS!
Awww! This was so sweet–thank you for sharing your treat of a story.
Ha, ha, love it! Great, creative way of using ‘goosebumps’!
A barnyard Halloween and a little goosey romance at the end. So cute!
Very cute Jessica!
Sweet Halloween barnyard story. I love Bruce Goose!
So cute! I like the ‘Honkus Ponkus!’ Thanks for sharing!
Very creative and what a cute way for Bruce to get his goosebumps back. Good luck!
Terrific ending to a great interpretation of goosebumps!
So sweet! Love the Honkus Ponkus spell!
This is as fun as a bag full of treats! Love it! 🧡
So cute! Love that his crush gave his exactly what he most wanted. Terrific ending!
Love this, Jessica! A perfect way to get goosebumps!
Love the characters! 🙂
Awww! All the feels! Glad Bruce got his goosebumps in this sweet story!
So cute!
Honkus Ponkus – LOL! And such a cute Halloweensie story with a Valentiny twist
Love the title, love the story, and LOVE the twist at the end! Nicely done:)
Oh I love this story! A goose who lost their goosebumps. I’m not sure whether this falls into Halloweensie, or Valentiny lol. Either way, good luck!
UNDERSEA HALLOWEEN
By Vashti Verbowski
(97 words)
A storm was brewing and a cold current chilled the sea…
Squid and Octo were ready for Halloween!
“I’ll be the sneakiest squid in the deep—those big tunas will think I’m a cloud of bioluminescent plankton, and then BOO! I’m a whale shark!”
“Ooh, you gave me goosebumps. I wish I could glow-in-the-dark.”
“But Octo, you’re a shape-shifter!”
“Of course! I’ll camouflage as coral, and then BOO! I’ll gobble my goodies up.”
“Good one Octo! Those jellies won’t know what’s coming.”
Meanwhile…
“We jellyfish are not going to be goodies this Halloween! We’ll be ghoulies…
BOO!”
Cute! I like the undersea setting and characters!
Such a unique setting for a Halloween story. I love your dialogue between all the sea creatures, too!
I love how they plan and plot different ways to get lots of treats.
Very unique setting! Good job!
Creative! I loved the facts that you weaved within. Well done!
I like your undersea Halloween adventure and that the jellyfish don’t want to miss the fun. Good luck!
Halloween meets oceanography! Very fun! 🎃
I wrote an undersea story, too! 🙂 Great plan that Squid and Octo think up!
Great idea to use an under sea setting for your story! Good job! 🙂
Halloween under the sea – this creative setting gave you such imaginative ways to rethink Halloween tricks:-)
Revenge of the jellyfish! Love it! You cleverly illustrate marine biology facts with some spooky-cool Halloween humor.
SWEET SWAP
By Daniella Kaufman-Schloss
Word Count: 99
Jo dumped her Halloween haul on the floor.
Watched glistening goodies scatter galore.
Some treats she loved, but lots were a flop.
Jo declared, “More to bring to the family sweet swap!”
Grouped and displayed in piles neatly made,
she and her brother barter treats for trade.
“Give you an eyeball for candy corn bark?”
“That costs two,” brother said. “Wrapper’s glow-in-the-dark.”
Could Jo give him two? Yes! She had lots!
She scooped up the bark. Tossed him her whole box.
With goosebumps, Jo marveled at her new stash.
Her favorite treats saved from a fate in the trash.
This sweet story made me smile and remember trading candy with my siblings after trick-or-treating. 🙂
This is a great idea for a story…so relatable! I love the high value treat–the glow-in-the-dark candy corn bark. So creative!
I remember those candy swaps!
Sweet and nostalgic!
I think all siblings make candy trades. Very relatable.
My sister never wanted to trade. Glad this sister saved her favorites. Nice job.
Ah yes! The joy of the after trick or treat trading!
Thanks for bringing back my fond memories post-Halloween loot bartering, Daniella. Nicely done.
This brings back memories of trading candy with my siblings! Good luck!
I wonder how many kids still trade Halloween treats!? Your entry was a treat! 🙂
Oh, yes. I remember those neatly-made candy piles and the trading. Such fun!
One of my favorite lines is “Give you an eyeball for candy corn bark?” – It combined a vivid image with a bit of humor for me:-)
I remember my kids making those piles, and then having the big candy swap. Great story!
The Halloween Witch
by Trista Herring Baughman
Word Count: 94
It was Halloween night
and a witch went zoom
as she flew through the air
on her twisted old broom
She zigged, and she zagged
as she soared through the night
then she cackled out loudly
and gave me a fright
Covered in goosebumps
I zipped up my hoodie
and I jumped as she threw me a bag full of goodies.
There was trick-or-treat candy,
glow-in-the-dark bugs,
a jack o’ lantern necklace,
and a Halloween mug!
I heard her exclaim
as she rode out of sight
“Happy Halloween, all!
Have a spooky good night!”
https://booksbytrista.wordpress.com/2021/10/29/blog-bloggity-blog-blog/
Fun! Love the Halloweeny details like glow-in-the-dark bugs! Cute ending, too.
Thank you! My kids leave their glow-in-the-dark bugs lying around all the time. 😀
Love that the witch played Santa in this story…terrific!
Thanks! It’s a nightdream before Christmas 😀
Great job incorporating an old classic into your story!
Thank you!
Thanks. I had fun writing it. I’m enjoying all of the entries so far. Thanks for putting this together.
Love the ending!💗
Thank you! 🙂
Great twist on a holiday classic. Good luck!
Thank you! Good luck to you! 🙂
Thanks, I’ll be posting mine soon.
Lol! I made a Halloween Christmas mash up as well! 😂 Yours is terrific! 🎃🧡
Thank you 😀 I loved yours!
Thanks! Great minds lol! 😄
Fun twist on another holiday’s classic! Nice story, Trista.
Thanks, Lucretia!
Nice rhyme! I love the Santa/witch switch! Good Luck, Trista!
Thank you! Good luck to you, too, Judy! 🙂
Great job..a Christmasy Halloween story!! 🙂
Thanks!
Clever combination of the two holidays! And great end line… “Have a spooky good night.”
Thanks, Barbara!
Ho! Ho! Ho! What a fun Santa Clausy witch:-0
😀 Thank you!
Great fun poem with lovely bouncy rhythm. My grandsons would love it!
I’m glad to hear it! I hope you read it to them. 🙂 Thank you!
Such a fun read, Trista! I love this very giving but still spooky witch 😀
Thank you! 🙂
THE LONELY PUMPKIN HEAD
by Elle Jauffret
Every time Monstrue tried to play with children, they ran away screaming.
Having a glow-in-the-dark pumpkin for a head and skeleton limbs was frightening to humans.
She wandered through the spooky woods, failing to find a friend, and crossed a pumpkin patch on her way home.
“Nice costume,” said the farmer. “I’m out of goodies. Take the ugly pumpkin if you want.”
Goosebumps rushed through Monstrue. The gourd was beautifully misshapen and rotten.
“Thanks!” She rushed to the graveyard, planted the pumpkin, and chanted a spell.
Wishing for a friend.
The next night, pumpkin-children like her rose from its sprouts.
Spooky and sweet! Nicely done.
I’m glad Lonely Pumpkin Head was able to conjure up a solution to her problem at the end. Sweet story!
I wasn’t expecting that, great twist!
Sweet ending.
What a sweet ending. Nice job.
I’m so happy Pumpkin found family and friends! Sweet! 🎃
Love happy endings! Sweet! 🙂
A sweet ending! I’m so glad she will have friends.
Wonderful surprise ending! I love the idea of “pumpkin-children.”
What a mental image you created with the “a glow-in-the-dark pumpkin for a head and skeleton limbs”!
What a nice story. I love that Monstrue was able to grow her own friends.
Title: Hallows’ Eve WC99 by E.A.Peterson
Luch’s family was on the run.
Bright yellow twin lights beamed in the cold October night.
Masked animals were on their tails.
“This way. Quick!” squeaked Dad.
Squishing their bodies through a tiny hole, they scurried through a maze.
The ground shook as the church bells rang.
Luch got the goosebumps. “Mom! I’m hungry.”
“No worries, little one. Tonight, you’ll have your fill. It’s Hallows’ Eve.”
Dad stuck his nose through a crack. “It’s safe. Let’s go.”
Luch admired the candles glow-in-the-dark.
There was a spread of goodies laid out on the top of the tombstones.
Happy Halloween, Luch!
https://eleanorannpeterson.com/susanna-leonard-hills-annual-halloweensie-writing-contest/
Creepy and exciting!
Thanks Sarah!
An interesting adventure, told from the mice family’s point of view. Well done!
Thanks Jill!
I’m not a fan of mice, but nice job.
Thnaks Dawn!
A fun, spooky adventure. Nice job and good luck!
Thnaks Nancy!
Love the idea of the tombstones forming the maze!
Thanks Jamie!
I’d run from raccoons too! Best of luck! 🎃
Thanks!
Being chased by masked creatures through a graveyard on Halloween night certainly makes for a spooky experience–whether you’re big or small! Nice job.
Thanks Lucretia!
Great spooky experience! 🙂
I loved the “masked animals were on their tails!” Very eerie! Nice job!
I feel that tension from line one! Good job!
Thanks Barbara. I had written this last year, but with COVID I just gave up. But I’m back on track.
You created lots of tension in such a short time – Nice job!
Thank you Patricia!
The chase is on…glad it ended well, and with goodies!
Whose Cat is THAT?
by Beth Stilborn
100 words
URL: https://www.bethstilborn.com/its-halloweensie-time-heres-my-story/
“Cassie! Stop petting that cat!”
“It shouldn’t be outside on Halloween.”
Cassie picked it up, along with her witchy broom and treat bag.
The door opened.
“Trick or treat!” yelled Willow.
“Is this your cat?” asked Cassie.
“Here are your goodies, but it’s not my cat.”
Every house, same question, same answer. Cassie’s arms ached. The cat yowled.
One house left. The SCARY, glow-in-the-dark house.
“I have goosebumps,” said Willow.
“I’m knocking anyway,” said Cassie.
The door creaked.
An old lady pounced.
Willow screeched.
The cat purred.
“You’ve brought my Tabitha back!”
Cassie cheered. “That’s the best treat of all!”
This is adorable! I like Cassie’s perseverance and the sweet ending.
So glad Tabitha had a caring rescuer. Great ending!
Beth, I loved when the old lady pounced and when Cassie found the sweetest treat of all was helping out!
I love Cassie’s kindness.
Awww, that is so sweet! Good work by your MC Cassie.
Aww, I love Cassie’s perseverance to get Tabitha back home. Sweet story.
I 🧡 a happy ending, especially on a spooky story. 🎃
Wonderful ending–I enjoyed Cassie’s kindness and perseverance.
Great story of perseverance! 🙂
I enjoyed your story about kindness and caring! It IS the best treat of all!
A sweet story about kindness. Loved it!
I love Cassie’s heart… and her determination to do the right thing. Sweet.
WOW! In only 100 I learned that your MC is a kind, determined, and independent girl
What a sweet story.
THIS PUMPKIN’S NOT FOR PICKING
By Laura Howard
98 words
Rumbles in the pumpkin patch,
Vines glow-in-the-dark,
Sucking life and goodness,
They smother, sprout and arc.
Glistening in the moonlight,
Appears a slimy head,
The patch has spawned a monster,
And it fills my heart with dread.
I thought they were just rumours,
This grisly, gourdy guy,
Who roams the streets on Halloween,
And smells like putrid pie.
His tendrils scratch your windows,
His hollow eyes burn bright,
With fleshy skin like goosebumps –
A fearsome, freakish sight.
So grab those chocs and goodies,
Quick, let’s run to mine,
Oh no, I see him coming,
He’s here… it’s PUMPKINSTEIN!
Children will surely love your twist on the story!
Thank you!
Creepy and FUN! Love that ending line and “this grisly, gourdy guy”.
Thanks, Sarah.
Wow! This story is a sensory delight that leads up to the big reveal at the end. I love Pumpkinstein!
Ah, thanks, Jill, glad you liked it.
Love Pumpkinstein!!
Thanks!
Okay – I didn’t see the end coming! So funny!!!!
Thanks for reading. Glad it was a surprise 🙂
Love it! This would make a great picture book.
Thanks, Trista.
Very witty!
A fab entry, Laura. Great language and a completely brilliant ending.
What a great story! Great rhyme and who can resist Pumpkinstein! Good luck!
Very nicely done! Spooky and fun! 🧡🧡
What a fun story! Enjoyed how you built up to the reveal of the MC’s name. Nice job, Laura.
Love Pumpkinstein! So creative! 🙂
Love the creepy descriptions of Pumpkinstein! Well done!
This is creepy and I never heard of a Pumpkinstein. Well done!
Great story. Ana a fun read-aloud!
Pumkenstein – LOL – I didn’t see that name coming:-)
This is such fun to read out loud, good luck!
I love this! What a great read aloud, fantastic rhyme and word choice. Pumpkinstein makes for a super creepy character. Good luck!
THE JIMJAM
by Carrie Karnes-Fannin
(WC 99 – URL: https://www.carriekarnesfannin.com/the-endpapers/the-jimjam-a-halloweensie-story )
Black licorice,
two bruised apples,
a toothbrush…
What kind of neighborhood is this?!?
“Guys! C’mon, c’mon…one more.”
Your friends shrug.
They peel off, their glow-in-the-dark buckets
heavy with full-sized goodies.
Even your goosebumps have goosebumps
in the shivery October air.
You trudge on.
Under a broken streetlight,
on a shadowed street,
the house
waits.
It gives you
heebie-jeebies…the willies…
the jimjams.
You mutter,
“I wouldn’t live here as a ghost,”
Still…
you knock.
It opens–
empty, wide.
“Oh, aren’t you a sweetie?” A nothing beckons.
“Come! We’ll fill that bag right up.”
No treats for you tonight–
you’re tricked.
Ooooh, very creepy! Love the spooky details and eerie ending.
Thank you, Sarah! Glad you liked it.
Oooo. Creepy! Great job creating suspense. Love “the house waits” and “a nothing beckons.”
So scary, Carrie! Great language and perfect ending!
Thanks, Jill!
When I start one of these writing challenges that incorporates prompt words, I’ll look them up in the dictionary. Archaic meanings, synonyms, etc…all wonderful fodder for stories.
“Goosebumps” led to heebie-jeebies, willies, and jimjams. (LOVE that last one especially.) The idea & words just flowed from there.
Oooo Scary!
So spooky! Great description and mood- setting! Good luck!
Thanks, Nancy!
This is loaded with fun words! And it gave me the creeps…well done!🎃
Thank you, Ingrid! Happy Halloween
Spooky, creepy and fun! Great job, Carrie!
Thank you, Lucretia!
The “Halloween” words made this story! Great job! 🙂
Love this.
Definitely spooky!
So good! I am shivering and yelling at the screen, “RUN!!!”
Very creepy, Carrie! By the way, I don’t blame the kid about the black licorice! Best of luck!
Isn’t black licorice just the worst?!? Bleh. LOL. Thank you so much, Judy!
How awesome – you created such a creepy Halloween-ish mood in so few words.
TRICK LIKES TREATS,
BUT SO DOES SWOOP
By Melissa Valente
(wc: 99)
“Toe of newt and wing of bat…”
That’s Trick. She loves treats. Every Halloween she uses spells to steal kids’ candy.
“Why must witches always use bits of bat for spells?”
This is Swoop. He loves sweets. This Halloween he has a plan.
“I want the witch’s goodies, but must avoid that gloopy soup.’
Swoop flits in and turns towards the pumpkins.
Woah! Bats’ eyes glow-in-the-dark! Ping!
‘Eeeeeeee’ says Swoop.
‘Ooooohh’ says Trick, surprised. “Goosebumps!’
Swoop swoops. He scoops the loot, then flicks his wings towards the open window.
‘Woohoo!’ he says, scattering goodies as he goes.
Children cheer.
This is delightful! I love your word choices, particularly “Swoop swoops. He scoops the loot…”
Thank you Sarah, just popping in now and seeing all these lovely comments. Hope you had a happy Halloween 🙂
Great use of assonance and onomatopoeia! It really draws the reader in. Awesome!
Thanks Jill, so lovely to pop in and find enthusiasm and support here.
This is fun!
Thanks Dawn 🙂
What fun! I love that Swoop got the loot and shared with the kids. Love it!
Thanks Nancy 🙂
What a cute story, Melissa. Wonderful words choices, alliteration and onomatopoeia.
Thank you Lucretia (what a wonderful name!), so lovely to hear positive craft comments from such a talented bunch of writers.
Your word choices are wonderful! Enjoyed reading it! 🙂
Thank you, I so appreciate the comment 🙂
Loved how you introduced Trick and Swoop:-)
Thanks Patricia, really glad that worked for you 🙂 Hope you had a Happy Halloween.
Great read, and I can picture these characters on the page. Love your use of language: swoop, scoop, loot…fun!
Here is my rhyming entry for 2021, coming in at exactly 100 words:
The Haunted House High Up on the Hill
By Sue Lancaster
Across a front door where no one dared roam,
Spider had woven a web-tastic home.
Dead in the middle, she stifled a cry.
“What?!” grumbled Goosebump, a ghost floating by.
“Halloween’s coming, the ONE night they call!
Children won’t notice… my cobweb will fall!”
Goosebump replied: “I know what to do…”
Then into the derelict mansion he flew;
He reappeared holding a luminous potion,
Splattered it over the web in one motion.
When tricksters arrived for their goodies, they spied
A cobweb that glowed-in-the-dark, stretching wide.
“Best not approach,” someone sounded unsure,
He scurried away…
To try the BACK door!
Blog: https://sequinsue.wordpress.com/2021/10/29/the-haunted-house-high-up-on-the-hill-halloweensie-entry/
This is delightful, Sue! Love the image of a glowing spiderweb on Halloween.
Oooohh! This was fun to read! Love “web-tastic” home!
What a creative take on the Halloweensie prompt. I’m hesitant to knock down a spider’s home, too! Excellent writing, Sue!
Goosebump the ghost! I loved the glow-in-the-dark web, too. Great imagery. What a fun, spooky read.
Well done, Sue. You always tell a good tale and use such pleasing rhyme. Good luck to you and little spidey – this is a lot of fun.
Great job! Love Goosebump, the ghost and the ingenuity of Spider. Good luck!
Very creative!! 🙂
This was fun to read aloud and I enjoyed the punchline at the end! 🎃
Loved how you used the required word “Goosebump” as a character’s name – So clever!
Great rhythm and rhyme! What a fun read!
Wonderful rhythm, rhyme, and story. Loved the idea of the glow-in-the-dark cobweb! And Goosebump the Ghost, what a perfect character.
Tricked the Treats
By Katie Fischer
WC 93
—-
Knock knock
“Trick or treat!”
“Yay, the night is right and I’m ready to shine!”
~Tumble
~Thud
~Thunk
Thunk?
“What’s going on? Where’re the kids?” I ask.
A low, sweet voice chuckles, “Welcome to The Bucket.”
“Bucket?” Something’s wrong, this is giving me goosebumps.
The voice continues, “They always carry we goodies in a bucket before eating us.”
“Eat? They’re going to EAT us?”
“Obviously, candy is meant for munching mouths. Don’t you know that?”
“No, that’s not right…”
A hand grabs.
~Crack
~Snap
~Shake
“I’m a glow-in-the-dark bracelet. I’m meant to SHINE!”
Personified goodies…what a concept! Well done, Katie!
Thanks!
Haha! Love the point of view and “welcome to The Bucket.” Good luck!
Thanks, that was one line that stayed from the first draft so I’m glad it worked.
Haha! Very clever POV and location choice, Katie. Good luck!
Thanks!
Wow, clever POV! 🙂
Thanks!
Fun p.o.v….and now I want one of those candy necklaces, lol!
Thanks, one of my inspirations was that was the main thing I was handing out this year.
Love all the sound effects: “Knock knock”… “thud, thunk” … “Crack, snap”
Thanks, I love incorporating sounds.
Cute story! I love seeing kids wearing the glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets on Halloween!
Thanks, they were the most popular goodies I handed out this year.
Clever point of view! Love the onomatopoeia!
Thanks, onomatopoeia is one of my favorite things.
Fun and clever. I could feel that bracelet’s fear!
Very cute story Katie! Told from the ‘treats’ POV – sweet (lol!)
A Helpful Ghost
By Emily Durant
WC 98
Ben tripped on a root
(Or a rock, or a stump?)
He flew through the air,
Landed hard with a THUMP!
His trick-or-treat goodies
Flung over the ground.
On his knees in the dark,
Ben fumbled around.
Scooping into his bag
All the treats he could get.
Goosebumps on his arms
With his costume now wet.
He found what he could,
And started to stand,
When someone reached out
And gave Ben a hand.
The arm glowed in the dark.
There was a charge in the air.
Ben looked up to say “thanks”…
But no one was there.
Creepy! I could picture all of this and like the quick pace and the rhyme.
Eerily fun!!! Love the last line!
Is Ben going to be able to sleep now?
Oooh! You charged us all up with that spooky ending! Nice work!
Wonderfully spooky! Loved the build up to the ending!
How spooky! I love the idea of a helpful ghost. You built up a good atmosphere. Such a great ending!
Ooh, that’s a fun “goosebump” moment!
Oh spooky. Love the ending, but no one was there! Good luck!
Fun, spooky story with a wonderfully creepy ending. Good luck, Emily.
Glad it was a helpful ghost!!! 🙂
This should be read around a campfire with the flashlight under your chin! Good and Spooky!
This description of the ghost is so unique:
“The arm glowed in the dark.
There was a charge in the air.”
Really fun! I wonder if that ghost took a pice of candy!
Ooh a creepy arm…very spooky indeed.
Sally Yorke-Viney
Word Count: 100
The Wraith on my Wrist or Ghostie Lost in City Mist
The fog was cold and clammy
It coated city trees
That’s when I heard a ghostie,
Just moaning in the breeze.
His nose was full of boo-gers
“I’m feeling pale and weak,
I’ve lost my ghoulie “besties”
While playing Hide and Shriek!”
“When at the Day Scare center,
Where all glow-in-the-dark,
The mist dampened our spirits,
While haunting Central Park!
“I’ve got goosebumps”, he told me
I should be heading home!”
“I gobbled all my goodies!
I’m feeling so alone!”
So if you hear boo-hooing
And something grabs your wrist
Just help that little ghostie,
Who’s lost in city mist!
This is so creepy-cute! Love it.
Thanks Sarah for the creepy-cute comment, I never heard those words together…. oooh, great word play!!
This is adorable!
Thanks so much Michelle!
Poor little ghosty! Kids will love the boogers line and the Day Scare center pun…so fun!
Thanks as always Jill! I love your work, you are always an inspiration! Here’s to Boo-gers for all children!
Clever!
Thanks Dawn… just playing with words!!!
Fun wordplay!
Thanks Carrie, just a few fun puns!
Love the puns and the rhyme. Kids should love this one! Good luck!
As a previous kindergarten teacher when the kids got the joke, they went bananas! I love helping them see the humor that can happen with word play!!!
I love the Day Scare center! So spooky and cute!
I just keep thinking of the ghost being about 3 feet high and cute as a button!
I agree with Jill, Kids will love the “boo-gers” line! 🙂
Always go for the “ick” factor whenever you can!!! Thanks SE!
Lovely! But I hope no one grabs my wrist in the mist.
Hopefully no one!!! Yikes!
What fun and fabulous word play! 🎃🧡🧡
Thanks Ingrid! I was going for the giggle whenever possible! I love it when the kids get the jokes!
Hahaha – I loved the use of the word “boo-hoping,” instead of the typical ghostly “Boo!”
I was trying to also think about woo-hooing….but I ran out of words with only 100. It becomes a word challenge to make it have a story arc and just plain silly as well!
Fun word play and the use of the fog and mist! Good luck in the contest!
Thanks Judy… word play is just that for me. I love to rhyme but I like to surprise the kiddos with puns and multiple meanings for them to discover!
Hilarious, imaginative, and wrist-tingling fun!
Anne, thank you for your comment… I like that…” wrist-tingling” it’s so fun to say… an idea is born!
Love all the play on words! Cute story.
Thanks so much Jean!!! Good luck!
Three Little Geese Do Halloween
by Linda Williams Swanson
Word Count 100
Three little geese were glum.
“It’s Halloween.”
“We want gooseberry gummy goodies.”
“But we don’t have costumes for Trick or Treating.”
Waddling along a row of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, they hatched a plan.
They had no costumes, so they would perform tricks for the big geese in their pond.
Together they would bump each goose with their heads and then honk, “What did we just give you?” All the bumped geese would know the answer.
Do you?
“Goose Bumps!”
The big geese loved the tricks and gave the little geese gobs of gooseberry gummy goodies.
Everyone had a honkingly Happy Halloween!
Goose bumps! Love it. This is adorable.
Thank you, Sarah! This was fun 🙂
So cute and an interesting play on goosebumps!
“Goose Bumps”–so cute!
So cute . . . Goose bumps! I also like gooseberry gummy goodies! Good luck!
Great alliteration and use of Goose-Bumps!! 🙂
Inventive little geese. cute!
I’m a sucker for a good pun, well done! 🎃
Goose Bumps=LOL:-)
Great use of alliteration. I love “gobs of gooseberry gummy goodies!” Best of luck!
Love this…so cute!
A GLOWING SOLUTION
By Nicole Loos Miller (98 words):
Wenda Witch put the finishing touches on her party decorations, when…
WHOOSH!
A huge gust of wind knocked the power out!
“Oh, broomsticks!”
Candles? All out!
Lanterns? No oil!
Wenda grabbed her cauldron and spellbook.
In went candy bones, and birthday wishes, lovely dreams, and silly giggles.
She stirred and chanted, chanted and stirred:
“Goody-goody-goosebumps, and
The full moon’s silver light,
Brighten up this gloomy mood
And ease my party’s plight!”
Glow-in-the-dark ooze shimmered in the cauldron.
Wenda splattered it on the doors, floors, and ceiling beams. And not a minute too soon…
Knock
Knock
Knock
“HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!”
Love Wenda’s fun, glowing, splattery solution!
The recipe for the glow-in-the-dark solution was so creative. I love all the repetition in your story, too. Terrific!
Such a cute story! I love Wenda’s spell! Great job, Nicole!
You had me hooked at “oh, broomsticks!” Super cute & I love your MC’s creative ingredients to create a solution to her problem.
This is so cute! Love her potion chant. Good luck!
Nicole! This turned out so good! Love your rhyming incantation, and the “Oh, broomsticks!” Perfect soliton her predicament!
Love this! Wish I could make glow-in-the-dark ooze!
Wonderfully creative solution to losing power, Nicole. My MC took a similar approach to Halloween decorating in my story. Good luck!
Wenda is a very creative witch. Well done Nicole! Great ingredients for a fun party.
Nice and spooky without actually being scary. Fun!🎃
Loved that the glow-in-the-dark ooze came from a magic spell using “the full moon’s silver light.”
Wenda sounds like a nice and resourceful witch! Thanks for sharing your fun story!
Nicole, I love Wenda’s concoction and “Goody, goody goosebumps!
Goody-goody-goosebumps! What a fun word! Love this witch’s clever solution! What a fun story!
I absolutely love this story! So creative, love the glow-in-the-dark spell to save the day.
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SUGAR
By Amy Leskowski
92 words
A wander the wrong way allowed me to witness
what wee wads of sweets do to witches:
Goodies give Gwendolyn greenish-gray gums.
Imogene instantly itches.
Hilda heaves hard, hurling harmonized hiccups.
Bellatrix barks between blinks.
Griselda gets goosebumps that glow-in-the-dark.
Sherilynn shivers, then shrinks.
Bronwyn blows bubbles beneath burp-y breaths.
Sage suffers snail-spewing sneezes.
Yoselin yawns year-long yo-yoing yodels.
Winifred’s wart weeps and wheezes.
Marnie’s mole morphs into multiple masses.
Tina’s tongue thickens, then twitches.
So if sugary samples should spill from my sack,
I’ve vowed I will warn all the witches.
https://motherhoodblockparty.net/halloweensie-warning-may-contain-sugar/
Oh WOW! So much fun. I had to read this (aloud) twice, because my tongue kept getting twisted the first time. 🙂 Love the witchy names and creepy details.
Lol!! Not surprising!! I made it extra tongue-twisty!!!
Amy that is a lot alliteration!! This must have been a lot of fun to create. Well done.
Thanks, Colleen!! It was!
What an amazing amount of alliteration! I love the title and witches’ names, too! Fabulous!
Thank you, Jill!
Alliterative, tongue twisting, Halloween Fun for all of us who eat too much candy at Halloween. Maybe thinking of these witches will help us control dipping into the treat bowl!
Maybe!!! And thank you!
I love the alliteration!
Thank you!!
Great tongue twister! Beware, witches! 🙂
Thank you!! Beware indeed!
Hard to believe you got all the alleration and fun into 92 words! Great job!
Thank you!!!
Loving the rollercoaster of a tongue-twisting scheme! 🙂
Thank you, Abby!
Love the tongue-twisting creepiness!
Thank you!!
Wow, Amy–an awesomely alliterative, terrifically tongue-twisting tale! Great job!
Thank you, Lucretia!!
Nicole, I love Wenda’s concoction and “Goody, goody goosebumps! 🙂
Amy, sorry, I clicked on the wrong “reply” in the comment above..hmm my computer may have been tricking me!!!
Your alliteration is superb! The witchy names are too! 🙂
No worries!! And thank you!!
And I thought I melted MY brain with my little poem. HA! If I could, I would insert a Wayne and Garth gif here “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” Amazing job. Really and truly. –Melisa Wrex @mowrex (Twitter)
Awww thank you!!! Yours was awesome!!!
Amazing, Amy!!! So much fun to read! I’m going to try reading it to my 4-year-old because I think she’d laugh at the story and me tripping over words 😀
Hahahaha that’s awesome. Thank you!
So much fun alliteration! Wow.
Thank you!
This was very fun to read aloud and imagine! 🧡🎃
Thank you!! Thanks for reading.
Hahaha – This reminds me of some Shel Silverstein poems:-)
Awww how fun! Thank you!
This was a fun one to read. I loved all the witch’s names and maladies!
Thanks for reading, Judy!!
What a hoot, Amy! Woo Hoo!
Thank you, Holly!!! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
How fun! Clever alliteration and cute that all the witches are allergic to candy!
Thanks, Lori!!! 🙂
Love it Amy!!
Thank you, Jen!
Such a clever tongue twister story filled with alliteration! Such a fun read!
Thanks, Karen! I appreciate it!
A Halloween tongue twister that was so much fun to read! Great alliteration, and such imaginative word choices and witch names.
Thank you!!
How Hannah Saved Halloween
By Colleen Murphy
A wicked storm blows out the lights
up and down the street.
With costumes set, the children fret,
“They’ll cancel trick-or-treat.”
Except for hopeful Hannah who,
as always, starts to plan,
certain she will find a way
to shift from can’t to can.
She first imagines fireflies,
“Too scattered to control.”
She next considers candlelight.
“Too hard to hold and stroll.
Aha!” she says as goosebumps form.
“A perfect resolution!
We’ll use my sticks that glow-in-the-dark
for lighting substitution!
I’ll ride throughout the neighborhood,
deliver while it’s bright,
then everyone can still collect
their goodies when it’s night.”
Love resourceful and can-do Hannah! This sounds delightful read aloud, too.
Thank you!!
Great job Colleen! This was such a fun read!
Thank you Michelle!
Marvelous rhyme and meter combined with the theme of Hannah’s perseverance and creativity! I love the line “to shift from can’t to can”. Beautiful, Colleen!
Thank you Jill! ❤
That was my favorite line too Jill! A beautiful Halloween story Colleen!
Such a lovely “can-do” story!! Really enjoyed it!
Thank you Marta!
Love it! Great rhymes Colleen! 🙂
Thanks Abby!
Hannah’s resourcefulness and creativity are illuminated by your lively rhymes. Lovely story, Colleen.
Thank you Lucretia!
Love your story, Colleen. Hannah is so resourceful and cheerful. Fun rhymes and I love “too scattered to control” and “too hard to hold and stroll.” Great job and good luck!
Thank you! And good luck to you as well!
Thanks, Colleen!
Love the can do element! 🙂
Thank you!
I just realized, as I was reading through the rest of the stories, I needed to post my word count. Mine is 98 words in length!
Well done! Halloweeny and helpful all in one! 🎃
Thank you Ingrid!
Hannah’s a hero! Loved the story embedded in this fun-to-read poem:-)
Thank you Patricia!
Great job! Perfect rhyme and meter! Hannah is certainly smart and resourceful!
Thanks Judy!
Love this, Colleen!!! A lot of fun rhyme throughout.
Thank you Amy!
Love this ingenious girl who saves the day! What a fun story!
Thank you Karen!
I love this vivid illustration of brainstorming and creative problem-solving, Colleen!
Thank you!
Hannah’s can do attitude, and your wonderful rhythm and rhyme really make for a great story.
Thank you Jean!
Nice story Colleen! Hannah makes a great Halloween heroine! So thoughtful of her to deliver her glow-in-the-dark sticks so everyone still gets to trick-or-treat. Great rhymes, fun to read! Good luck!
Thank you Katie!
I love this, Colleen! As others have said, my favorite lines are “certain she will find a way/
to shift from can’t to can.” I also like that she considered harnessing fireflies – a picture-book-worthy image!
ENTRY POSTED FOR DEBBIE MENESES
Double Meaning Halloween Knight
Sir Halloween Knight, Sir Halloween Knight,
A goosebumpy night for Halloween Knight.
“I mustn’t withhold. Friends need me tonight.”
Brave horseback he rode. He galloped outside.
“I’ve goodies prepared for darkness I’ve spied.”
“Ten Jack-o-Lanterns, I found to have cried.”
Upset with concern, all empty, inside.
“Here’s flameless candles, for children you guide.”
Ghosts fluttered a-left, then fluttered a-right.
They bumped into walls, too dark without sight.
“Wear glow-in-the-dark, rings vibrantly bright.”
In papers it read, “He lit up the site.”
Yes. Halloween night, rescued by Sir Knight.
Sir Halloween Knight, Sir Halloween night
A goosebumpy night for Halloween Knight.
My son loves knights, so I had to read this delightful Halloween Knight story aloud to him.
Tailor-made story to read out loud–great job!
This is so fun. It reads like a ballad. The Ballad of Halloween Knight. Good job and good luck!
I agree! The Ballad of Halloween Knight is super catchy for this super cute story!
Wow! Great story! Good luck! 🙂
Cute play on words (night/Knight.) I like that Sir Halloween Knight summons up the courage to go out into the night and make things safe for trick-or-treaters. Nice job!
Fun use of homonyms and lots of Holloweenie words!!
The Paul Revere of Halloween – What fun!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARIFFA
What is that burning bright
In the middle of the night?
Deep,murky silent night
Glowing ominous what a fright!!
I froze, stunned what a plight
Where do I turn left or right?
It’s mesmerizing, cannot fight
My eyes, it’s eyes locked tight
Heckles going up, mine and his
Goosebumps up my spine amiss
In my pocket a goodie please!
I put it out the creature to appease
It approaches, in terror I freeze
I grope,stumble into the abyss
Dow, down, down, ahhh,aaaaah!
It’s grip tightens around my neck
Furry, clammy grasp cannot shake
Suddenly, eyes open I am awake
Great pacing! Creepy tension throughout.
Oh soo spooky! I doubt that child will go back to sleep after that! Good job.
Glad it was just a dream!!! Great job! 🙂
Not much scarier than a Halloween nightmare! Spooky! 🎃
I think everyone can relate to having a scary dream like that! Very creepy and frightening!
Lots of tension in this – I was holding my breath and didn’t exhale until the final line
ENTRY POSTED FOR SARAH
Word Count: 96
Byline: Sarah Hetu
(Title:) THE SCAVENGERS’
FEASTBALL“Scavengers!” Spider Crab says, “trick-or-treat?”
Fish and crustaceans fill the table.
“Halloween costumes first!” Remora and Zombie say.
“Biggest fish head to the best dressed!” Great White says.
Crab inspects the goodies. Just one bite….
“Hey!” Great White says.
Crab turns, eye-to-tooth with Great. “Goosebumps and ghouls! You look horrific! I mean, ‘Halloween-o-riffic!’”
“Where’s our feast?!” Remora and Zombie demand.
“I have an idea,” Crab says. He scuttles off…and returns with a swarm of glow-in-the-dark jellyfish. “Dance-off instead?”
“Yes!” Great shouts, “Forget food! Cue the music!”
The scavengers boogie for hours…
…and order fast food afterwards.
Cute! Gotta love a Halloween dance-off under the sea!
Thanks Sarah!
Thanks Sarah, so that’s how they celebrate Halloween under the sea.
Yup! Lol
Love, “goosebumps and ghouls!” Halloween fun under the sea. Good luck!
Great setting under the sea! 🙂
Thank you!!!
Great imagery! 🎃
Underwater dance-off! What a fun Halloween idea! Good luck in the contest!
Love how the title reflects the turnaround in the story plot!
What a fun dance party under the waves!
‘Tis the Season, Candy Eaters
by Hannah Roy LaGrone
99 words
Sing along on https://theworldasourclassroom.wordpress.com/2021/10/29/tis-the-season-candy-eaters-halloweensie-entry/
Deck yourselves out, trick-or-treaters; Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
‘Tis the season, candy eaters! Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Don we now our wild apparel, Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Seeking goodies by the barrel. Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Jack-o-lanterns blaze before us, Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Glowing-in-the-dark, they’re gourd-geous! Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Follow these to candy treasure; Fall-la-la-a-la-la-la-la-la
Scarf it down–it’s such a pleasure. Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Grinning wide, I fill my tummy, Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
I will fear no ghost or mummy; Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Don’t have goosebumps, chills, or shivers, Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
But inside, my belly quivers… Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Might have overdone the gobbling… Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Walking home is mostly wobbling. Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Maybe next year I’ll remember: Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Save a few treats for November! Fall-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!
Yes I see this on the top 10 charts of Halloween Songs. This is so fun. I will Fall-la-la all day long.
Thank you, Deb!! We definitely do need more Halloween songs!!
Hahah I’m in love with this one. So clever and fun!
Thank you, Meagan! 🙂
This is great! Love the song layer! My favorite line- “Glowing-in-the-dark, they’re gourd-geous! ” Nice job!
Thanks, Michelle! Using the song made the rhythm easier to write. 🙂 Glad you liked the pun. I hoped it wasn’t too much of a stretch!
AMAZING. I love this! It feels like a winner to me. And of course, I had to sing it. 🙂 Great job, Hannah!
High praise! Thank you! Glad you sang it. If I win, I will make a music video with my ukulele 😉 well…maybe even if I don’t!
This is hilarious, especially the gourd-genus line! So creative, Hannah!
Thank you so much, Jill!
Hannah, I had to sing your new story it work well as lyrics.
Yay, Denise! Trust me, I sang it SEVERAL times too! 🙂
Gourd-geous is my favorite line. I’m also partial to the line with the verb Scarf. Fun to sing!