Wool of bat and toe of snake! It’s time for. . .
The 13th 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 werewolf, superstition, and fright.
- 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.
- You may use the words in any form i.e. werewolves (werecub or werepuppy is acceptable as well should your story feature a young werewolf), frighten/frightening/frightful, superstitious etc, 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!
POST: your story in the comment section of This Post between right now this very second and 11:59PM Eastern Tuesday October 31st (So you have 3 full days to post – Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.)
- 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 of the Official Contest Post so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of the Official Contest Post between 12:01 AM Eastern Sunday October 29th and Tuesday October 31st at 11:59PM Eastern or they will not be read.
- 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! (Handy Contact button above or [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com) Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title, byline (that means who the story is by – you! – so for example, By Jane Doe) and word count at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! and please do not submit any entries before the official opening of the contest at 12:01 AM Eastern Sunday October 29th. They will not be accepted.
- 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 😊
- Every entry will be listed with a link to its comment so that entries are easy to find, but I cannot add links until 50 entries are up or they become incorrect when the comments move on to page 2, just so you’re aware!
THE JUDGING: over the following days, 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 Monday November 6th (though if the judging takes longer than expected it might be a little later – I have school visits that week and a far away book festival over the weekend.) The winners will be announced Thursday or Friday, November 9th or 10th (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!
⭐️ Ask Me Anything Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Sandra Foreman Sutter, owner and “top gnome” at Gnome Road Publishing, and author of STAN’S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN (Spork, September 2020) and THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL (Spork, March 2019)!!! Not only will Sandra read and critique your manuscript, you will get to talk to discuss it with her!
⭐️ Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course – Renee LaTulippe Renée M. LaTulippe is the author of The Crab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, 2024) and has poems published in many anthologies including No World Too Big, Night Wishes, School People, National Geographic’s The Poetry of US, One Minute Till Bedtime, Poems Are Teachers, ThankU: Poems of Gratitude, and A World Full of Poems.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Zoom Chat About A Project You’re Working On PLUS a Signed Copy of THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW from Sue Heavenrich, author of THE PIE THAT MOLLY GREW (Sleeping Bear Press, August 2023), 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY (Charlesbridge, 2021), DIET FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE (21st Century Books, August, 2018), FUNKY FUNGI (Chicago Review Press, July, 2022), the Super Science Series, and The Human Machine Series.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, 700 words or less) PLUS a Query Letter Critique from author Steena Hernandez! Her debut picture book, LUPITA’S BROWN BALLET SLIPPERS, comes out with Beaming Books in Fall 2024. She’s an active member of SCBWI, Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and Las Musas. Her poems and stories have appeared in Highlights High Five Magazine, and Little Thoughts Press Magazine. She’s represented by Lynnette Novak from the Seymour Agency. Visit her website at www.steenahernandez.com.
Author Steena Hernandez (photo credit Laura Squire)
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Hanh Bui, author of The Yellow Áo Dài (Feiwel & Friends, April 25, 2023) and the forthcoming Ánh’s New Word: A Story About Learning a New Language (Feiwel & Friends, May 14, 2024) PLUS a signed copy of The Yellow Áo Dài!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, 750 words or less) from Dara Henry, author of HANUKKAH PAJAMAKKAHS, forthcoming from Sourcebooks, September 2024! Dara is a former teacher and has twice been named Honorable Mention in the Children’s Fiction Category of the 88th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, KIDLIT411, Writing for Children, 12×12, and PB_Soar 24. She is represented by Rena Rossner of The Deborah Harris Agency.
Author Dara Henry
⭐️ 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.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming) or Dummy Critique from Bonnie Kelso, author/illustrator of NUDI GILL: POISON POWERHOUSE OF THE SEA (Gnome Road, April 4, 2023), illustrator for IN A CAVE (written by Heather Ferranti Kinser, Gnome Road, October 3, 2023), and author-illustrator of a three-book series with GRP starting next spring!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), SADIE’S SHABAT STORIES (Spork, 2020) and PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM
⭐️ 30 Minute Ask Me Anything with Rebecca Gardyn Levington, author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022), WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (Barefoot Books, Mar 7, 2023), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024), and AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? (Penguin/Rocky Pond, Spring 2024)
⭐️ Signed Copy of Roxanne Troup’s beautiful MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME (Yeehoo Press, April, 2023)
⭐️ Signed Copies of Kizzi Roberts‘s books THE ELVES GO MARCHING and THE EGGS GO ROLLING!
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, recommending their books for school and library purchases, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Get those entries up! Have fun writing something new! Have fun reading the amazing work of your fellow writers! Have fun eating as many miniature chocolate bars as your little heart desires!
Happy Halloweensie!!!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!! 😊
For those of you having trouble commenting, I apologize for the fact that my site is apparently very temperamental! I can suggest the following: if you’re trying to post comments from a phone or tablet, try a computer – sometimes it works better that way. Chrome seems to work better with this site than some of the other browsers, although one dedicated individual, determined to be able to comment, has reported that she finally managed with Microsoft Edge. Thank you for trying – it’s so important for all of you to get to hear from each other!
The 228 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! 🎃 👻
1. The Most Frightening Halloween Of All! – Katie Schwartz
2. Trick Treat Or Treat. Smell My Feet – Sarah Hawklyn
3. Trick Or Treats – Mikki DeFever
4. The Werewolf – Michelle S. Kennedy
5. A Haunted Treasure Hunt – Ashlee MacCallum
6. The Zoo Super-Intendent – Joy Dickinson
7. Knock On Wood – Heather Kinser
8. The Silver Chain – Teresa Traver/Anne Rollins
9. One Last House – Tyler Ham
10. Above And Beyond – Corine Timmer
11. Hairy Wolf – Bridget Magee
12. Red Riding Hood Goes Trick Or Treating – Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
13. Prank Or Prophecy? – Colleen Murphy
14. The Rule Of Three – Kathleen MacEachern
15. A Special Secret – Kelly Kates
16. Itchy Witch – Deborah Holt Williams
17. The Halloween Pet Parade – Kelly Clasen
18. Just A Superstition – Lyn Kekowsky
19. Werewolf’s Fright – Janel Caverly
20. What Monsters Wear On Halloween – Elissa Theiss Mazzeo
21. Wereboy – Paul Kurtz
22. Where’s Wolf? Werewolf! – Katie Walsh
23. Werewolf Yummies – Paul Kurtz
24. Cuddlesome Cubbies – Donna Kurtz
25. Beware: Were-cub In Disguise – Jodie Houghton
26. Happy Howl-o-ween! – Donna Kurtz
27. Howl-a-ween – Denise Seidman
28. The Frightfully Superstitious Werewolf – Susan Burdorf
29. Who Can Frighten Skeleton? – Jessie Raspbury
30. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
31. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
32. Untitled – Shariffa Keshavjee
33. Halloweensie Surprise – Elizabeth Thoms Charles
34. It’s Halloween – Janet Parkinson Bryce
35. Werewolf Bites! – Claudine Pullen
36. Sweet Superstition – Kristen Littlefield
37. Where Wolves? There Wolves – Marty Findley
38. Petrified – Mary-Catherine Amadu
39. Beware The Moon! – Jen Subra
40. Changes – Kailyn Dickason
41. My Family Secret – Sharon McCarthy
42. Don’t Get Eaten! – Sarah Hetu
43. The Full Moon Club – Patricia Finnegan
44. Halloween Jitters Revenge – Joyce Uglow
45. The Great Halloween Race – Marta Cutler
46. Scaring For Sugar – Sarah Hetu
47. Hush Little Werepup – Stephanie Maksymiw
48. Earth Is Tricky – Glenda Roberson
49. Werewolves Halloween Bash – Yolanda Danyi Szuch
50. A Human Superstition – Tiffany Hanson
51. Fifty-Eight Pieces Of Candy – Jacqueline Lindsey
52. Werewolf And The Frightening Superstition – Angel Gantnier
53. Attack Of The Werekitty – Linda Staszak
54. It Started With A Bite – Katie Lee Reinert
55. The Woefull Werewolf – Linda Staszak
56. Wilfy Werewolf’s Good Manners – Tracy Curran
57. The Halloween Parade – Lindsay Moretti
58. Werepup’s First Howl – Jessica Iwanski
59. How To Catch A Werewolf At Halloween – Susan E. Schipper
60. Half-Moon Halloween – P.J. Purtee
61. Oooo, It’s Halloween! – Paul Brassard
62. Verily Scarily Night – Marta Cutler
63. When Werewolves Take Baths – Jessica Russo
64. Werewolf, Monster and Witch – Maria Pope
65. A Whoosh, and a Swoosh and a Gurgly Goop – Maria Pope
66. A Superstitious Wish – Susannah Lee
67. The Boy Who Cried “Werewolf!” – Nicole Garnett
68. Moon Ballet – Katrenia Kiger
69. Luck Not Needed – Tracy T. Agnelli
70. Believe Or Not – Tracy T. Agnelli
71. Not Taking Any Chances – JIL
72. Witch And Werewolf – Julie Hauswirth
73. A Howling Halloween – Lynn Moore
74. A Creak and A Sneak -Bri Lawyer
75. Bit By A Werewolf – Bri Lawyer
76. Halloween Lookout – Lisa Billa
77. The Leaf Raking Olympics – Lindsay Moretti
78. Fright Night – Susan Eyerman
79. The Halloween Scoop – Jamie Siebrase
80. Luna, the Not So Scary Werewolf – Melissa Miles
81. Halloween At The Disco – Jamie Donahoe
82. What’s More Frightening? – Anne Lipton
83. Was Wilbur A Were-Squirrel? – Deb Buschman
84. McDoodle’s Pup – Yonglee Deborah Kim
85. What To Wearwolf – Jill Lambert
86. Stories Of Monsters – Laura Polasek
87. The Strangest Halloween – Jenn Kim
88. The Origin Of The Werewolf: the Bronze Age Koryos (NF) – Lauren N. Simmons
89. Drew’s Debate – Marty Bellis
90. Bite Fight – Ryann Jones
91. Kitten’s Halloween – Jaclyn Crawford
92. To Eat Or Not To Eat, That Is The Question! – Charlie Griffin
93. Green Does Not Mean Mean – Linda Glazebrook
94. Mom Gave Me A Werewolf! – Sarah J. Williams
95. Halloween Is Here, Ready or Not – Elisa Teichert
96. Halloween Advice – Paul Roncone
97. Spooky Storytime – Sarah Meade
98. Hilly’s Not-So-Superstitious Halloween – Sarah Meade
99. Hair-Raising Halloween – Sheri Bentley
100. Grizelda Pumkinhead’s Smashing Halloween – MaryAnn Cortez
101. Halloween Howl – Russell Wolff
102. Halloween Night – Mia Geiger
103. The Best Halloween Ever – Armineh Manookian
104. Expected Visitors – Jenna Grace
105. Rougarou’s Bugaboo: A Louisiana Cautionary Tale (Almost) – Sally Yorke-Viney
106. It’s Beginning To Look A Little Creepy – Diana Lynn Gibson
107. Why Werewolves Howl – Laura Badami
108. I’m Not A Superstition – Patti Ranson
109. The Rougarou’s Curse – Trista Herring Baughman
110. Laughing And Giggling On Halloween – Isabel Cruz Rodriguez
111. A Werewolf In School – Susan Lynn-Rivera
112. A Frightful Howl’oween – Lucretia Schafroth
113. Which Wolf? – Melissa Chupp
114. The Haunted House – Shawn Kirby
115. Larkspur Werewolf’s Halloween CompBOOsition – Kandi Zeller
116. Chocolate For Halloween – Marcia Dalphin Williams
117. The Great Halloween Scare – Eleanor Ann Peterson
118. Mr. Skeleton And His Werewolf Bones – Kathleen Jacobs
119. Seven Years Of Bad Howls – Laura Wippell
120. Villa Number Thirteen – Kiran Nair
121. Werewolf VS. Dentist – Abigail Mumford
122. Spell Check – Tara Flake
123. Thirteen Werewolves – Patricia Nozell
124. I’ll Be What?! – Stephanie K. Mena
125. Tick-Tock – Sarah Elynn
126. Werewolf Wants To Share – Lori Bonati
127. Dare To Be Were – Dana Lee Ryals
128. Gordon Goblin’s Halloweensie Stew – Judy Caldwell Hughes
129. Isaac’s Frightful Night – Anna Eklund-Cheong
130. The Coolest Halloween Story Ever! – Carmen Castillo Gilbert, PhD
131. The Backwards Werewolf – Linda Fischetti
132. A Halloween Trick And Treat – Stephanie Flom
133. Rudy, The Werewolf – Lori Himmel
134. The Superstition – Allison Gray
135. Friends With A Werewolf – Lauri C. Meyers
136. Untitled – Martha Holguin
137. A First Halloween – Claudia Sloan
138. A Sight, A Fright, and A Delight – Jean Martin
139. The Hairy Neighbor – Anjali Morard
140. Raven And The Werewolf – Elizabeth Muster
141, Trick IN a Treat – Reed Hilton-Eddy
142. Halloween Spell – Nina Nolan
143. Fright Night Birthright – Helen Addyman
144. Black Cat Saves The Night – Lori Sheroan
145. Rowl The Smiling Werewolf Pup – Tarja Helena Nevala
146. Ivy Hates Halloween – Cindy Sommer
147. Where Wolf? There Wolf! – Bru Benson
148. Trick-or-Treating Time! – Jenna Grace
149. Halloween Howl – Angela Martinelli
150. No Good Tricks Or Treat – Thelia Hutchinson
151. Scared – Sue Ko
152. Fright On Calm – Sue Ko
153. Wee Willie Werewolf – Colleen Fogarty
154. The Who, What and Where Wolf – Julianna Kurtz
155. Flora Won’t Get Scared – Ashley Sierra
156. Dotty Didn’t Listen – Jane Helliwell
157. Heart’s Halloween – Ashley Sierra
158. Proffering The Offering – Ms. Joy
159. Witch Ride – Rhonda T. Spear
160. Haunted Hayride – Rhonda T. Spear
161. Halloween Trick – Mary Beth Rice
162. The Kittens Halloween Party – Dianne Borowski
163. Need A Snack – Yessenia Holm
164. Werewolf Baby – Vashti Verbowski
165. Pockets Out – Lynsey Folkman
166. Halloween Haiku – Corine Timmer
167. Wendy Werewolf’s Biggest Fright! – Amy LaMae Brewer
168. The Ballad Of Wolfgang A. Werewolf – Melissa Miles
169. The Witching Hour – S. J. Barratt
170. Werewolves Of Halloween – Karen LaSalvia
171. Little Dead Riding Hood – Marlee Fuller-Morris
172. Treat Or Be Tricked – Dianna Sussman
173. Werewolf On Halloween – Valerie McPherson
174. The Monster Under The Bed – Diana Sussman
175. Fur Moon – Christina Shawn
176. Right Where They Belong – Mona Pease
177. Unless – Gail Hartman
178. Pink Underwear – Melissa Lasher
179. A Grave Mistake – Keatley Eastman
180. Grounded – Becky Danks
181. The Scariest Thing Of All – Jeanette Fazzari Jones
182. Weirdwolf – Searra Simpson
183. Aunt Howla’s Big Book Of Recipes: Spooky Halloween – Sarah Stauffer
184. Lazy Eddie – Jen Keenan
185. Strange Encounters – Jen Keenan
186. Stingy Jack – Kellie Tune
187. Untitled – Lyudmila Danova
188. Dachsie And Beagle’s Halloween Plan – Dorothy Kohrherr
189. I’ll Be Brave – Dawn Renee Young
190. The Scariest Halloween Night – Carol Jones
191. A Werewolfington Trick-or-Treat – Jan Schwaid
192. Lucky Penny – Daniella Kaufman
193. Scream Of A Dream – Diana Webb
194. Pup – Judy Valko
195. Reversal? – Marla Yablon
196. Halloween Disguise – Colleen Fogarty
197. Werepuppies’ Delight – Katherine Rea
198. Dulces For Mami Nieves – Chicanana
199. The Moonlit Secret – CE King
200. Halloween Snack – Jessica Phillips
201. An Immigrant Werewolf – Danna Zeiger
202. What Happened To Harry? – Judy Sobanski
203. Sally’s Last Minute Costume – Imelda Taylor
204. Spoofed By Foop! – Robert L. Saminsky
205. My Mom Is A Monster. . . A Real One – Royal Baysinger
206. Mr. Werewolf’s Trick – Marie Tang
207. Stanley, The Fluffy Werewolf – Hannah Roy LaGrone
208. Woody The Good Werewolf – Robin Donovan
209. Bright White Moonlight – Helen Addyman
210. Wendy’s Wise Words – Una Belle Townsend
211. Can Howloweensie Stay Away? – Becky Goodman
212. Werewolf Gets A Halloween Makeover – Annette Bethers
213. Fantasmita – Adriana Gutierrez Loza
214. How To Conjure A Cat – Andi Chitty
215. A Skeleton In Wolf’s Clothing – Amy Martinez
216. Kansas City’s Moonlight Star – Amy Martinez
217. A Little Halloween Magic – Patricia Corcoran
218. Truth Be Told – Diana Lynn Gibson
219. Halloween Dinner For Werewolf – Nedra Chandler
220. Wolfgang – Nancy Riley
221. What To Wear – Breanna Henry
222. Howl Knows What The Moon Reveals – Jennifer Schmitz
223. A Halloween Full Moon – Anne Weaver
224. Dear Halloween – Lori Dubbin
225. Ghost Bells – Jennifer Taylor
226. It’s Halloween Night! – Susan R. Waide
227. My Older Brother – Lucia Flevares
228. Black Cat Camp – Amy Duchene
Susanna Leonard Hill 
The Most Frightening Halloween of All!
By Katie Schwartz
w/c – 100
Hocus Pocus…Hallow’s Eve.
I’m seeing things I can’t believe!
Friendly werewolves? Bright-white cats?
Holy ghosts?? Enchanting bats?!
Zombies—darling, sparkling, charming.
Unbelievable—alarming!
Moon is beaming, not a cloud…
dark and gloomy’s not allowed.
Mummies dance on twinkle-toes.
Dressed in razzmatazzy clothes!
Everything is strange and changed…
superstitions rearranged!
Skulls exclaiming “Mercy-me.
We have eyeballs—we can see!”
Skeletons spin round and round.
Jazz hands waving, getting down!
Nothing frightful…not a boo…
WHAT’S NEXT ?! I’m shaking…aren’t you?!
A witch…she’s flying, high and fast.
Cackling…SCARY…phew—at last!
“Not to worry, boys and ghouls…
BWAH-HA-HA—October Fools!”
So much fun, Katie! Totally original with ‘October Fools!’ My favorite line: Mummies dance on twinkle-toes.
Dressed in razzmatazzy clothes!
Thank you Michelle, it was fun to write! Halloweensie time again – always inspiring!
Thank you Michelle – always fun to write something for Halloweensie!
So many surprises here! I love “razzmatazzy” and the skulls getting eyeballs. Good luck in the contest.
Thank you Heather! Time to be spooky, which is always fun!
I’m shaking! This is wonderful! It’s FAST, it’s FUN, it’s CLEVER. My head is spinning with delight. Good luck!
Thank you Corine!
Katie, this is such a fun way to get the spookiness started!
Thank you Joyce! Halloweensie is really a blast – to write something, and to read all the other entries!
What a fun and imaginative story Katie!
Thank you Colleen, something about Halloween is just fun and spooky! I)m starting to read the entries posted so far, all so much fun to read!
Yes!! So much creativity. Susanna inspires so many stories!!
This is absolutely delightful! You had me laughing out loud with the jazz hands, and the word “Razmatazzy” is just amazing. I love the idea of October fools. Best of luck to you!
Thank you, I had fun writing it!
Wonderful word play & imagery – and love that surprise ending!
Thank you! We are in the fall/Halloween mood here – first snow of the season fell last night, bring on all the holidays – starting with Halloween, and getting to read all the entries here👻!
Skeletons with “Jazz hands waving, getting down!” — What a great mental image:-)
Thank you Patricia – fun to get down and get spooky, isn’t it? Thank you for commenting!
Nice rhyme scheme!🎃
Thank you!
So imaginative and fun. Every line is a rhyming surprise, very clever.
Thank you!
I loved the skulls getting eyeballs. Just funtastic
Thank you Claudine!
Wonderful! A great read aloud and unique.
Thank you! I really appreciate the online contests held by Susanna (and others), besides being fun, they are good practice! So here I am, entering again…lol!
What a fabulous, mixed-up Halloween tale, Katie! The ending is priceless!
Thanks Jill! So happy you also entered, and love your story, especially Wolfie!
THIS was FUN. Thank you.
Thank you Jill!
As someone who typically writes in rhyme, this is awe inspiring!!!!!
Thank you Tyler! Is there another way to write other than in rhyme🤔? 😅
As someone who typically writes in rhyme, this is awe inspiring! Amazing work
So fun and creative. Love the rhythm and rhyme!
Thank you Armineh!
So fun! 🙂
Thank you – Happy (or spooky!) Halloween!
LOVE this Katie! So fun and fresh!
Thank you Laura. I loved the prompt words, and ran with them!
A refreshing look at Halloween time. All said in perfect rhyme
A refreshing look at Halloween time. And all said, my friend, in perfect rhyme Boo!
Thank you! I never get tired of Halloweensie!
Love the unexpected twists throughout!
Thank you Sarah, I appreciate your comment!
This is a winning poem. Hope you receive a prize. Enjoyed every word.
Thank you Tarja! It is an inspiring contest, and there are so many excellent and fun to read entries! I’m glad you enjoyed mine!
Such fun rhymes!
Thank you Lauri!
This is so fun and bouncy! I love twinkle toes and razzmatazzy clothes! Good luck!
Thank you Nancy, for reading and commenting! I will look for your entry! I’d like to read them all, but sometimes I run out of time as there are lots!
My entry is #220, almost the last one!
What fun- I love these surprising twists! Jazz hands, razmatazzy- such fun to read out loud, too! Good luck!
Thank you for reading and commenting Lisa!
So much fun to read aloud! Love all the rhymes, especially mummies dance on twinkle-toes and skeletons with eyeballs.
Thank you Elissa! Appreciate fellow writers reading my entry!
I really enjoyed the rhyme scheme! Keep it up!
Trick Treat or treat. Smell my feet.
By Sarah Hawklyn
WC 98
Zombie walking,
moaning cries.
Limbs akimbo.
Vacant eyes.
Werewolf follows,
fangs glow white.
Toothy smile.
Click, clack, bite.
Friend now joins them.
Fall in line.
“Like your bolts,
Frankenstein.”
“Something slinking!”
What a fright!
Just a cat,
black as night
“Superstitious.”
“No…I’m not!”
“Saw you jump.”
“Oh, go rot.”
“Fix your costume.”
Mask askew.
Ring the bell.
One, two…Boo!
Nervous Laughter,
“Trick or treat!”
Shrieks and gasps,
“Smell my feet.”
Twix or Reese’s,
pick just one.
Candy bars!
This is fun.
Evening ending.
Heavy bags.
Tired monsters,
eyelids sag
Too much candy
Frankie’s green.
Can’t beat this.
Halloween!
You’ve captured the trick or treat experience so well! Great job!
What a charming group of trick-or-treaters … Loved the line, “Oh, go rot.”
That sure is Halloween!🎃
I chuckled reading the title, and so will kids
Love the beat. Well done!
I love your rollicking rhyme! Such a fun story and perfectly captures the excitement children have at Halloween!
FUN! I love the snappy pacing and delightful details.
Super rhymes, and description of trick-or-treating! Fun to read!
Love this. My favorite part is the Click, clack, bite. The perfect sounds for snapping skeletons!
You’ve captured the Halloween fun so well! Nicely done!
Tricks or Treats
by Mikki DeFever
Connor, the friendliest vampire in Superstition Springs, had never met a werewolf. Until Halloween, when one moved in next door.
Vampires and werewolves used to be enemies. But times had changed. Kindness prevailed.
Connor set up two chairs. He made a “Werewolves Welcome” sign. And for flowers, wolfsbane sounded perfect. He filled his yard with it.
But his new neighbor never came.
Connor went over to ask why.
“Wolfsbane weakens werewolves! I was frightened it was a trick!”
Connor laughed, realizing he had much to learn.
With a smile, the werewolf invited Connor in for a treat… garlic bread.
“Garlic?!”
Mikki, what a tricky twist!
So much for friendship and peace between Vampires and Werewolves. I like that twist at the end. Well done!
Loved the folklore related to wolfsbane and garlic woven into your story:-)
Love the twist at the end!
Love this Mikki! Kindness between the usually scary characters/enemies is lovely! Good luck!
Love the ending!🎃
Love how neighbors learn to get along…
Clever on so many levels. I love ‘Superstition Springs.’
I love how they both make a mistake and the twist at the end is great.
Two biting and scary halloweensie neighbors get along. Perfect!
Love the twist!
Love the ending! So glad kindness prevailed in Superstition Springs! Good luck!
Thank you, Susanna for hosting this contest! It’s always fun to enter and read the entries! (I posted this earlier but I think I posted on the wrong page, so here is my submission again…)
THE WEREWOLF (WC-100)
By Michelle S. Kennedy
While cloaked in fur with fangs and claws,
as moon hangs ever near…
In woods aglow, a creature stirs,
of superstitious fear…
By day, he is a gentleman.
By dark, he is—The Beast.
The transformation frightens him!
Foreboding is increased.
Each Halloween, his woeful cries
impersonate a ‘BOOOOOOOO.’
The woeful wail? A tortured sound:
AWOO-AWOO-AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
And soon he’ll dread the nightfall when,
the moon will twist his form,
with howls that shriek from deep within,
like thunder, from a storm.
Although he’ll pray, “No Halloween!”
for Werewolf, it’s in vain.
The vexing moon will beckon him…
to something inhumane.
Chilling tone and atmosphere! I’m feeling the foreboding, for sure. Good luck!
Thanks so much, Heather!
A scary time for werewolf. I‘m dreading Halloween for him. Torturous. Well done!
In one more night… AROOOOOOOOO!
Michelle, my favorite phrase is “In woods aglow, a creature stirs,”
Thank you for checking out my poem, Joyce!
Michelle, I can almost hear Vincent Price narrating your entry. Spooooky!
Yes!!! Now that you mention it, I can too! LOL (Now I am having the ‘Thriller’ intro stuck in my head!
Sorry!!
Thrills and chills a la Stephen King, yet still child appropriate
Awh! Thank you!!! You just made my day!
Fun to read Michelle, it just flows, perfect rhyme and meter! Especially love the AWOOOOOO’S and your last line! I’m shaking here!
Thank you, Katie!
Love the woeful wail!🎃
Thank you for checking out my poem!
“The woeful wail? A tortured sound”, is a favorite line and describes the tone of your poem. Great job.
Thanks so much!
Wow! You’ve created a poignant portrait of a woeful and tortured werewolf who hates what he’s become. Not easy to do in 100 words. Terrific, Michelle!
Thanks, Jill!
Your rhythm is spot on. And a story to boot!
Thank you, Jill!
“The moon will twist his form” and so many other great lines!
Glad you liked it! Thank you for checking out my poem!
Oooooh! So creepy! This made me feel for Werewolf. Love “the wind will twist his form.”
Thanks, Sarah!
So much imagery. This is brilliant Michelle. Well done
Thank you, Claudine!
Michelle, what an excellent, creepy atmosphere! Excellent rhyme. Good luck!
Thank you, Nancy!
A Haunted Treasure Hunt
By Ashlee MacCallum
100 words
Look down.
An envelope.
You should pick it up.
Inside?
A map.
You are here.
Walk down the haunted hill.
Go past the coffins.
Take a left at the cauldron.
Superstitious? Avoid the black cat.
Turn right at the werewolf’s den.
Skip until you reach the dancing skeletons.
Take three leaps forward.
Spin around five times.
STOP.
Do you hear that?
Never mind.
It’s just the ghosts moaning.
Frightened yet?
Now—close your eyes.
Wait until I tap your shoulder.
Tap.
Here.
X marks the spot.
Hope you brought a shovel.
Huh.
A DEAD end.
What did you expect?
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Love the DEAD end! Well done!
Thanks so much! ☺️
Your treasure hunt idea is so clever, and I loved your “dead end” play on words:-)
Thank you, Patricia! ☺️
So cute and spooky Ashlee – all the feels! Great job – good luck!
Thank you! I appreciate it! ☺️
Dead end.. clever!🎃
I really like thee tension and point of view, “You should pick it up.”
I enjoyed the journey and every single word.
A treasure hunt to a “Dead End”. Love it!
Creepy fun with great pacing!
Good job, Ashlee.
This was so fun! I was right there in the search. Nicely done!
Wonderful, spooky suspense, and a great ending! Loved this- good luck!
The Zoo Super-Intendent
By Joy Dickinson
Harry worked nights at the zoo and napped outside the bat house.
Tonight was Halloween and a full moon, and Harry heard that sleeping outside could make him a werewolf!
But when the sky blackened, napping was irresistible.
Harry woke up hairy.
Since trick-or-treaters filled the zoo, he thought he’d blend in.
But one frightened girl said, “Is that a werewolf?”
“That’s just superstition,” her friend replied.
“Did she say I’m Super?” Harry wondered hopefully.
Since he wanted to avoid the Hairy jokes, he changed his name to Super.
And that’s how Harry became the Super of the zoo.
Cute premise! This is a nicely structured mini-story. Good luck!
Thank you, Heather!
“Did she say I’m Super?” Harry wondered hopefully. I like Harry! Cute story.
Thank you, Corine!
Awwww, such a warm and cozy twist for Harry to think he was called super:-)
Thank you, Patricia!
“Super” story! 🎃
Thank you! Lol
I always enjoy stories with a twist.
Thank you!
You had me at The Zoo Super-Intendent
Thanks, Jill!
Haha! Love, “Did she say I’m Super?” Very cute story. Good luck!
I appreciate it, Nancy!
KNOCK ON WOOD
by Heather Kinser
100 words
A werewolf and a mummy
set off—to trick or treat.
They’re craving something yummy
to gobble up and eat.
But both are superstitious,
avoiding sidewalk cracks—
for fear that, accidently,
they’ll break their mothers’ backs.
The sidewalk makes them frightened!
Then something even worse—
a ladder blocks their pathway.
They duck through—and are CURSED!
Werewolf howls, “We’re double jinxed!
Reverse the curse! Our karma stinks!”
Mummy moans, “I know a way
to switch our luck to good…”
So, they visit every doorstep
in their spooky neighborhood.
But instead of, “Trick or treat!”
the monsters bellow, “Knock on wood!”
What lovely characters you chose werewolf and Mummy. Lots of kid conversation about that. Knock on wood. I like that. Step on a crack. Mummy will survive its mummified
Fun, creative, and unique. Well done! Great ending and title choice.
Fingers crossed and hoping that these two can reverse the curse!
Ha! “Our Karma stinks!” Well done, Heather! Great rhyme and rythm.
Very cute! I’m rooting for Werewolf and Mummy to have their karma reversed.
Love that you added a mummy to the mix! Very creative!
Clever story Heather. Hopefully their bellowing works!
Loved how you integrated so many superstitions into your story:-)
Well done!🎃
Well done. The not stopping on a crack was always part of her childhood chants.
Well done, and very clever to boot.
Wonderful story and great rhyme to boot!
I love the focus on all the common superstitions and the way they frighten the spooks. Terrific story, Heather!
Smart . . . you focused on ‘superstition’ . . . I applaud you. You made this ‘assignment’ look easy . . . but it wasn’t. Well done from story to rhyme.
Terrific! 🙂
Great rhyming, and I love the line: Our karma stinks! 🙂 Best of luck!
A delight to read! I love all the superstitions you included.
The rhyme and ending are so well done! So fun!
I love the twist of using the superstitions! Very clever and great rhyme.
A creative take on familiar superstitions- kids will be able to anticipate the escalating bad luck, and the ending is a perfect but unexpected twist! Good luck!
Awesome! It’s been awhile since I’ve participated, but this was a fun one.
“The Silver Chain”
“Full moon tonight! Don’t forget your bracelet!”
“Aw, Mom! That’s just superstition.” But Luna snapped the silver chain around her wrist before grabbing her bucket.
Luna and Sadie trick-or-treated along both sides of the street until they reached the old Foley house.
“Dare ya to ring the doorbell,” Sadie whispered.
Luna shook her head.
“Frightened?”
“Nuh uh!” Luna marched up to the door, dragging Sadie along.
Ding dong! The door creaked open— and Mr. Foley bared his fangs. Vampire?!
“Take off my bracelet!” Luna cried.
When the bracelet fell, Luna shifted. “Grrrr!”
The door slammed shut.
Werewolf 1, Vampire 0!
There’s nothing like scaring a vampire, GRRRR! Great trick. I’ll be looking out for a bracelet like that 😉
Who knew that silver bracelet would turn out to be so important … The ending was a great surprise (and Luna is such a great name for a werewolf).
Nice job! 🎃
Very authentic actions. “Luna marched up to the door, dragging Sadie along,” was one of my favorite lines.
Love that Luna thinks on her feet, er paws!
Hooray for Luna. Love the ending!
Great story arc in so few words! Nicely done. Best of luck!
What a spunky little werewolf! I love the conversation, so kid-like. Nicely done!
This is my first time entering! Thank you so much for doing this!
One Last House
Tyler Ham
The werewolf’s howl danced in on a wind, extinguishing the final Jack-O-Lanterns. Other children had gone home, pleased with their evening’s bounty, but Blake knew there was one last house. Superstitions surrounded this dwelling; a doorway far too frightful to darken. However, such terror promised great rewards. She glided up the pathway and with a ring followed by, “TRICK OR TREAT,” the door creaked open revealing a twisted hand reaching from the darkness – recognizing Blake’s bravery with a THUMP into her candy sack. Only later was the true horror revealed, when it was discovered the thump was… a toothbrush.
Very clever, Tyler! True horror indeed!
Welcome to the fun, Tyler! So glad you’re jumping in! 😊🎃
So excited to be here!!
Hahaha – a toothbrush!!!
Ooooh, super spooky and perfect Halloween story Tyler! Love the first line, ‘the werewolf’s howl danced in on the wind’, and things progressed spookily from there! Glad you decided to join in on the fun, enjoyed your story!
Thank you so much!! Yours is spectacular – really enjoyed it!
A toothbrush..true horror on Halloween! 🎃
There’s so much to love about One Last House. Word choices such as danced in the wind and dwelling. And the real horror: a toothbrush.
Nothing is scarier than a toothbrush on halloween!
I love your voice (and the story). I hope you write middle grade. Your descriptions are so vivid. Pulled me right in.
Thank you! I’m trying to write middle grade right now actually 🙂
I love the ending. How horrible…a toothbrush.
Love the surprise ending! 🙂
Hilarious! A trick or treater’s worst nightmare – dental hygiene! 🙂
Great job, Tyler! I love the surprise ending! Bwwwwaahhhh! She must’ve visited the dentist’s house in the neighborhood!
Great title and suspenseful buildup to the surprise/comical ending. The perfect last house to visit on Halloween. This tale should be purchased for every dentist’s waiting room. Well done, Tyler!
Ha! That WOULD be horrifying!
No not the dreaded toothbrush! Nice job of setting the mood and suspense! Good luck!
The horror! What a fun payoff for the built-up suspense. Good luck!
Above and Beyond
Corine Timmer
98 words
Lily stared at the salve bottle.
TO BOOST CONFIDENCE, the label read.
On the back was a note:
On All Hallow’s Eve, under the full moon,
rub this paste all over your arms and face.
Lily shivered. She was a scaredy-cat.
Everyone said so.
But when Halloween’s moon rose,
Lily put her mind to magic.
She applied the cream boldly.
Before she could say BOO,
Lily had transformed into
a hairy monster. Frightful!
With her shy nature vanished
the she-werewolf devoured
each of her peers’ treats,
then ran from door to door
tricking all the neighbors
into superstition.
Your opening revolving around the mysterious salve set such a spooky, Halloween-y tone for your story:-)
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Happy Halloweensie!
Great title! 🎃
Thanks. I’m glad you like it.
The salve really worked!
Yes, it did. 😉
Lily really did change ‘above and beyond’! Well done 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Quite the booster. Good luck, Corine. Happy Halloween.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Magical! You’ve finessed an extraordinary character arc in so few words, Corinne. I love Lily’s transformation from “scaredy-cat” to “hairy monster.”
Thanks, Anne. Happy Halloweensie!
What a great name for the cream. Hahaha, she gained enough confidence to steal candy.
😁Thanks for stopping by. Happy Halloweensie!
Playing make-believe and pretending to be someone or something else can be real confidence boosters for shy kids! Lily faces her fears and has a terrific Halloween! Bravo, Corine! (it’s All Hallows Eve . . . // wearing a mask, the shy girl // bares her fangs and claws)
Nice of you to stop by and comment. Good to see you here. Yes, belief is a strong potion!
Love the ‘she-werewolf’ twist! Lily is much braver than I am!
Thanks for reading and commenting. She’s SO brave.
Awesome! I would have loved this magical lotion as a kid
Thanks!
What a fun, creepy story, Corine! You really set the mood some Halloween scares. Good luck!
Thanks for stopping by.
Hairy Wolf
By Bridget Magee
96-words
“What’s wrong with me?”
Hairy Wolf was looking for enlightenment about when his first shift would happen.
Every day, he inspected his downy fluff for a thicker scruff.
He self-reflected on his preference for tofu over Bunny Foo-Foo.
He introspected on his hollow howl.
“Not to be superstitious, but maybe it’s your mindfulness?” said mom.
“Your fright or fight spirit needs to ignite,” warned dad. “It’s a Werewolf Full Moon tonight.”
At midnight Hairy meditated on his parents’ words.
Suddenly tufts of fluff grew thick and tough.
He craved creamed critters.
“AaahhhrrrOOO! I’m finally an awarewolf!”
Positive thinking works every time. Well done, Hairy! Nice ending.
Hahaha … an “awarewolf!”
Super story Bridget, from enlightenment to self-reflection to introspection to ‘awarewolf’! Love the wordplay and ending! Great job!
I like the “What’s wrong with me?” Many can relate and not even be a werewolf
Love the MC’s name! 🎃
My favorite line: He inspected his downy fluff for a thicker scruff.
Hahaha! I love the ending! This is so fun. Good luck!
Red Riding Hood Goes Trick or Treating
Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
100 words
Red Riding Hood was creeping
through the dusky, dangerous night
When she heard a feverish howling
As the moon shone oddly bright.
“That’s just superstition,”
whispered Hoodie in her fright.
“There are no deathly werewolves.”
And she clutched her basket tight.
But when she got to Grandma’s,
‘Twas a werewolf in the bed!
Glowing eyes projecting hellfire
And a tangled furry head!
Hoodie was a-trembling,
Then remembered what she’d read.
So she flashed her silver locket.
But the werewolf laughed instead!
Then a mask fell to the carpet
And the unseen became seen.
Chortled Nana, “It’s a wacky
unexpected Halloween!”
Creative concept and very well written, Elizabeth! Well done!
Thanks so much, Deborah! Good luck in the contest!
Elizabeth, I love your concept and its twist on a classic. Well done!
Thanks, and good luck in the contest!
Thanks! You too!
Thanks, Colleen! (I love werewolves).
Such a clever twist on the classic fairy tale . . . and loved the nickname “Hoodie”:-)
Thanks, Patricia! “Little Red Riding Hood” just takes up too much real estate in a 100-word story :-).
Love Hoodie and your twist at the end.
Thank you! Good luck in the contest!
Ah, that Nana. 🙂 Fun twist!
Thank you so much!
I so enjoyed the rewrite of this favorite story. Extra fun naming her Hoodie and grandma is the best.
Love this idea and how you’ve written it!
What a great take on this tale.
Thank you, PJ!
What a great twist! 🎃
Thanks so much and good luck in the contest!
This is so clever. Enjoyed reading it!
This was so fun to read – love your twist on Little Red Riding Hood!
Thank you!
That’s not cool, Granny! You made Hoodie and the rest of us readers jump!
What can I say – Granny has a sick sense of humor :-).
Great job Elizabeth! You manged to create a fractured fairy tale AND have it rhyme AND make it Halloweensie—all in 100 words! BRAVO!
Clever new take on Red Riding Hood! So fun!
Thank you! Good luck in the contest!
What a great twist on Red Riding Hood! Nicely done and good luck!
Thanks Nancy, and good luck too!
Prank or Prophecy?
by Colleen Murphy
W/C 99
We spread our loot across the table.
The Whoopie Pie displayed a label:
“Those who dare to take a bite
become a werewolf overnight.”
My brother Roger ripped the note.
“It’s just a joke some neighbor wrote.
No one’s gonna frighten me.
I’ll take a bite and then you’ll see.”
Were werewolves real or superstition?
I propped up in a prime position,
watched as Roger slept below
and waited for his fur to grow.
But trick-or-treating did me in.
I tried to fight, yet sleep would win…
‘til startled by a piercing tune.
Was Roger howling at the moon?
Perfect rhyming, Colleen, and I love that the evil treat is a Whoopie Pie!
Colleen’s rhyme is always perfect! 😊
Thanks Lucky!
And thank you Susanna!! I try!
Love this! Whoopie Pies are my favorite. Very tempting and compelling story! Great creativity!
Thank you!! Is that your Troop number??
Such a great idea to set up a mini mystery with the Whoopie pie label:-)
Thank you Patricia!
So cute Colleen, starting with an ordinary Halloween scene…then ramping up for the ending, lol! Great job!
Thank you Katie!!
That Whoopie Pie was the perfect choice for your ingenious Halloween prank. Awesome, Colleen!
Thank you Jill! The Whoopie/Moon Pie was my daughter’s idea!
From the Whoopie Pie to the wonderful ending, this was great.
Thank you so much Jill!
Great rhyme, great ending! 🎃
Thank you!!
Great story, Colleen! Love your rhyme, perfect as always. Love it! Good luck!
Thank you so much Nancy!! Cannot wait to see what you might create.
As always, your rhyme is flawless! This was a really fun read, Colleen!
Thanks Michelle!!
I love the teeter-totter of “is this going to turn me into a werewolf…or not??” Very fun read!
Thank you Lindsay. It was fun to imagine.
This is fabulous! And fun!
Thank you Marty!!
The Rule of Three
By Kathleen MacEachern
Word Count: 98
Why did I tell everyone I’m not superstitious?
I am MEGASTITIOUS!
And now, because of my silly fib, I’m the one who has to wait outside to see if werewolves are real.
Sam’s older brother said if three kids under the age of ten say “fright” three times in a row on the eve of Halloween then a werewolf will appear in the backyard at 3:00 a.m.
And of course I laughed and said, “c’mon, that’s not real.”
So here I am.
At 2:58 a.m.
Waiting.
Maybe it’s a good time to call home…
“if THREE kids under the age of ten say “fright” THREE times in a row on the eve of Halloween then a werewolf will appear in the backyard at THREE a.m.” — a new superstition is born:-)
Ha ha. You wouldn’t catch me outside in the dark, alone, at 2:58 in the morning.
certainly more brave than I!
Love the cliffhanger!
Thanks!
I love the title and your invention of a superstitious challenge! This sounds like such an older sibling prank, too. Good luck!
Great, creative story! I wouldn’t be out in the dark alone . . . Good job!
A Special Secret
By Kelly Kates
WC: 100
Werewolf, Superstition, FrightenA Special Secret
Baby werewolf growled. It was almost Halloween, in the Haunted Forest, and his fangs hadn’t grown in. The other pups had long, sharp canines but his baby teeth wouldn’t budge. How was he going to frighten anyone with itty bitty baby teeth?
He had never been superstitious but, with two weeks left, he was desperate. Frantically, he wished on falling stars and searched for four leaf clovers. Anything to change his luck.
Now it was Halloween. He howled in frustration. The blood curdling sounds made everyone
run. His bark was worse than his bite, but no one had to know.
Hahaha – “His bark was worse than his bite”
Ha ha. Nice ending!
Haha! Love the twist at the end! Nicely done!
Itchy Witch (100 words) by Deborah Holt Williams
The poster said, “Bad things happen to witches who miss Halloween Night Fright Flight!” Just a superstition, Miranda hoped. She wanted to skip it. Her black dress felt scratchy. The pointy hat made her itchy. Her broomstick felt splintery. “I wish I was a werewolf with soft fur!” Headmistress Nosewart shrieked “Listen, Miss Itchy Witch. Pajamas are acceptable in class but tonight you must look frightful!” Miranda took her soft flannel sheet, cut two circles, glued them on her rough broomstick to grip, popped under the sheet, and became the first witch to ride in Fright Flight–as a ghost!
So she did not miss it. I love how she found a way around the discomfort of it all! Well done.
Thanks, Colleen!
“Headmistress Nosewart” and “Miss Itchy Witch”: I think kids would howl (with laughter) at those names:-)
Thank you, Patricia!
Soft flannel is so much nicer to the touch. Clever witch. She solved her problems ingeniously. A creative story with a fun ending.
Itchy Witch is a smart problem solver. I also chuckled over “pajamas are acceptable in class.
Thanks, Lyn! And Happy Halloween!
Miss Itchy Witch is very resourceful! I completely empathize with dressing comfortably. Love your hilarious name choices as well!
Comfort gets more important with each passing Halloween! Thanks for your comment, Lindsay!
Great way to solve her own problem. Hope she had fun! Good luck!
The Halloween Pet Parade
By Kelly Clasen
(100 words)
Corgis dressed as dinosaurs rumble down the street.
A parrot with a boom box bebops to the beat.
A Labrador-turned-werewolf HA-ROOooos frightfully.
Bunnies bound in tutus, and the crowd gushes SQUEE!
Witchy black kittens make the superstitious flinch.
A top hat-wearing tortoise lumbers inch by inch.
Argh, thar goes a poodle in a swashbuckler coat.
Phew! That creepy zombie is really just a goat!
A dapper dappled pony flaunts a sparkling crown.
My eager puppy Jack wiggly-wags in his gown.
“It’s our turn!” I whisper and fix my furry feet.
Bringing up the rear, here come Beauty and the Beast!
An illustrator could have so much fun with the images for this pet parade!
I think so, too. Thanks for the feedback!
Colorful images and fun words to read aloud.
So cute Kelly! Agree that an illustrator would have a blast with this one!
Thanks, Marta!
The images are wonderful!
Thank you, Jill!
Love how visual this is. Best of luck!
This is adorable. I can just see those pooches in their costumes.
It makes me want to dress up my own dog–though I don’t think he’d enjoy it as much. 🙂
Love the imagery you use – I would love to see this illustrated!
You and me both, Lindsay! Thanks!
Such fun visuals!!
Thank you, Lauri!
What a fantastic collection of pet costumes, and I love the reversal of Beauty and the Beast! Great rhyme, too- the first two lines especially grabbed my attention. Good luck!
What a fun story! Love all the different pets on parade. Good luck!
Great tail err, Tale!! An illustrators dream! 🎃
This is so cute! I enjoyed your description of the animals. Kids would have fun with this story, it’s a great reread. Good luck.
Thank you!
Love the pet parade idea! This is a fun one!
Thanks, Deborah!
JUST A SUPERSTITION
By Lyn Jekowsky
WC: 99
Flashlight tag in the old cemetery in the dark woods is our favorite adventure. We hide behind crumbling moldy grave stones and black leafless trees. Crows screech as they flap above us. It’s Halloween. Maybe one is a witch.
My brother yells “watch out for werewolves, if they bite you tonight, you will become a werewolf forever!”
I shout, “That’s just a superstition!”
A frightening shadow appears on a nearby headstone.
It grows as I move away.
We scream and run home to get into our costumes to trick-or-treat.
Oh, I already have my werewolf costume on. . .
Lyn, shadows in the cemetery OH NO!
“Flashlight tag in the old cemetery …” —Those first six words instantly set an eerie creepy tone.
I would not be going anywhere after that!! And nice ending.
Thanks so much.
Great ending! 🎃
Thanks
You have a knack for creating vivid imagery! I hope you write middle grade.
Oooo, I get all the scary feels! And what an ending!
Oh no! A great Halloweensie story! Good luck!
WEREWOLF’S FRIGHT
by Janel Caverly
Word Count: 95
Werewolf saw a shadow.
“RRRRROWR!” The shadow monster arched its spiky back, flexed its sharp claws, and bared its fangs.
Werewolf shook with fright.
To protect himself, he followed superstitions. Werewolf threw salt over his shoulder, smiled at his unbroken mirror, and walked around ladders.
But the monster cried again.
“MEEEEOOOWWWW!”
Werewolf had another fright! So much, he ran under his ladder, into his mirror, spilled his salt and slid into bed… SAFE!
Now, Werewolf follows a new superstition.
He carries his cat with him wherever he goes, because the dark is always cozier with a friend.
“PPPUUUURRRR!”
Superstitious and frightened Werewolf is such a lovable character, especially when he unwittingly “solves” his problem by cuddling up the cat:-)
Isn’t this the truth?: dark is always cozier with a friend.
Love all the superstitions you wove into your story and I love ‘the dark is always cozier with a friend.’
“PPPUUUURRRRFECTLY ” woven tale! 🎃
Aww, I can see fun illustrations for this! Great job!
What Monsters Wear on Halloween
by Elissa Theiss Mazzeo
WC – 100
When monsters dress on Halloween
They dress like you and me
They scare all year
Inciting fear
They need a break, you see.
They don their utmost human clothes
Like cardigan and khaki
Their costumes hide
The beasts inside
The scary, strange and wacky.
Werewolf, witches, goblin, ghost
All feast on superstition
On Halloween
They haunt a scene
Most boring in its mission.
They frequent trendy coffee shops
And fancy restaurants
Grocery stores
Museum tours
Mundane human haunts.
You might catch them winding down
Sampling s’mores by firelight
But don’t you fear
Tomorrow, dear
They’ll be back with scary fright!
Hahaha! What a fun twist with the monsters dressed as humans, especially when in “cardigan and khaki.” 🙂
Thanks Patricia!
My favorite part . . . imagining them in trendy coffee shops.
Thanks Jill!
What a fresh POV monsters see us humans in a different fashion light
Thanks Steph!
Terrific monster POV, perfect rhymes, and great word choices- what a wonderful Halloween read-aloud story! I love the “sampling s’mores by firelight” line, and the “cardigan and khaki.” Good luck!
Thanks Lisa!
Great twist! 🎃
Thanks Seschipper!
Love it!” Cardigan and khaki and mundane human haunts are my favorites. Nicely done!
Thanks Nancy!
ENTRY POSTED FOR PAUL
Wereboy
by Paul Kurtz
100 words
“You’re a wolf cub, Lobo,” says Witchy to me. “You want a werewolf-spell for Halloween?”
“No, a wereboy-spell—I’ll get candy with trick-or-treaters and give you half.”
“Deal! PRESTO-CHANGO!”
Nighttime—
I walk between Ballerina and Astronaut.
Whoa! Two legs walk wobbly.
“Your costume’s vines-and-leaves?” Ballerina asks me.
“Um, I’m a topiary.”
“What’s that?” Astronaut says.
Bushes rustle.
“Monsters!” Astronaut shouts.
“That’s superstition,” Ballerina says. “Don’t be frightened.”
A shadow hides the moon.
Yikes, an eclipse!
Hair sprouts on my body. Fangs pop from my jaws.
“EEE-YOWW!” Ballerina and Astronaut run.
I pick up their bags of candy.
“OO-WOOOO! Gummy-bunnies—yummy!”
“Lobo” … great name for a wolf. I hope he remembers that he owes half of that candy to Witchy;-)
Haha! Great way to get the Halloween loot! Good luck!
Thank you, Susanna, and to everyone reading and offering prizes. This is always so much fun and no doubt, a lot of work for you. I appreciate the opportunity!
Where’s Wolf? Werewolf!
By Katie Walsh
98-words
Where’s Wolf?
There’s Wolf!
My sweet little pet, Wolf.
Please, come out and play, Wolf.
Here, Wolf.
Catch, Wolf!
I have a special treat, Wolf.
Why are you still hiding, Wolf?
Look, Wolf!
The moon, Wolf.
It’s getting rather dark, Wolf.
No need to be afraid, Wolf.
Witches, Wolf?
Spells, Wolf?
Don’t be superstitious, Wolf.
It’s only Halloween, Wolf.
Say, Wolf.
It’s weird, Wolf.
You’re looking extra hairy, Wolf.
Why are you growling, Wolf?
It’s me, Wolf.
Please, Wolf!
Maybe you should stay, Wolf.
Hiding under there, Wolf.
I’m feeling rather frightened, Wolf.
Ahhh! My pet’s a werewolf!
Oh, boy! Cute and cuddly Wolf slowly, but surely, took a turn for the worse … I liked that gradual progression from sweet to frightening.
I’m having a good time reading this clever tongue twister.
Very cute bouncing rhythm and story.
Nice job, Katie! I love the ‘beat’ of this! The layout/cadence reminds me of a certain picture book, but I can’t recall which one I’m thinking of!
The transformation and word play
works so well!
Thank you!
Oh no! This is so fun and edgy at the same time. Love the rollicking tempo. Nicely done!
ENTRY POSTED FOR PAUL
Werewolf Yummies
by Paul Kurtz
100 words
The moon is full,
I feel its pull
and creep off on my mission.
With werewolf’s paws
and dagger-claws
I’m real, not superstition.
I don’t like things
like chicken wings
and lamb chops for my tummy,
On Halloween
I’m very keen
for prey that’s much more yummy.
I stalk the park,
charge from the dark,
my growls and howls are frightful.
Cute, plump, and sweet,
kids trick-or-treat—
they run, it’s quite delightful.
They scream and shriek—
“EE-YOW!”—“YIKES!”—“EEKK!”
as I chase who is handy.
I gnash, slash, bite—
it’s such delight,
to munch their bags of candy!
TRICK-OR-TREAT!
“Creep” … “stalk” … “prey” … so many of your words set the scary tone of this story, and made it very easy to picture the kids running from the werewolf.
Yikes! I’m glad “werewolf” was after candy! A fun and suspenseful story.
Eyes on the prize – that candy is to die for!! Fun story.
I had to giggle . . . I don’t like things like chicken wings.
“I feel the pull.” Great line. It adds so much tension as a set-up for this Halloweensie story.
I love this stanza Paul:
“Cute, plump, and sweet,
kids trick-or-treat—
they run, it’s quite delightful.”
Well done with your fun story!
A fun twist at the end. Good that he likes their bags of candy instead of…
Paul, you’ve done a great job with such fun words, perfect rhyme and cadence.
I love the description of kids as “cute, plump, and sweet” and the use of “gnash.” Nice work!
Great suspense, and a terrific ending! What a fun story!
Great rhyme and rhythm! So glad the werewolf loves candy. Whew!
Love it! So glad the werewolf was after the candy and not the kids. Wonderful rhyme. Good luck!
Masterful rhyming Paul! And súper story, suspenseful up until the end! Fun to read!
Love the flow of your rhymes here and the ending was a surprise… very glad he was just after the candy!
ENTRY POSTED FOR DONNA
Cuddlesome Cubbie
by Donna Kurtz
100 words
Rita wearing her superhero costume cheers—
“Most Halloween candy ever!”
Whining comes from bushes.
“A lost puppy!”
Rita cuddles it walking home.
“Strange, that’s a wolf cub,” Mom says. “We’ll take it to the wild animal shelter tomorrow.”
The cub sleeps in Rita’s bedroom.
Morning—
“Cubbie, where are you?”
In the kitchen, a girl wearing Rita’s costume crunches dog biscuits.
“Don’t be frightened,” she says “I’m a werewolf.”
I frown. “My parents say that’s superstition.”
“Well, it’s not.” Smiling, she bares her fangs. “Want to be one too?”
“Um, no thanks. How about peanut butter and jelly on those biscuits?”
Hahaha — Quick thinking on Rita’s part to offer PB&J:-)
Rita really did bring home a special treat. I liked the image of the werewolf. wearing her costume.
Haha! I hope that Cubbie liked the PB&J! Cute story!
Beware: Were-cub in Disguise
By Jodie Houghton
87 words
It’s SUPER-stitious Halloween –
a wicked, twisted night:
I’m free to howl and growl and prowl,
hidden in plain sight.
Like always, people stop and stare;
I’m used to their wide eyes.
But, instead of frightful screams,
they holler: “Cool disguise!”
Yet, I’m not wearing fancy dress:
my werewolf fangs are real.
I’ll eat the sweets you give me, but…
YOU’RE my favourite meal.
When the candy’s all run out,
I’ll start my hunt for meat.
So, be lavish when I smile
and ask you: “Trick or treat?”
Loved how the tone of your story became increasingly scary and tense (in a child appropriate way).
Thank you Patricia 🙂
Ooo, I do have thee shrivers reading your rhyming story.
Thanks for reading 🙂
Now I will have to look more closely at the costumes!! Well done.
Thanks Colleen. Definitely give extra candy to realistic-looking werewolves, just in case!
Ha ha! Good move.
So much packed into 87 words! Great job on frightfully fun poem!
Thank you Michelle 🙂
Great story!
Thank you Jamie 🙂
SUPER-stitious Halloween (how clever . . . I fretted and fretted over using this word).
Thank you Jill. When I first wrote it, I looked back and realised I’d not included superstitious or fright! My hear sank wondering how I’d get them in, but thankfully I managed 🙂
Ah, deliciously scary! Nicely done!
Thank you Nancy 🙂
Fun to read, very creative twist for a werewolf pup! And funny too! Good job!
Thanks Katie 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it.
ENTRY POSTED FOR DONNA
Happy Howl-o-ween!
by Donna Kurtz
99 words
Bobby laughs. “Danny, your troll and my Frankenstein’s monster costumes are super-scary!”
“Susie and Gladys got a spell that turns them into real monsters,” Danny says.
“Spells are superstition. Besides, girls can’t be monsters—they’re cutsie fairies, princesses, and mermaids.”
Bushes rustle.
“Bobby, what’s that?”
Two hairy beasts jump out.
“Don’t be frightened, Danny. They’re just dogs.”
“Dogs don’t charge you on two legs!”
“OO-WOOOO!” the creatures howl.
“WEREWOLVES!” Bobby shrieks. “RUN!”
Bobby and Danny scatter.
Taking off her mask, Susie laughs. “Spells don’t make you monsters—”
Gladys giggles. “—but lots of gray yarn and glue sure do!”
Good for Susie and Gladys – they certainly got the last laugh.
Great ending. I can hear kids laughing “girls can’t be monsters.”.
Girls can be the best monsters you silly boys.
Nice twist at the end! Susie and Gladys sure show those boys 🙂
Haha! Glad the girls gave the boys a good scare! Good luck!
Sorry, that I posted in the wrong spot before:
Howl-a-ween (WC=99)
By Denise Seidman
Mom scowled at my Halloween werewolf costume. I rushed out before she could object.
My costume earned me lots of candy.
At the last house, a woman cackled by her front door, “Trick-or-treat?”
“Treat,” I said as her dog nipped my leg.
I ran away until my breathing rasped. My bones cracked and reformed. Hair grew everywhere.
Passing a window, my reflection frightened me. I was living proof that werewolves did exist.
What was I going to do now? I howled at the moon.
My family joined in!
“We’ve been waiting for you to change,” Mom exclaimed. “Happy Howl-a-ween!”
No worries! You weren’t the only one who was confused! So sorry if that’s on me!
No worries, it’s posted where it should be now. Thank you for hosting this and other contests!
A surprise ending – I never suspected this little trick-or-treater came from a family of werewolves:-)
I could not help myself, Patricia. No one would suspect that his family were werewolves not even him.
My favorite line . . . “We’ve been waiting for you to change.” Sounds like something out of The Addams Family.
I was influence by the Addams Family, the Goosebump books and an old television show called Are You Afraid of the Dark?
A great story. The ending highlighting the werewolf myth.
Thanks Lyn!
!
We’ve been waiting for you to change…” The last line gave me chills!
Love, Love, Love this. Think you should consider developing this story for a future Halloween book. Lots of potential. I’m sure you could develop the story and MC arc more. But very concise in 99 words! Best wishes.
I love the twist at the end Denise! And “My bones cracked and reformed” Truly a Howl-a-ween! Best of luck!
Haha! Glad it was all in the family! Fun! Good luck!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SUSAN
THE FRIGHTFULLY SUPERSTITIOUS WEREWOLF
Susan Burdorf
Word count: 100
What’s a werewolf to do
when he’s frightened of everything?
Black cats make him yowl, ghosts make him run.
Never mind the ladders he won’t walk under.
He throws salt over his shoulder.
Halloween makes him cringe.
He hides and howls, shivering until the night’s over.
“Superstitions,” he thinks, “keep me from
enjoying the party of the year!”
So he throws caution to the wind and
dances with the cat, chases the ghosts,
walks under a ladder, and doesn’t throw salt over his shoulder.
And you know what happens?
That frightfully superstitious werewolf had the best night of his life!
What a clever twist to have the werewolf be frightened of everything and everybody, instead of the other way around!
Thank you!
Such a great message–for Werewolf to face and overcome his fears and embrace Halloween night. Well done, Susan!
Thank you!
I so enjoyed how you brought the story around with the repetition of what did scare him.
Thank you!
Lessons for us all!! Glad the werewolf had a great Halloween night.
Sometimes one has to ‘let their hair down.’
I’m glad the werewolf got the gumption to have a good time!
Who Can Frighten Skeleton?
By: Jessie Raspbury
WC: 98
Who can frighten Skeleton?
Witch goes first.
“I’ll cast a spell upon you!
Behold, the dead man’s curse!
Eeeeeehehehehehehe!”
“Meh,” scoffs Skeleton, “I’m not superstitious.”
Who can frighten Skeleton?
Werewolf gives a try.
“See my snarly teeth and claws!
And hear my spooky cry!
Aaahhhwwoooooohhh!”
“Awww!” says Skeleton, “good little puppy.”
Who can frighten Skeleton?
Zombie takes a turn.
“I’ll eat your brains for breakfast!
Then your liver for dessert!
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm”
“Ha!” laughs Skeleton, “have you noticed my lack of flesh?”
Who can frighten Skeleton?
Spider joins the—
“Ewwwww!!! Eeeeekkk! Get it off meeee!!!!”
“Happy Halloween.” Shrugs Spider.
So many good lines — My favorite was calling the werewolf a “good little puppy.”
So funny! Love this, Jessie!
“Have you noticed my lack of flesh?” . . . so funny.
Skeleton has a great personality! As I read I did wonder who will scare skeleton. Love “Shrugs Spider.”
So much fun and personality in 98 words! Love this- good luck!
Haha, love that it’s a simple spider! So many fun lines, great job Jessie!!
Haha, the spider wins! Cute story. Good luck.
Very cute Jessie! As someone who is a little – sometimes a lot! – freaked out be spiders, love your story! Ending is perfect!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARIFFA
On Halloween’s 13th night, I slipped into feline cat sneakers, ready to prowl the moonlit streets. My heart quickened as the chilling air froze my feet in place. Above, an eerie broom silhouette crossed the ink-black clouds, casting an ominous spell. Suddenly, a hand landed on my trembling shoulder. Panic surged as I turned to face a masked woman, her identity shrouded in mystery. A shriek escaped my lips, “Aaah! No, no, no!” The night took an even darker turn, and I found myself entangled in a web of eerie enchantment, a Halloween night I’d never forget.
Shariffa Keshavjee
Nairobi Kenya
The 13th night of Halloween — There’s something extra spooky about that idea, and it set the eerie tone for the rest of the story.
Nice voice. I like the way you describe things.
Mysterious and pleasantly scary.
Very spooky! Good luck!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARIFFA
On Halloween night of 13 th, Ayla and Rumi snuck out of the house in tall hats and Halloweensie mask. It was time for Trick or Treat!
Their hearts quickened. Cobwebs brushed their groping hands. 35
In the neighbours shed, they met. Into the bubbling milk sugar, chocolate, like magic potions in a cauldron.
Neighbours gave them sweets, chewing gum. Back in the shed hot chocolate awaits?
As they approach, no lights. But the door squeaked open.
Ghoulish hands gripped them. Aaah!
It was just a trick by their friends!
Peals of laughter. Can anyone ask for anymore?
Shariffa Keshavjee
Nairobi Kenya
Nice description: Cobwebs brushed their groping hands.
I love that this contest is reaching all the to Kenya! AWESOME! My favorite line: “Ghoulish hands gripped them. Aaah!” Bravo!
Another spooky Halloween story. I like the cauldron of hot chocolate!
ENTRY POSTED FOR SHARIFFA
On the 13 th night of Halloween I went
My sneaky sneakers like a feline went
Out into the moonlit night so very wet
Silhouetted against dark clouds no moon
Witchy figure blazing eyes on a broom
I froze! A chill up my spine, sound zoom
A hand on my trembling shoulder
A masked woman inky and colder
Oh that I could sneak away or be bolder
In my own web entangled forever
A Halloweensi night to forget? Never!
It sends my very spine a shiver
Ah!! No! No!No!
Shariffa keshavjee
Kenya
Interesting (and impressive) how you were able to tell essentially the same story in two different formats, Shariffa
Nice work, Shariffa! 🎃
Such a spooky description!
ENTRY POSTED FOR ELIZABETH
Halloweensie Surprise
by Elizabeth Thoms Charles
Word count: 95
Werecub sobbed.
“Darling, what frightened you?”
“Humans dress as zombies and they will eat us on October 31,” said werecub.
“Darling werecub, that is superstition. Humans give candy on Halloween.”
“May I get candy?”
“We’ll see.”
Halloween arrives. “Trick or treat . . .
It’s candy,” said werecub.
“Yes, darling.”
“Look. There’s a plastic bag. Maybe it’s candy.”
“Hmmm,” said mother werewolf.
“What’s inside?” Rip. “Paper! Glass! Aluminum! Rotten fruit! Ick. Tricked!
Can’t these humans recycle?” Werecub howled.
“Look! Over there, recycle and compost bins,” said werecub.
Plop. Drop. Plop.
“That’s thoughtful, darling werecub.”
Environmentally aware werewolves … A lesson for us all:-)
Yes.
What a sweet, thoughtful werecub!
Poor werecub, he didn’t get a decent treat. Fun story.
It’s Halloween (100 words) by Janet Parkinson Bryce
The castle is creepy.
The castle is dark.
The castle is haunted!
Children won’t visit on Halloween.
Five brave children spotted the castle.
Five children knocked on the door.
The door opened with a creak and a moan.
The first child said, “I want to go home.”
The second child said, “This is spooky-scary.”
The third child whispered, “I am frightened. Let’s run!”
The fourth child said, “Werewolves live here.”
The fifth child said, “Don’t be superstitious. Let’s go inside.”
The floors squeaked, the wind blew, and the door closed. Bang!
Lights flashed on! “Boo!” Yelled some friends,
“It’s Halloween Fun!”
What a fun twist on the classic “Five Little Pumpkins Rolled Out of Sight!”
Thank you.
You set the story up very well. I enjoyed the pacing making the ending perfect.
Thank you. It was fun to write.
Spooky: The floors squeaked, the wind blew, and the door closed.
You had me riveted to the very end!
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I’m glad the kids had a fun Halloween surprise. Fun story!
thank you.
Very nice! You created the perfect little board book.
Thank you. I never thought about a board book.
Werewolf Bites!
By: Claudine Pullen
WC: 97
Have you ever eaten Werewolf Bites?
Apparently it’s scrumptious, mouthwatering, sticky, tooth-rotting candy!
Mommy says only witches serve them on Halloween night.
“Don’t eat Werewolf Bites, it’s shapeshifting candy that will have you howling at the strawberry moon.” she says.
But, Mommy is frightfully superstitious, “don’t whistle at night or you’ll call the dark spirits!” she says.
I don’t believe EVERYTHING mommy says!
While trick or treating,
I came to a door where the broomsticks live.
A pointed hat answered with a bucket of THOSE bites.
I couldn’t resist…
“Awoooo! Awooo! Awooo!”
Uh Oh! Mommy WAS right!!
A candy that transforms you into a werewolf … a door where broomsticks live … a pointed hat that answers the door — What a spooky atmosphere your words created!
🙂 thanks Patricia
I love this, Chloe! So fun and a warning all parents give too often! haha Great job lady!!
Love Love love Werewolf Bites and your incredible imagery with such few words! Nice work!!!
Thanks Maria 🤩
If only kids would listen to their parents, haha! Well done and good luck, Chloe!
Thanks Bri 🙂
Great opening.
Werewolf Bites . . . hahaha.
‘a door where the broomsticks live’ . . . brilliant.
Thanks so much Jill 🤩
I admire your creative spirit! A really great story.
Thank you so much Lyn
Cute Claudine! Love the strawberry moon!
Thanks so much Laura
You have some really fun words in here! My favorite line: “I came to a door where the broomsticks live.” Fun poem!
Thanks so much Michelle 🙂
I love this! Very funny!
Love the Werewolf Bites and , I don’t believe Everything Mommy says. Nicely done. Good luck!
ENTRY POSTED FOR KRISTEN
Sweet Superstition
By Kristen Littlefield
99 Words
I won’t give into superstition
On the night of tricks and treats,
Even when marauding monsters
Try to gobble up my sweets.
If I meet up with a werewolf
And he swipes my grape Hi-Chew,
I can ditch the silver sword
Because his teeth will stick like glue.
I don’t need a flaming torch
When Franky begs for “just one bite”,
A small nibble of my Red Hots
And he’ll bolt away in fright.
So I hope my little tips have helped
To put your mind at ease,
Ask your dentist for advice
On how to scare off cavities!
Such a cool idea! Love the rhyming. A compelling story for sure!
Hahaha – Frankie “bolts” away in fright:-)
This is a fun read of the main character giving out tips. And I love the nickname “Franky.”
Love ‘marauding monsters’ and ‘grape Hi-Chew’. So fun!
Haha! Live the last line. Nice rhyme. Good luck!
ENTRY POSTED FOR MARTY
WHERE WOLVES? THERE WOLVES
By Marty Findley
97 words
Going on a wolf hunt
Halloween night.
Supersition says
That’s when werewolves fight.
Coming to a cave…
Looking inside…
Glowing eyes, quick!
Run and hide!
Flutter of wings…
Shadow slides by…
Only a bat!
Whew! We sigh.
Hear that howl!
Give a shout!
Look. Over there!
Werewolves are out!
Where wolves? There wolves!
What a fright!
Howling, growling,
Fills the night.
Where wolves? There wolves!
Claw and bite.
Howling, screeching!
Halloween night.
HERE WOLVES! THERE WOLVES!
I DECLARE, WOLVES!
HAIRY, SCARY,
EVERYWHERE… WOLVES!
Fight or flight? Quick!
Hop on broomstick.
Let’s choose flight and
GET AWAY QUICK!
Very cute! I love the wordplay. Great story.
Marty, I love the story, but I don’t think I’ll trick-or-treat in your neighborhood!
How clever that the escape vehicle is a broomstick … I’m picturing witches trying to get away from the werewolf rumble.
Love this! Nice job and rhyme. Good luck!
PETRIFIED
By Mary-Catherine Amadu
100 Words
The pain in Mummy’s molars
made her unravel.
“Must…see…dentist.”
On her way, Mummy met Vampire.
“The dentist? Don’t go!
Dentists are frights
for creatures of the night!”
“I have bat breath, but I’d never see a dentist.”
Mummy wandered into Werewolf.
“The dentist? NO!
Dentists are horrors
for full moon transformers.”
“My fangs need fillings, but I’d never go.”
With superstitions on mind,
Mummy reached the dreaded office.
“Too much candy,” assessed Dentist.
“Eaten with wrappers on?”
Mummies love wrappers.
Dentist’s judgment droned on.
Mummy understood
why her friends chose to hide.
“No more candy!” Dentist lectured,
leaving Mummy petrified.
Mummy unravels … Dentists give Vampire bat breath … Mummies love wrappers, etc … Your wordplay is great!
Thanks Patricia. I do love a good play with words 🙂 Good luck to you!
He-he, I wondered about the title! Loved the sentence “Mummies love wrappers.”
Oh yay! I’m glad that line resonated. I’d debated how it would land :). Thanks for your feedback.
Great idea for a Halloweensie story! 🎃
Thank you!
Excellent wordplay and a terrific story at exactly 100 words!
Thank you! Gosh, 100 words is hard!
Haha! Love, mummies love wrappers! Fun story. Good luck!
Thank you Nancy!
Love the awesome wordplay! Great job and good luck!
So cute, Mary-Catherine! Funny, and wordplay ‘filling’ your story. Love this!
BEWARE THE MOON!
by Jen Subra
word count: 92
My mom told me a story,
and it gave me quite a fright.
She cautioned me, “Be careful
on this trick or treating night!”
She said, “It’s superstition,
so it’s probably not true.
But looking at the full moon
might cause a change in you.”
So, while I’m begging candy,
if I have the urge to shout
and tussle with the other guys,
I’ll know the full moon’s out.
And then I must
Beware!
Beware!
That moon it will destroy!
I am a werewolf cub and
don’t want to be a boy.
Love the twisting concept! Great flow. Love it!
I didn’t expect that ending!
Great switch on the myth.
Beware!
Beware!
Adds so much.
I like the end. Don’t be a boy, be a werecub.
Fun story! Love the rhyming!
Nice twist at the end.
Jen, this was a clever surprising ending and I love the rhyme!
So fun! Great rhyme, and I love this twist!
I also really enjoyed the twist ending, and also some of your word choices like tussle!
Love the twist at the end! Great rhyme. Nicely done!
Super twist revealed only in the last line! Ha, ha, love this, good job!
Changes
by Kailyn Dickason
Marta Silver, age eight,
was changing at a rapid rate.
She found herself becoming quite hairy,
(For an eight-year-old that’s pretty scary).
Her appetite had increased too,
She wolfed down everything in view!
But nothing prepared her for the fright
she had waking up on Halloween night-
to find that she had sprouted fangs,
faster than she’d grown out her bangs!
She screamed; but it became a howl!
Her parents ran in, looking proud.
“My sweet little Marta!” Her mom said with tears,
“We worried your adult teeth wouldn’t appear!”
“Werewolves aren’t just superstition,
come, learn our family’s Hooooowl-oween tradition!”
Fantastic! It flows perfectly with a great surprise ending.
Thank you! 🙂
“She wolfed down everything in view!” ….. so funny:-)
Clever!!
Thank you Jamie 🙂
Wonderful! Each line builds from one to the next!
Thank you for your feedback Elise! 🙂
It does flow smoothly, making it such a great read aloud. And I chuckled reading “faster than she’d grown out her bangs!”
Thank you LynTeach 🙂 (I remember my bangs taking years to grow out, haha. )
Fun! Love the ending, especially.
This is so creative. Well done!
This is so much fun to read. And funny! Kids would love “For an eight-year-old that’s pretty scary”.
I love how the pace of the story speeds up as she transforms. Great job!
MY FAMILY SECRET
By Sharon McCarthy
WC 100
Since I was a baby, I visited Grandma on Halloween night. The stenches, mysterious concoctions, and superstitious cats stalking me like a werewolf pack frightened me!
I was anxious when I was four and tasted her tea with honey that dripped like snot on top. Grammy cackled, “eeeee-kkkkk!”
Sweet!
I started petting her scratchy cats when I was seven with rubber gloves. She handed me bones from her cast-iron pot for feeding.
Thrilling!
Then, when I was 10, she planted her enchanting hat on my head, positioned me on her crooked broom, and breathed a shocking surprise!
“You wanna ride?!”
This child’s rights of passage from a four-year-old, to a seven-year-old, and then to a ten-year old were great, especially getting that enchanted hat that enabled a broom ride
Thanks, Patricia! I appreciate your feedback.
I like the way you progressed aging. Nicely done.
Thanks, Jill!
He-he, the family secret! Well done showing the passing of years. The last sentence wraps up this fun story.
Thanks for the kind feedback Lynteach!
Wickedly wonderful ride through childhood and development from a child’s eyes. Sweet, indeed!
Appreciate the support. Thanks!
Sharon- This story came so far in such a short time! I really like what you’ve done with it and how you sequenced it with her progression and interactions with grandma over time! Well done! Good luck to you!
Thank you so much!
Wow, great word choices and imagery. I’m kinda glad I’m not on her family, though. Lol! Good luck!
Thanks for your feedback. Means a lot. Thanks!
DON’T GET EATEN!
by Sarah Hetu
99 words
“I’m sorry you can’t trick-or-treat,” Maddox said.
“It’s okay,” Shiloh said, adjusting her cast. “Have fun…and don’t get eaten by the LaMontagne clan….”
“The what?” Maddox asked.
“The family of werewolves…they come out on Halloween.”
Maddox’s armor clinked as he trembled.
“Don’t be frightened,” Shiloh said. “Tonight you’re a knight!”
“Maybe I’ll stay home….”
Shiloh giggled. “I’m just messin’ with ya’! Don’t be superstitious!”
Maddox grumbled. But then…
He whistled.
A huge dog thundered into the room.
“Lightning’s my noble steed,” Maddox said, draping his cape over the canine.
Shiloh smiled. “Bring me back some chocolate…please.”
“Ahhhhhhhh-WOOOOOO!” Maddox replied.
Shiloh playfully teasing Maddox even thought she won’t be able to trick-or-treat … There’s a such warm heartfelt tone to this story in spite of the frightening superstition embedded in it.
I like seeing the weakness of a ‘brave’ night . . . Maddox’s armor clinked. Way to ‘show’ his nervousness.
Good knight! Ahh-WOOO–what fun!
Love the sibling interaction. Nice word choices and imagery. Good luck!
‘Don’t get eaten’, great advice to everyone on Halloween night! And your beginning pulled me in right away. Love that Maddox is going to be riding on a huge dog. A fun story for Halloween!
THE FULL MOON CLUB
by
Pat Finnegan
(Word count: 100)
10/02/2020
Romulus,
Everyone missed you at Full Moon Club last night. What happened?
Remus
P.S. Did you hear that wolf howling?
10/8/2020
Remus,
I felt strange that night.
Here’s a superstition: Wishes made on a new moon come true.
There’s a new moon on the 16th … Let’s go!
10/13/2020
Romulus,
We’re NOT New Mooners.
Next full moon: Halloween!
10/22/20
Remus,
Awesome! No costumes needed.
11/01/20
Romulus,
Halloween full moons rock!
Nobody suspected the Full Moon Clubbers were actual werewolves.
Halloween full moons happen every 19 years.
Next one: 2039!
Remus
P.S. Get a mani-pedi, Bro! Your nails are frightening!
Love the back-and-forth approach. Clever and unique.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my Halloweensie story:-)
Pen pals. Nice way to tell a story.
Glad you liked that technique … Thank you for taking the time comment on my story:-)
Clever and unique and I just love the entire story. Perfectly amusing ending.
I’m glad you enjoyed my story, and many thanks for taking the time to comment:-)
I LOVE the “epistolary,” letter-writing approach to this piece, Patricia! It’s one of my favorite literary devices. Really well done!
It’s one of my first time trying this approach, and it seemed to work … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Patricia,I love this format! So well done! 🎃
I’m glad that you liked the letter format … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
What a joyful read! Just love the ending.
I was glad I was able to find enough words for the ending … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Love that you worked in Romulus and Remus–clever wolf work in! And the note-writing format is a refreshing take. Best of luck!
It’s not always easy coming up with appropriate names, and these legendary Roman wolves popped into my head … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Charming duality on so many levels: wolf twins, full/new moon, and full moon/Halloween. Delightful!
I’m glad you enjoyed the different details in my story … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
So creative to use a text/letter format for your tale. I especially love that last P.S.! I really enjoyed this, Patricia.
As I was whittling away to get my story down to 100 words, I wasn’t quite sure that last P.S. was going to survive the cuts, but I’m glad that it did … Thank you for taking the time comment on my story:-)
This is really creative and different! Nice job and your last line cracked me up!
I cut a lot of words as I trimmed my story down to 100 words, and I’m glad you enjoyed the final P.S. because I worked hard to keep them in the story … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Love your epistolary format–very creative and informative story. The mani-pedi advice cracked me up! Nice job, Patricia.
I stumbled upon the information about the Halloween full moon cycle, and I’m glad you enjoyed reading that little piece of trivia … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
What a fun format Patricia! Such a fun voice!
Yes! The format was fun, and I feel like it helped me to move the story along … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
That post script is hilarious! I would read so much more of this. Maybe werewolf epistolary is the hot new genre!
Hahaha — “Werewolf epistolary” sounds like it should be part of something from Buffy the Vampire Slayer … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Good fun! I’m sure their mom would be proud that they keep in touch with each other. 😉
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story … and R&R’s mother would probably like a few notes from the boys to her even more 😉
Patricia- I really enjoyed this! I especially loved the formatting, and the way you managed to give each character a unique voice within 100 words. Also, Remus and Romulus are just delightful names.
Names can be tricky, so I was glad when the legendary Romulus and Remus popped into my head … Thank you for taking the time to comment on my story:-)
Clever structure and a funny last line. We went to a Halloween event on Saturday and we got to experience the full moon. My oldest happened to be dressed as a werewolf. Good luck!
What a coincidence that your child wore a costume that tied into this year’s Halloweensie word bank!!! I’m glad you enjoyed my story, and thank you for taking the time to comment:-)
What a clever story! Nicely done!
I’m glad that you enjoyed my Halloweensie entry … Thank you taking the time to comment:-)
Love your approach and structure, and the weaving in of details! Great job and good luck!
The trivia about Halloween full moons occurring about every 19 years surprised me, and I was glad I found a way to weave it into my Halloweensie entry … Thank you for taking the time to comment:-)
HALLOWEEN JITTERS REVENGE
By Joyce Uglow
AaooooooowwwWHOOoooooOOOwww!
“EEK! Your bloody pranks frighten me!” screamed Terri. “I. Need. Garlic!”
“Fang-tabulous superstitions for Trick-Or-Treat?” teased Vlad. “BwaaaaHahaha!”
“Fangs?” said Terri from her hiding place. “Witches? Werewolves? Nevermore!”
Vlad hesitated no longer, snapping pictures of
eye of newt and toe of frog,
wool of bat, and tongue of dog.
“Beware! I’m baaaaack to save you from dooooom!”
Suddenly a voice… “AiYEEEEEe-gahh! Enter IF you DARE!”
“Hellooooo?” Vlad shuttered as a shadowy shape appeared in his viewfinder…
“WhoWhoWHOoooo’s there?” Vlad’s jitters jiggled his critter-cam…
“BOO!” Terri snapped the sheet back in time for a picture.
“You just got TERRI-fied!”
This is super cute and I love the ending! 🙂
Thank you! This was fun to write.
“TERRI-fied!” Hahaha!
So much fun! It had me Terri-fied. 🙂
LOL! ‘TERRI-fied!’ Love ‘FANG-tabulous’ too!
Hahaha, Terri-fied! Love it! Fun story.
Such cute wordplay!
The Great Halloween Race
By Marta Cutler
(100 Words)
The excitement’s high at the Great Halloween Race.
Who will win this year’s Golden Pumpkin?
Werewolf waves his Lucky Bat Wing.
Will the superstitious favorite win again?
They’re at the starting line. And they’re off!
Werewolf takes the lead.
Frankenstein hot on his tail.
Mummy stomps up the rear.
Ghost nowhere to be seen.
Skeleton clatters up the inside.
It’s Werewolf and Skeleton neck and neck and bones
They’re coming to the finish line.
Werewolf leading by a nose…wait!
Ghost has reappeared! She flies over the finish line.
A frightful upset for Werewolf.
And a boo-tiful play by Ghost!
I love “Ghost nowhere to be seen”…cause she’s invisible 🙂
Thanks Stephanie! 🙂
“Ghost nowhere to be seen” … “neck and neck and bones” … “a boo-tiful ply by Ghost” : You incorporated such fun wordplay:-)
Thanks so much Patricia!
I love how the urgency increases with every line, we really don’t know who is going to win until the end. Also, the idea of a Halloween race between monsters is just plain fun.
Thanks Mary Ann! I’m so glad you like it!
very fun – love “neck and neck and bones”!
Couldn’t resist! Thanks Jamie!
Terrific pacing. I was reading faster and faster during the race.
That’s so great. Thanks for reading it Jill!
you nailed the announcer voice! I died at “skeleton clatters up the inside” lol
Lol! I’m sooo glad you felt the voice! It was so much fun to write! 🙂 Thanks Susannah!
Such fun to read out loud, and I love the wordplay! Good luck!
I love so many of the lines, like Ghost being nowhere to be seen, and boo-tiful play! Well done, and what a fun concept!
So creative, Halloween race. This would make a fun PB.
What a fun story. Unique to have a Halloween race. I can see such fun illustrations. Good luck!
Super fun read-aloud! Loved it. Good luck!
SCARING FOR SUGAR
by Sarah Hetu
100 words
Kitty nose? Check.
Black ears? Check.
Time to scare trick-or-treaters!
This dog wants candy!
I hide.
Here comes a werewolf.
I cross his path.
“Hi, kitty!” he says.
Guess he’s not superstitious….
I need a new costume….
Jack-O-Lantern head? Check.
Here comes a princess.
Mold tickles my nose.
Ahhhhhh-CHOOOOOO!
Now she’s orange.
I need something frightening….
White sheet? Check.
Here comes a scarecrow.
I jump out–
OUCH!
Must. Ice. Tail.
I dart inside–
WHERE’S THE CANDY?!
Here comes my human.
She squats down.
Don’t pet me; I want sugar!
“Meatloaf, I kept the biggest cookie for you!”
Yum!
Dogs will do just about anything for a treat … I’m glad Meatloaf ended up with that giant cookie 🙂
Hahaha. That poor girl after the pumpkin sneeze.
I can just picture this puppy doing anything for treats!!! So cute and I love that he got his reward at the end!
Meatloaf sure worked hard to get the sugar he desired! After all those obstacles, I love the just right and satisfying ending!
Haha! Meatloaf is a great name. Love that he got his treat on the end. Nicely done!
Sounds like either of my dogs…sugar…or scraps…anything! Love Meatloaf, very happy he got a cookie, he worked hard for it. Fun story Sarah, and love the title, ‘Scaring for sugar’!
Hush Little Werepup
by Stephanie Maksymiw
Word Count: 99
Hush little werepup don’t bite me, Mama’s gonna buy you a black kitty.
And if that kitty’s path you cross, Mama’s gonna buy you a pumpkin toss.
And if that pumpkin won’t go far, Mama’s gonna buy you a candy bar.
And if that candy bar is stale, Mama’s gonna buy you a Halloween pail.
And if the pail’s paint starts to peel, Mama thinks superstitions are real.
And if they’re real you’ll need good luck, Mama’s gonna find a clover to pluck.
And if that clover’s luck dies down, you’ll still be the frightening little werepup in town.
Awwww – Werepup love in every line of this Halloween take on the classic tune
Clever idea to use a song combined with the prompt.
OOh, my favorite snob when I was a kid. Love the new words.
Love this! Terrific new take on an old song. ❤
Very cute and catchy! Good luck with this.
A perfect Halloween lullaby!
Love this, Stephanie! I love how i can sing along to it 🙂
This is clever, creative, and sweet.
Nice twist on an old song. Clever!
Earth is Tricky
by
Glenda Roberson
(85 words)
My superstitions all but screamed
when I arrived tonight.
Who knew on this galactic trip . . .
I’d nearly die of fright?!
Beneath a silver crescent moon
fierce monsters stalked this town.
I spied a ghost, a ghastly ghoul . . .
a zombie in a gown.
A vampire crept behind a clown
whose eyes were dead and cold
A werewolf howled into the night . . .
This trip is getting old!
Before I blasted back to Bork,
confusion hurt my head.
Those scary spooks transformed into . . .
small humans tucked in bed!
Such a sweet ending:-)
Thank you! So much fun to write.
What a confusing night to visit Earth! Cute ending:-)
Thank you! It would be confusing!
Adorable.
Thanks so much!
I love the confused twist at the end.
Thanh you, Grinny!
Halloween really is a ‘trip’ for us humans, but for galactic visitors it’s next level. Well done! 🙂
Thanks, Bridget!
Love this! What a fun haunt through earth by an alien on Halloween!
Thanks Michelle!
Stellar rhyme and story, Glenda! I love your sweet, bemusing ending.
Awww, thanks so much, Anne!
Love the ending! Nice rhyme. Good luck!
Thanks so much Nancy!
WEREWOLVES HALLOWEEN BASH (92 words)
Yolanda Danyi Szuch
Wolfgang, Warren, Wilder
joined to plan a mission.
Werewolves ALL, they questioned
SHAPESHIFT SUPERSTITION.
Wolfgang said let’s DRESS-up.
Halloween is coming.
I will find some COSTUMES.
We will ALL look stunning.
Warren mentioned eating.
Hunting is too frightful.
I will buy some CANDY.
Treats are so delightful.
Wilder searched the forest,
looking for musicians.
Howling at the moonlight
needed SONG additions.
Finally, the day came.
Guests had no predictions.
What the werewolves planned
BLASTED SHAPESHIFT FICTIONS.
ALL the furry werewolves
dressed like HUMAN BEINGS!
Forest friends were laughing,
this ALL HALLOWS’ EVEning.
Oh, what a night! Werewolves with a sense of humor was a great surprise:-)
Thank you, Patricia!
A fun twist on “shapeshift fictions”! Well done!
So sweet, Bridget. Thank you!
Love that the werewolves dressed up as humans. Good luck!