⭐️Deck the Halls! ⭐️ Light the menorah! ⭐️ Fill the Kikombe cha Umoja! ⭐️
It’s time for . . .
The 11th Annual Holiday Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as age 12 and under) about a Holiday Contest!
Your contest can be anything you want! Baking, wrapping, decorating (tree or home), raising money or collecting gifts for those in need, ice skating, sledding, caroling, fancy dress, snowman or fort building. . . sky’s the limit! But it must be about a holiday contest!
Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s or whatever you celebrate during the Holiday Season, but is not to exceed 250 words (I know! So much freedom after the Halloweensie Contest 😊 ) (It can be as short as you like (the judges will be grateful 😊 , you are welcome and encouraged to write shorter, but no more than 250! Title not included in word count.) The field is wide open! Have fun! The more creative the better! No illustration notes please. (And yes, if you feel compelled to submit more than one entry you may, just remember you’re competing against yourself!)
Post: Your entry should be posted between right now this very second and Thursday December 9th at 11:59 PM EST, and must be posted below in the comment section of this post. All entries should include a title, byline (people always ask what this is – it means who the entry was written by, so, by Suzy Q. Writer or whoever 😊) and word count. You are welcome to also post your entries on your own blogs and include your blog address with your entry here if you’d like to encourage people to come visit your blog, but your entry must be posted in the comment section of this post or it will not be counted because we won’t see it. This post will remain up for your reading pleasure until I post the finalists. There will be no regular posts (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or Perfect Picture Book) for the duration of the contest so everyone will have plenty of time to visit and enjoy. If you have trouble commenting, you can email your entry to me and I will post it for you. Please copy and paste your entry with word count and byline into the body of the email – NO ATTACHMENTS please.
The Judging: My lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to approximately 12 finalists. In the interest of finishing up the contest in a timely fashion so everyone can go about their holidays, we will do our best to post the finalists here by Tuesday December 14th for you to vote on for a winner. (But it almost always seems to end up taking us longer. . . so it might be a day or two later.) The vote will be closed on Thursday December 16th at 5 PM EST. Whoever gets the most votes will be first and so on down to twelfth place (or wherever we place to), and the winners will be announced on Friday December 17th. (These dates are subject to adjustment if it takes the judges longer than we anticipate to get the judging completed.)
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. Holiday Contest! – the rules state a Holiday Contest story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about a contest that in some way relates to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s, or whatever seasonal winter holiday you choose. The story must center on the contest – the contest must not be just an offhand mention/reference in a story about something else.
- 3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 😊 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
- 4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important. Please proofread!
- 5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
- 6. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Large numbers of entries make it easy to cut entries that haven’t been entered as we asked.
The Prizes!: Oh! Such wonderful prizes! All I can say is, how lucky are we to be part of such a talented and generous community that offers such amazing prizes!
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! 😊
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with written feedback AND a 30-minute Zoom Chat with children’s author Vivian Kirkfield, author of PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House, 2019), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books, 2019), FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN (Pomegranate, 2019), MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books, 2020), FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Clarion Books, 2021), and SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING (MoneyPenny Press Ltd, 2010)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with a recording of first read-through by children’s author and poet Sarah Meade, contributor to HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, 2020!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique/Zoom Chat (Non-rhyming) from children’s author Janie Reinart, author of WHEN WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN (Blue Whale Press, 2021)!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming) PLUS Zoom Chat from developmental editor Lou Piccolo! Lou studied English Literature, creative writing and teaching at university in South Africa. After working as an EFL teacher in France for twenty years, she studied proofreading and editing before becoming a developmental editor of children’s and young adult’s literature for independent authors. She is a graduate of Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – Punching Up Prose With Poetry course and Making Picture Book Magic, the in-house writer for Editions Entrefilet’s language-learning magazine ‘Go English Kids’ for children of 8-12 in France, and a traditionally published author of MG and YA fiction with Burlington Books.
⭐️ Connecting With School Librarians! Fabulous Opportunity for published or soon to be published authors! Winner’s Choice of either a Zoom or phone chat about how to connect with school librarians and get their ear or an Ask Me Anything Zoom or phone chat about K-8th grade author visits from a librarian’s POV from Kathy Halsey. Kathy Halsey is Storyteller Academy’s Community Manager and Ambassador. She enjoys writing picture books, humor, and nonfiction. Kathy’s active in SCBWI and blogs with other kid lit writers on the GROG. She serves on the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council and speaks at educational and literary conferences. Kathy’s a former K-12 school librarian and children’s bookseller. She writes monthly author studies for the Reading for Research Month along with Keila Dawson.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyme or Prose, fiction only) from children’s author Shelley Kinder! Shelley is the author of NOT SO SCARY JERRY (Spork 2017), THE MASTERPIECE (Spork 2018) and GOD AND ME AND THE SEA (Kregel Children’s Books, May 17, 2022)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (written) PLUS 15 minute Zoom Chat (no nonfiction) from Cindy Williams Schrauben author of THIS COULD BE YOU (Cardinal Rule Press, April 1, 2022)!
⭐️ Zoom Visit to a classroom or to kids at home by children’s author Ellen Leventhal! Ellen is the author of DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork, 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork, 2018), HAYFEST: A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press, 2010), and A FLOOD OF KINDNESS (WorthyKids, 2021)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Heather Gale, author of HO’ONANI: HULA WARRIOR (Tundra Books, 2019) which was one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2019, one of the Ontario Library Association’s 2019 Top Ten Titles, Featured on the 2020 Rainbow Book List, Featured on the 2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, and received a Booklist Starred Review!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Maria Marshall! Maria is a children’s author, blogger, and poet passionate about making nature fun for children. She’s a judge for the Cybils Awards and the #50PreciousWords competition. Four of her poems are published in The Best Of Today’s Little Ditty anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. The Picture Book Buzz Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
⭐️ A Reversible Handmade Christmas Stocking or Other Winter or Holiday-Themed Gift Bag from Karen Gebbia PLUS a Personalized Signed Copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY by Nancy Derey Riley to fill it!
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of either QUEEN OF PHYSICS:How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom (Sterling Children’s Books 2019) or TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING (Albert Whitman 2020) (Winner’s Choice!) by Teresa Robeson
PLUS!!!
a Personalized Signed Copy of either LISTEN (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2021) or TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE (Harry N. Abrams 2020) (Winner’s Choice!) by Gabi Snyder
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of THE QUEEN AND THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE: Queen Charlotte’s Gift to England (Albert Whitman 2018) by Nancy Churnin PLUS a Digital Copy of THE STAR IN THE CHRISTMAS PLAY (Beaming Books 2018) by Lynne Marie
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel July 2021) by Becky Scharnhorst PLUS a Kindle or Audiobook Copy of either FUNNY JIMMY (AuthorHouse 2011) or THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF RIDDLES (Avid Readers Publishing Group 2011) (Winner’s Choice!) by Vanessa Rose Lee
⭐️ Winner’s Choice of 2 of the following 4 picture books, kindly donated by Dee Knabb!
- LILLYBELLE, A DAMSEL NOT IN DISTRESS by Joana Pastro
- ALMA AND HOW SHE GOT HER NAME by Juana Martinez-Neal (signed by the author/illustrator)
- TINY CREATURES by Nicola Davies (NF)
- PIPSQUEAKS, SLOWPOKES, AND STINKERS by Melissa Stewart (NF)
With so many great prizes up for grabs I hope there will be a lot of entries – the more the merrier! And you’ve still got a couple days to write, so you can squeeze in under the wire if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember you MUST post your entry in the comment section below and include title, byline, and word count.
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links below, click on them (they’ll take you directly to whichever story you click on), and enjoy the stories!
So let the Holiday Contest begin!
Happy Writing and Happy Holidays! 😊 ☃️ ✡️ ⭐️ ❄️ 🎄🕯🕎
I can’t wait to read your entries!!!
THE ENTRIES!
- It Takes A Forest – Lucretia Schafroth
- The Kelpie Challenge – Bonnie Kelso
- The Cookies Of Holiday Hollow – Royal Baysinger
- Elf Off The Shelf – Anne Lipton
- The Trolls: A Winter Tale – Royal Baysinger
- Upon A Winter Solstice – Royal Baysinger
- So You Think You Can Prance – Amy Leskowski
- The Festive Flying Race – Nicola Beach
- Birdie’s Song – Beth Stillborn
- The Holiday Homework – Sue Lancaster
- How Tiny Won A Seat On Santa’s Sleigh – Elizabeth Westra
- The Claus’ Candy Cane Contest – Susan Schipper
- He Knows If You’ve Been Bad Or Good – Colleen Murphy
- Olive, The Other Reindeer – Lindsay Moretti
- Go Green For Christmas – Margaret Zotkiewicz
- Tree Number Nine – Lindsey Hobson
- Christmas Boots – P.J. Purtee
- Ellarose’s Sweater – Marta Cutler
- A Fourth Grader’s Poster Problem – Jennifer Vose
- A Buggie Tradition – Kay Inglis
- Kendy And The Solstice Solo Show – Sarah Meade
- Elsie And The Christmas Comedy Contest – Sarah Meade
- The Better Elf On The Shelf – Molly Ippolito
- Ernie And The Science Fair – Deborah Foster
- Mr. Tweedy’s Christmas Trees – Colleen Fogarty
- Best Wrapped Surprise – Sara Dean
- Christmas Eve Ride Along Contest – Dawn Young
- The Christmas Tree Contest – Dorothy K. Kohrherr
- Alfredo Learns The Secret Of Greatness – Joan Leotta
- The Pretty Ugly Sweater – Pamela Swanson
- Jamie’s Holiday Surprise – Diana Sussman
- Katie’s Snow Creation – Marty B.
- The Tasty Treat Christmas Contest – Katie Brandyberry
- Santa’s Secret Contest – Linda Staszak
- Phoebe’s Snowperson – Kelly Clasen
- THAT’S Not A Christmas Cookie! – Vanessa Konoval
- Candy Pies – Sharon McCarthy
- Solstice Skaters – Allison Strick
- The Best Gift Ever – Pen Avey
- The Most Christmassy House – Jen MacGregor
- Candy Caribou – Steena Hernandez
- A Christmas Pickle Story – Daniella Kaufman-Schloss
- Shining Star – Sarah Hawklyn
- Grumpy Snow Pants – Stephanie Maksymiw
- The Best Reading Contest Of Winter, 1959 – Beth Schmelzer
- Playground Games – Colleen Dougherty
- Simply The Best – Nicole Loos Miller
- Bear’s Christmas Cookie – Marta Cutler
- Happy Everything! – Laura Barens
- Dancing With The Elves – Jill Lambert
- A Creature Was Stirring – Judy Sobanski
- The Monster On Christmas Eve – Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
- What Christmas Means To Me – Marty Findley
- A Miscalculation – Emily Durant
- Lily And The Winter Festival – Karen J Moore
- 2021 Monkey Merry Xmas – Shariffa Keshavjee
- The Ginger Friend House – Kelly Swemba
- Gingerbread House Extravaganza – Elaine D’Alessandro
- Parol: This Little Star Of Mine – Lynn Grace Wong
- Christmas Song – YauMei Chiang
- Reindeer Games – Tiffany Hanson
- The Cookie Contest Caper – Kelsey E. Gross
- The Clean-Out-The-Clutter Contest – Sarah Demarest Guthrie
- The Contest – Amanda Sherlock
- Asher’s Chanukiah – Dina Silverberg
- Best Hanukkah Ever! – Paul Kurtz
- Cinder-Latke – Paul Kurtz
- Bunny Claus – Donna Kurtz
- Jangle Shells – Donna Kurtz
- Spin – Cheryl Simon
- Fantastical Fairytown Christmas Snowflake Contest – Ellen Crosby
- The Winning Recipe – Judy Abelove Shemtob
- The Greatest Display Of All – Barbara Kimmel
- Sparky’s Wish – Ingrid Boydston
- The Night After Christmas – Abby N. Wooldridge
- The Claus’s Hawaiian Vacation – C. S. Boyll
- Gifts For Grandma – Cindy Sommer
- Keep Christmas Coming – Jeannette Suhr
- The Most Special Ornament – Timothy Hicks
- Santa’s Workshop Winners – Polly Owen
- Elfie Selfie Contest – Stephanie Henson
- The Great Holiday Bake Off – Jamie Donahoe
- Laughing All The Way – Sarah Hetu
- The Perfect Christmas Star – Jennifer Lowe
- A Sack Full Of Presents – Patricia Nozell
- Fairy Tale Houses – Jim Chaize
- Christmas…By A Nose – Jesse Anna Bornemann
- Reindeer Sing…Are You Listening? – Katie Schwartz
- Christmas Carrots – Vashti Verbowski
- Being Santa Lucia – Cindy Greene
- Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin – Who Will Win? – Stephanie Wildman
- ANDRÉS BLUE RIBBON – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
- The Chubby Bunny Champion – Alicia Meyers
- Up And Away! – Kristy Roser Nuttall
- Christmas Isn’t – Ingrid Boydston
- The Christmas Pirate – Julianna Kurtz
- Maryam’s Happy Persian Christmas – Shadi Kafi
- The Most Beautiful Snowflake Of All – Cassie Silva
- Fire And Ice – Jyn Hall
- The Santa Spectacle – Mary Cathering Amadu
- A Jarring Contest – Bru Benson
- Everything – Sandhya Acharya
- Similarity Despite Diversity – Eva Felder
- O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree – Becky Goodman
- Solstice Wars! – Phoebe Browning
- Gingerbread Surprise – JC Kelly
- Squirrels Christmas – Charlotte Boyer
- The Holiday Contest – Denise Seidman
- The Witch’s Gingerbread House – Lauri Meyers
- Elf Rivalry – Michelle S. Kennedy
- Dream Big, Little Pip! – Sally Yorke-Viney
- An Extraordinary Elf – Becky Kimbrough
- Jasmine Jingletoes And The Christmas Stocking Contest – Brenda Covert
- Let There Be (MORE!) Lights – Judy Carey Nevin
- Laughing All The Way – Samantha Gassman
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Dream Big, Little Pip!
By Sally Yorke-Viney
WC=250
Twas the night before Christmas and though it looked tame
The elves were preparing their holiday game,
The gifts were all wrapped and now it was time
To stack up the presents and see who could climb?
The fastest one up, would tie up the sack,
Round the mountain of gifts behind Santa’s back.
Now, Pip was the littlest elf at the Pole.
Custodial elf, knee high to a troll.
He cleaned up the workshop, under chairs and the table.
He did what he could, cause he knew he was able,
He worked out so hard, while the other elves slept.
He vaulted and cartwheeled, he jumped and he leapt!
For he had a dream that he couldn’t be beat,
And the big day arrived for each elf to compete.
But none of them got to the top of the pile
And Pip announced shyly, but then with a smile
“ I think I can climb it” He said to the crowd,
And the other elves laughed and said, Not allowed!”
With one giant leap though, he hit the pile running
Grabbed onto a ribbon, and swung. It was stunning!
At one point he teetered and he heard the crowd gasp
They’re rooting for me, and he tightened his grasp.
As he got to the summit, his heart skipped a beat
As he saw Santa’s face and he said with a squeak.
Santa, I’m here, but I must say I’m nervous
I’m Pip Squeak the Elf, totally at your service!
Looks like we both had the idea of writing a rhyming, elf story using the ‘Night Before Christmas’ cadence. LOL Your story is so active and fun! I can totally picture it in my head. Good luck to you!
Thanks Michelle I tried writing it in prose and it was almost 400 words! Yikes! I will look for your manuscript!!! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
So cute and fun!
My favorite stanza:
Now, Pip was the littlest elf at the Pole.
Custodial elf, knee high to a troll.
Love it!
Awww, yay little Pip! I was engaged throughout the whole story!
Oh thanks so much… I wanted to add more characters and obstacles but oh the troublesome word count! Thanks for reading it through!!
Imaginative way to incorporate the rhythm and meter of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” into your own elf story. No downtime here…your story flows nicely, and I can so see the illustrations in this. Love it and good luck!
Thank you so much! I tried to make it visual! I wanted to expand this story with additional foibles but ran out of “word” room! LOL
I love the premise of a race to the top of the present pile and your active descriptions of Pip’s antics! This story would make a wonderful animated cartoon and would be tons of fun for an illustrator. Great job, Sally!
Thanks Jill, I so appreciate your comments. I would love to do something with this little piece somehow!
Sweet and clever! Your rhyme of slept and leapt is—adept! I love seeing how Pip’s hard work pays off as well as the reveal of his full name at the end.
Oh Anne, thank you for your word play! It’s just a little story that is dreaming big!! LOL
I love Pip’s name and character. I was rooting for him to succeed! Nice rhyme and meter!
Judy thanks so much… years as a kindergarten teacher had me talking in rhyme, even at home, LOL! I think there is a Pip in each of us!
I LOVED the description of Pip Squeak the Elf as “knee high to a troll!” And I was happy to see that all of his hard work and dedication paid off in the end!
Thanks R. Baysinger! It’s persistence and belief in ourselves that helps us succeed!
Sally, I love the rhyme… and of course, Pip Squeak the Elf!!! 🎅🙂
Thanks so much S.E.! And I love your emojis! I find it hard not to rhyme sometime!
This is a well-told story of perseverance. I love your account of Pipsqueak’s training and eventual success. Also, great job with your rhymes!
Thanks Colleen, I did so want it to be that “stick-to-it-tiveness” sort of story! I love to rhyme, I love word play! Thanks again!
Me too!!
I would love see more adventures featuring Pip Squeak! Super fun!
Thanks so much Ingrid and thank you for all that you write. You’re inspiring me to go forward with this little character!
An Extraordinary Elf
By: Becky Kimbrough
249 words
Elliott studied the sign and grinned:
Santa’s Spectacular Snow Day!
Greatest Gift Wrap!
Swiftest Snowballs!
Tallest Tower of Tasty Treats!
“An elves’ day of holiday contests,” said Elliott. “Maybe I can win them all!”
The other elves laughed.
“Your efforts are always over-the-top, Elliott. You are exceptionally…extra. Remember when
you overflowed the whipped cream machine?”
I’ll show them. Elliott frowned.
Whoosh! He raced to Snowball Stadium.
“My extra-icy snowballs are super-speedy.”
Fling! Zoom! Crash!
“Ice-packed snowballs are too swift,” Elliott sighed.
Whoosh! He dashed to Christmas Kitchen.
“With extra fudge and frosting, my treat tower will be the tallest!”
Elliott’s tasty tower shot up in no time.
“Just one more brownie.” He balanced precariously.
Wobble, wobble, crash!
“What a mess!” Elliott’s lip quivered.
“But there’s still time for gift wrapping glory.” He dragged an enormous bag of glitter to Gift
Wrap Grotto.
Phew. Elliott huffed.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The contest ended as he arrived.
“Oh no! I didn’t win a single contest.” Elliott sniffled.
“Don’t cry, Elliott,” said Santa. “We added an extra contest this year. The Over-the-Top
obstacle course is starting now.”’
Elliott looked up to see Reindeer Games Racetrack strewn with glitter, ice, and walls of fudge.
“Gobs of glitter? Slippery snowballs? Foothills of fudge? I’ve been practicing for this contest all
along!”
Whoosh! With ten speedy scrambles, ten careful climbs, and ten jaunty jumps, Elliott zoomed
through the course in two minutes!
“Ho-ho-ho! Our winner is Elliott, an extraordinary elf,” Santa bellowed.
Elliott’s grin was extra-wide.
Oh! I love Elliot and his escapades. This was so fun to read and I can just see the illustrations!
Seems like that obstacle course was just made for Elliot! Fun story!
I love the names “Snowball Stadium” and “Gift Wrap Grotto!” I could relate with Elliott wanting to place just ONE MORE brownie on his Tower of Tasty Treats. I’m glad all of his mishaps ended up helping him in the end. Life OFTEN seems to work out that way.
Ha ha!! Way to train without knowing Elliott. Seems like Santa knew just what he was up to!
It’s fun how his mishaps are what lead him to victory! Love it!
Perfect title for a perfect elf! So glad Elliott was able to pull it out in the end! You had us rooting for him from the beginning! Well done. 😀
Jasmine Jingletoes and the Christmas Stocking Contest
By Brenda Covert (248 words)
Jasmine Jingletoes added a dab of glitter and held up the stocking.
“Dazzling!” said Dreamy MacTwinkle.
“Stunning!” said Cedar Sparkleshins.
“Thanks!” said Jasmine Jingletoes.
“Perfect!” said Joy Gingersnap, the elf arts manager. “Are you ready to compete?”
Jasmine nodded. “Christmas stocking art is my favorite!”
She read the door sign aloud. “Christmas Stocking Stuffing Contest.” She tugged at a curl. “This can’t be the right place, Joy. Where is the stocking art contest?”
There was no art contest. Jasmine clutched her elf hat and cried, “I’m an artist! I haven’t practiced stuffing stockings. What should I do?”
Her friends gathered around. “You can figure it out!” Dreamy said.
“You can do this!” Cedar added.
Joy handed her a candy cane. “Study the items for the stocking. Think about what makes sense to go in first, second, and third.”
A red stocking lay on the table beside a box.
Santa stood in front of the contestants. “On your mark, get set, and … go!”
Inside the box, Jasmine found a cocoa bomb for making hot chocolate. Beside it was a peppermint stick, a tub of slime, and a pet rock turtle! The other elves stuffed the items into their stockings. Jasmine picked up the stocking.
After thinking, Jasmine put in the heavy turtle, then the slime, and last the cocoa bomb. She slid the candy stick down the side. The final touch was to add her candy cane.
“Nice touch!” Santa grinned. “It looks like we have a winner!”
What a fun entry! I love all of the creative elf names.
Thank you! I borrowed Jasmine’s name from my daughter. At Christmastime, she becomes Jasmine Jingletoes, complete with real, curly-toed, jingle-belled elf boots, to spread Christmas cheer in our community!
This is such a unique premise for a contest, and I absolutely love your character names! Best of luck!
Thank you! I appreciate you!
Fun story! I’m glad Jasmine discovered she was also a talented stocking stuffer, too!
Thanks, Judy!
As many others have said, I love the names of your elves! I think it is sweet how supportive they are of Jasmine as she has to step outside her comfort zone!
Thanks, Royal!
I like how you changed up the contest and thereby made Jasmine have to find some resilience to be successful. Well done.
Thank you! Life throws us curveballs, and we have to find a way to handle them. 🙂
So true!
Yes! This is a challenge- every year! Fun story!
Thank, Ingrid! The biggest challenge to not to make the stocking so heavy that it falls; ooops!!!
ENTRY POSTED FOR JUDY
Let There Be (MORE!) Lights
by Judy Carey Nevin
66 words
“This is the year we’re going to win, Honey. I can feel it. I can just feel it! Go ahead—plug us in!”
Pop.
Fizzle, fizzle.
Pop.
“Daddy, will Santa be able to find us without any lights on the trees?”
“Mommy, how will Santa find us if there aren’t any lights on the houses?”
“Mommy! Daddy! Will the light on Rudolph’s nose be broken, too???”
I hope Rudolph’s nose continued to shine. I can imagine that kids would worry about that when lights go out.
Short, but sweet! I have a feeling Santa will find this house just fine.
Cute! I like how the child thinks Rudolph’s nose “light” might be broken, too. 🙂
I love how quickly it escalated from being just the lights on their trees to the lights on the “houses!” The poor neighbours! Very funny and enjoyable!
Those must have been some pretty powerful fuse to blow out the lights on the tree and the house! I love that the child fears even the light on Rudolph’s nose has been broken as a result of the outage.
Oh no! Not Rudolph’s nose! What a challenge!
LAUGHING ALL THE WAY
By Samantha Gassman
Word Count: 242
Ever since his dad died two Christmases ago, Jared couldn’t imagine entering the town’s sledding contest. He and his dad had been four-time “Jingle All the Sleigh” team winners. But now, it was too much to bear. Other kids with their dads giggling, throwing snowballs. The hiss of his solo sled sliding over the snow reminded him of all the silent nights without his dad. So, when his Uncle Gary asked if Jared would compete with him, his uncle was met with a slamming door.
Inside his room, Jared flopped onto his bed, tears heavy behind his eyes.
“Isn’t this supposed to get easier?” he asked the photo of him and his dad next to his bed. He closed his eyes and tried to bring forward as many details as he could from the last contest. But he couldn’t remember his dad’s twinkling brown eyes in the Christmas lights, or the sound of his contagious laugh.
“I’m losing you,” he whispered.
Then, from the kitchen, came a familiar chuckle. He sprung up and cracked open the door.
Could it be?
But it was just his uncle and sister joking around. Jared plodded into the living room.
“Will you go with me?” Jared asked.
“Sure, buddy,” his uncle replied.
As Jared and his uncle glided down the freshly powdered hill, Jared closed his eyes. And if he listened closely, and opened his heart, he could hear his dad’s laughter on the cold wind.
Samantha, I could feel Jared’s grief. Such a heartfelt story.
Oh, this is just beautiful. Your last line is pure gold.
Such a beautiful story. I especially love the image at the end.
So much heart
Aw! Samantha! I bet there is a lot of ‘Jared’s’ out there this holiday season. Such a sweet story. I am glad he found happiness in remembering his dad at the end. Good luck to you!
Such a poignant story. I loved the last line.
A beautiful exploration of grief, love and hope! Jared’s insights are poignant and the resolution is heartwarming!
I am so glad Jared was able to open his heart up to his uncle, letting the memories of his dad come back to him as well. Very touching story. And I love the name of the contest.
Poignantly told tale of living through grief. It’s heartbreaking and yet beautiful. Well done.
Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments! Best of luck to you!
This is adorable! I’ve definitely been guilty of falling asleep early on New Year’s…
This story is filled to the brim with Christmas spiriit and delightful rhythm and rhyme. I love imagining Sapling and Ancient sharing the honor of being Tree of the Year. I really, really hope you make this into a PB so I can read it with my Forest Kindergarten class when we study evergreeens.
You’re so kind, Kristy! I’d love for your class to read it one day!
How completely original! And what wonderful illustration opportunities!
Thank you Ingrid! A bunch of colorful birds in the snow might be a really pretty illustration. I wish I was an illustrator!
I’ve thought this many times! But I will settle for being a wordsmith. 😊
Lots of fun and ingenuity in so few words! I love that Jonathan and Sabrina won the prize through their own agency before Santa lassoed the cloud. Making snow friends for their snowmen was an extra sweet touch. Great work! Good luck in the contest.
I could really feel Jared’s sorrow. So nice that he found a way to capture those memories again.
Loved that Santa “Lassoed” a snow cloud! 🎅🙂
I’d love to see all these mailboxes. Love your word choices. What a wonderful story!
Thank you, Nancy!
Excellent! Just bravo!
I’m so happy he finally got the “starring” role!
Such a fun image of all the birds on the mailbox! What a clever idea!
Thank you so much!
I would love to see Jonathan’s snowperson with its green wig and sparkly glasses. And not only were they able to build, but in the process they managed to clean up the leaves in the park!!
For as much as cats like to sleep, that was a very challenging contest! This was a fun and playful read. I like the introduction of the pup at the end.
Original and innovative! I love how the children improvised a practical solution and how you added a magical twist at the end!
Such a lovely and loving story, Lisa! Your rhyme flows so beautifully. Best of luck!
Beautiful story — my favorite line was “like ornaments falling from the sky”. I could just see it happening. Good job.
Thank you, Sarah!
Lisa, love your story! Good rhyme and rhythm, and you packed a lot of psychology and emotion and values into 235 words!
What a kind heart Sapling has! This is a beautiful story, Lisa! Congratulations on placing in the #2 spot…there was a ton of competition. Well done!