Cross Your Heart! – The 11th Annual Valentiny Contest Is HERE!!!
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Valentinies rock
And so do YOU!
Woo hoo! The time has come for. . .
The 11th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest!!!
~ for children’s writers ~
Since our posting days for the Valentiny Contest this year are February 13th and 14th, and February 13th falls on a Friday. . .
The Contest: Since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentine’s Day is all about emotion, write a Valentine story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feelsSUPERSTITIOUS! Think of all the things kids are superstitious about – Friday the 13th, sidewalk cracks, black cats, broken mirrors, ladders, four-leaf clovers, lucky pennies, lucky charms, a rabbit’s foot, ladybugs, the number 7, crossing your fingers, knocking on wood etc., or even something that your individual, original character is superstitious about for their own reasons (as long as you let us know what and why), and choose one (or more!) that could affect your character – negatively or positively! – as they navigate their Valentine’s Day experience . . . anything you like! Sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered and that superstition is central to your story! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone who is superstitious (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentine’s Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section below between right now this very second and Saturday February 14th by 11:59 PM Eastern. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut or PPBF), so this post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy.
The Judging: over the following days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to around 12-14 top choices, depending on number and quality of entries, which will be posted here and voted on for a winner as soon as we can get them up. The winners and Honorable Mentions will be announced a few days after the vote. (I’m not even going to try to hazard a guess on exact dates!)
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using superstition, and success in making us feel the superstition! Superstition must be central to the story line, not just mentioned briefly in passing in a story about something else entirely.
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
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.
The Prizes: So many amazing prizes from such generous kidlit folks!
Get Your Manuscript on the Editor’s Desk!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Read and Critique from Michele McAvoy, Founder/Publisher, author and all-around #kidlit champion at The Little Press!
Michele McAvoy is a multi-award-winning children’s book author, publisher, attorney, and educator from New Jersey. While Michele wears many hats, they all point towards a single goal, bring entertaining and meaningful stories to kids. Michele’s published titles include Willa the Werewolf (The Little Press, Sept. 15, 2023), Buckingham Gets A New Shell (The Little Press, June 9, 2026), Cookie & Milk (Cardinal Rule Press, October 1, 2019), and Toby Undone.
Kathy Halsey, children’s author, is a former English teacher and K-12 school librarian with an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Supervision who coordinated 15 successful school visits. She is the founder of Ask Infowoman: A Library Consult, a service for children’s authors and illustrators designed to make school visits more fun, instructive, and engaging. She is the author of Be A Rainbow (KiwiCo Press, 2023)
⭐️ AFree Admission Ticket to Rosie Pova’sMarch or April Workshop + A Breakthrough Consultation With Rosie for unagented and unpublished PB writers! The Breakthrough Consultation with Rosie is a one-on-one session with her, designed to help the writer identify and overcome any challenges they’re facing—whether it’s related to story craft, manuscript submissions, finding an agent, building an authentic author brand, or strengthening their online presence. During your session, Rosie will help them pinpoint what’s holding them back and create an actionable plan to help them move forward!
Rosie J. Pova is an award-winning, multi-published children’s author, poet, and writing coach. Her books include Sunday Rain, featured in The New York Times, The School of Failure, a Readers’ Favorite silver medalist, and her latest title, Sally’s Musical Tale. She is also the founder of Picture Book Author Academy, where she mentors aspiring authors toward publishing success. In addition, Rosie hosts monthly workshops with agents and editors, offering exclusive learning and submission opportunities for the kidlit community.
Rosie J. Pova
Zoom AMAs + !
⭐️ A 30-min Zoom AMA PLUS A Signed Copy of The Littlest Solstice Tree from talented author Lisa Varchol Perron! Do you have questions? Chat with Lisa!
Lisa Varchol Perron is a children’s author and poet based near Boston, Massachusetts. She especially enjoys writing about our natural world, including in her most recent picture books, The Littlest Solstice Tree(which began as a Holiday Contest Entry! 😊) (Beaming Books, Sept, 23, 2025), Wonder Why (HarperCollins, April 15, 2025), and All the Rocks We Love(Rise x Penguin Workshop, July 16, 2024), and Kite Day (forthcoming from Penguin Random House, April 21, 2026)!
⭐️ A 30-minute AMA Zoom chat with accomplished author Jolene Gutiérrez! Do you have questions? Chat with Jolene!
⭐️ Winner’s Choice of a signed Picture Book w/ Swag, Query Letter Critique, OR 3 Pitch Critique from gifted author Jilanne Hoffman!
Jilanne Hoffmann is the author of the award-winning picture book A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon,illustrated by Eugenia Mello (Chronicle Books, July 25, 2023); two board books The Honey Bear Hive and Happy Camper (Amazon Editor’s Choice); and the nonfiction picture book The Ocean’s Heart, illustrated by Khoa Le, forthcoming from Millbrook Press (March, 2026). HeartLand, her historical middle grade novel in prose/verse, is forthcoming from Little Brown (July, 2026).
Picture Book Manuscript Critiques!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Historical NF) from author Sharon Wilson! (apologies – no images available or provided!)
Sharon teaches picture book and basic novel writing at her local tech schools and colleges as well as at local libraries. She has an adult historical novel and juvenile historical novel on submission. She won first prize in the Oklahoma Federation of writers annual contest for both middle grade historical novel and adult historical novel and has won either second or first prize every year for each picture book that I have entered since 2014. She takes great care with her in-depth critiques.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Gabi Snyder!
Gabi Snyder is a fan of the unexpected and the celebrated author of several picture books including Two Dogs On A Trike (Harry N. Abrams, May 19, 2020), Listen (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, July 13, 2021), Count On Us: Climate Activists From One To A Billion (Barefoot Books, Sept. 20, 2022), Today (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, Jan. 30, 2024), and Look (S&S/Paula Wiseman Books, April 16, 2024). Gabi studied psychology at the University of Washington and creative writing at The University of Texas. When she’s not writing, she loves taking nature walks, visiting Little Free Libraries, and baking sweet treats. She lives in Oregon with her family.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction, no rhyme) PLUS A Copy of Each of her Picture Books from authorKris Tarantino!
Kris Tarantino is a children’s book author whose writing is filled with humor and heart. BedSlime Blues is her second book (WaterBrook/PRH, 2/3/2026). Her debut picture book, Be My ValenSlime (WaterBrook/PRH 2023), illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, received a Starred Review from School Library Journal. A third book in the Slime series is planned for 2026. Kris is a member of SCBWI, and speaks frequently at conferences and schools. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the 2025 Storyfest literacy day in San Antonio, Texas. And in 2024, she was picked as a faculty presenter for the All Texas Y’all SCBWI Conference. Kris holds a B.A. in Business, Marketing, and Art. Prior to writing children’s books, she worked in marketing, licensing popular entertainment characters for companies that make fun products like toys, books, and balloons. You can find her online at https://kristarantino.com, as well as Twitter/X, FacebookLinkedIn
⭐️ Winner’s Choice of a Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyme or prose) OR A Query Letter Critique from author Kelly Conroy!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Stacy Jensen!
Stacy S. Jensen is a children’s book author with a passion for history, research, and exploring new topics like she did as a newspaper journalist. Her debut book BEFORE I LIVED HERE, illustrated by Victo Ngai (Neal Porter Books, Aug. 26, 2025), was written while she lived in Colorado—inspired by her neighborhood.
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming, 300 words or less) from author founder of Rhyme Revolution, Angie Karcher!
⭐️ A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) AND a signed copy of IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE from author Cynthia Mackey!
Cynthia Mackey is a children’s author and poet living in Victoria, British Columbia. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s Zumba dancing to latin rhythms, chasing after butterflies to get photos, or listening for bird songs on her morning walks. Her books include IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, illustrated by Vikki Zhang (Yeehoo Press, May 2025), and the forthcoming BUTTERFLY SEA, illustrated by Marie-Laure Couët (pub date: Tielmour Press, Jan 30, 2026)
⭐️ A Bundle of Two Books by talented authors Pamela Courtney and Ann Magee!
1. From Pamela Courtney, a signed copy of A SEASON FOR FISHIN’: A Fish Fry Tradition
Pam’s Louisiana upbringing inspired her 2025 debut A Season for Fishin’, A Fish Fry Tradition and nurtured her life’s passion for writing, teaching, music. Combining these loves, Pam brings the eyes of a classroom teacher to each narrative she crafts and created MyLMNOP, a literacy and music program for early learners “My duty is great,” says Pam. “I am a writer who teaches. I am a teacher who writes.”
Ann Magee is an elementary school educator, children’s writer, and lifelong learner. She lives in NJ and is an active member of SCBWI. Stories that especially interest her are ones of unknown, yet significant people and historical events. She also is drawn to stories that reveal the positive ways people (and children) impact the environment.
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! Cross you heart (and maybe your fingers, toes, etc!) and post your entries!
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 Valentiny Contest begin!
Happy Writing and Happy Valentines Day! 🩷💕🩷💕🩷
I can’t wait to read your entries!!!
THE 145 ENTRIES! (Anyone who feels nice can start at the bottom of the list so that the later entries get read too! 😊)
Bernoulli the bi-plane was nervous. It was almost Valentine’s Day Eve and the sky looked about as red as a bluebird.
Noulli’s job was to gently shift the clouds so that the sunset would glow red. But every time he tried to move the clouds, a flock of seagulls got in his way. And like any good plane knows, ‘hurt a bird, hurt the world’.
While he was trying to figure out what to do, his friend Constellation flew by.
“Noulli, why so down?” called Connie as she whizzed by.
“Everyone knows ‘hurt a bird, hurt the world’ but when I shoo them, these seagulls keep getting in my way.” replied Noulli.
“Wait, I’ve got it! Let them stay!” said Connie.
“What do you mean?” asked Noulli.
“You’ve got two flat wings – let them sit on them while you work.” Connie said
“Huh. Well, I’ll give it a shot.” said Noulli hopefully
He slowed down as much as he could and just like that, the seagulls began landing on his wings! He began pushing the clouds into formation and the sky started turning red.
“Thanks Connie!” cried Noulli.
“Happy to. Say…mind if I stay and help?” asked Connie.
“Huh. Um…sure.” smiled Noulli.
And here he thought it would be a bad Valentine’s Day Eve…
This year, Valentine’s Day is Saturday, so our class party is Friday, February 13th – the most UNLUCKY day of the year!!
I worry about what could go wrong.
The night before, I tape a lucky penny to each Valentine.
Friday morning is dark and rainy.
At school, the gym is flooded. No P.E. today!
In the cafeteria, the ovens won’t light. Cold lunch today!
In my classroom, a substitute teacher!
No Valentine’s party today.
We start our math lesson, but it’s hard to focus.
Later, the PE teachers surprise us with a movie in the auditorium.
Cold lunch is a super-fun cereal bar!
After lunch, our own teacher is back, smiling and setting up our party.
We deliver our Valentines. Our teacher asks why I taped a penny to each card.
“Because Friday the 13th is so unlucky, but pennies bring good luck.”
Our teacher tells us those are just superstitions.
“Bad things happened today,” she says, “but bad luck pushes us in new directions. Like, the P.E. teachers were flexible; the cooks got creative; and you were so considerate.”
She pins my penny-Valentine to the front board.
“For good luck?” I ask.
“To remind us,” she explains. “When bad things happen, we can do more than we ever thought we could.”
Light reflected across the tombstones in the village churchyard. Sally grabbed the hand of her sister as she dragged her down the sidewalk towards the church.
“Come on, Natalie, before the clock strikes midnight. We must do this on February 13th!”
“I’m scared,” Natalie said. “This is a stupid thing to do.”
“I’m scared too,” said Sally, “but I think Jack is cute. I want to see whether he will be my future husband. Maybe you can just stand here and count.”
Sally dropped Natalie’s hand and began running around the churchyard chanting “Ghost of Jack, show your face!”
“That’s one time,” shouted Natalie.
Sally was out of breath as she made the 12th circle just before midnight.
At that moment, an eerie whistling sound pierced their ears. Sally gasped as she saw a shadowy figure that seemed to float around the churchyard.
“That’s his ghost!” she cried. “Natalie, do you see it?”
Natalie shrugged her shoulders. “You’re imagining things. I don’t see any ghost.”
A familiar figure emerged from the shadows. “Hey Sally, what’s up?”
Sally’s voice trembled as she asked, “Jack, have you been there all this time?”
Raven liked shiny things. After all, he was an art collector. But, when he spied a piece of broken mirror on the ground, he paused. He didn’t need any bad luck, and isn’t that the way with cracked mirrors? It flashed in the sun. Raven grabbed it.
He gazed into it. “This must be enchanted.” The most beautiful bird was staring back at him. Such bright, intelligent eyes! Such smooth plumage! What perfect poise!
“I am in love!”
The other bird smiled.
“I have such feelings for you!”
The other bird grinned.
“Let’s be married on Valentine’s Day!”
On February 14th, some forest creatures gathered for the wedding. Owl performed the ceremony. Raven stood in front of his beloved, reflected in the mirror.
Owl said, “You may now kiss your bird, er, bride.”
Raven’s beak pressed, then poked against the glass. Alas! The other bird wasn’t real. Raven flew away, and he did some thinking. That mirror must be enchanted, so maybe he should just embrace the magic? He returned to the forest and snatched that broken glass. He spent the rest of that day reciting poetry, smiling at his reflection.
Tommy loves Nora. He’s going to ask her to be his Valentine. He cut out a big red heart from construction paper. Well, it mostly looked like a heart. And drew pictures of cats all over the card. Well, they mostly looked like cats. But not a black cat. That would be bad luck!
Tommy knows Nora loves cats. She has a cat backpack and cat stickers on her notebooks.
Tommy puts his shiniest, luckiest penny into his pocket, and puts his lucky swirly seashell into his other pocket. Next he puts on his lucky blue sweatshirt – good things always happen when he wears it. And finally, he put on his favorite beanie. It feels like a hug on his head, which must be good luck too. He is loaded with good luck! Nora will surely want to be his Valentine, now.
He rings her doorbell, then crosses his fingers and toes.
Nora answers the door holding…
A BLACK CAT!
The worst type of luck, Tommy thinks. My good luck charms can’t beat out black cat bad luck!
“Hi Tommy,” Nora says, snuggling the cat, “Meet Tommy!” She waved Tommy the cat’s paw at Tommy.
“I named him after my Valentine,” she says shyly.
Tommy beams. Maybe black cats are actually good luck!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Great images of drawing hearts – bottoms up! Fun,
Love Is In The Air
by Jason Freilich
Bernoulli the bi-plane was nervous. It was almost Valentine’s Day Eve and the sky looked about as red as a bluebird.
Noulli’s job was to gently shift the clouds so that the sunset would glow red. But every time he tried to move the clouds, a flock of seagulls got in his way. And like any good plane knows, ‘hurt a bird, hurt the world’.
While he was trying to figure out what to do, his friend Constellation flew by.
“Noulli, why so down?” called Connie as she whizzed by.
“Everyone knows ‘hurt a bird, hurt the world’ but when I shoo them, these seagulls keep getting in my way.” replied Noulli.
“Wait, I’ve got it! Let them stay!” said Connie.
“What do you mean?” asked Noulli.
“You’ve got two flat wings – let them sit on them while you work.” Connie said
“Huh. Well, I’ll give it a shot.” said Noulli hopefully
He slowed down as much as he could and just like that, the seagulls began landing on his wings! He began pushing the clouds into formation and the sky started turning red.
“Thanks Connie!” cried Noulli.
“Happy to. Say…mind if I stay and help?” asked Connie.
“Huh. Um…sure.” smiled Noulli.
And here he thought it would be a bad Valentine’s Day Eve…
word count: 214
NEW DIRECTIONS ON VALENTINE’S DAY
By Garland Godinho garlandgodinho@gmail.com
(214 words)
This year, Valentine’s Day is Saturday, so our class party is Friday, February 13th – the most UNLUCKY day of the year!!
I worry about what could go wrong.
The night before, I tape a lucky penny to each Valentine.
Friday morning is dark and rainy.
At school, the gym is flooded. No P.E. today!
In the cafeteria, the ovens won’t light. Cold lunch today!
In my classroom, a substitute teacher!
No Valentine’s party today.
We start our math lesson, but it’s hard to focus.
Later, the PE teachers surprise us with a movie in the auditorium.
Cold lunch is a super-fun cereal bar!
After lunch, our own teacher is back, smiling and setting up our party.
We deliver our Valentines. Our teacher asks why I taped a penny to each card.
“Because Friday the 13th is so unlucky, but pennies bring good luck.”
Our teacher tells us those are just superstitions.
“Bad things happened today,” she says, “but bad luck pushes us in new directions. Like, the P.E. teachers were flexible; the cooks got creative; and you were so considerate.”
She pins my penny-Valentine to the front board.
“For good luck?” I ask.
“To remind us,” she explains. “When bad things happen, we can do more than we ever thought we could.”
cute ending!!
204 words
Sally’s Valentine Ghost
by Shirley Menendez
Light reflected across the tombstones in the village churchyard. Sally grabbed the hand of her sister as she dragged her down the sidewalk towards the church.
“Come on, Natalie, before the clock strikes midnight. We must do this on February 13th!”
“I’m scared,” Natalie said. “This is a stupid thing to do.”
“I’m scared too,” said Sally, “but I think Jack is cute. I want to see whether he will be my future husband. Maybe you can just stand here and count.”
Sally dropped Natalie’s hand and began running around the churchyard chanting “Ghost of Jack, show your face!”
“That’s one time,” shouted Natalie.
Sally was out of breath as she made the 12th circle just before midnight.
At that moment, an eerie whistling sound pierced their ears. Sally gasped as she saw a shadowy figure that seemed to float around the churchyard.
“That’s his ghost!” she cried. “Natalie, do you see it?”
Natalie shrugged her shoulders. “You’re imagining things. I don’t see any ghost.”
A familiar figure emerged from the shadows. “Hey Sally, what’s up?”
Sally’s voice trembled as she asked, “Jack, have you been there all this time?”
Inspired by the early 1900’s superstition of tacking 5 bay leaves to your pillow to dream of the one you will marry.
DOTH A LADY HAVE TO WAIT?
BY Cathy Stenquist
(WC:115)
Eighty-three million, vermillion red roses
are bought on this week every year.
There must be a billion or zillion proposes
planned for a love, oh so dear.
At the cotillion, the one Lillian chose is
catching her eye as they dance.
Bay leaves on her pillow, all that she knows is,
they may give true love half a chance.
Beneath the pavilion, sweet Julian composes
words flowing straight from his heart.
A one in a million shot, all that he knows is
her “no” would just tear him apart.
But sweet little Lillian, clutching red roses,
can’t bear to wait anymore.
She loves her dear Julian, her one-in-a-million,
so gently tap taps on his door.
Love that you chose a superstition I’d never heard of, Cathy!
Werewolf in Love
By Janel Caverly
203 Words
Werewolf wanted to make this a special Valentine’s Day for his special Valentine’s friend.
But Werewolf was superstitious. He didn’t want to step on any sidewalk cracks, walk under ladders, or break mirrors which would bring him bad luck.
So Werewolf painted all the cracks pink so no one would step on them.
He wrapped ropes of hearts around ladders so no one could walk under them.
He threw chocolates over his shoulder (instead of salt) for good luck.
On Valentine’s Day, Werewolf was ready.
He picked a bouquet of four-leaf clovers.
He knocked on wood. KNOCK! KNOCK!
The door opened.
There was his lovely date, Inky.
She purred happily.
Werewolf’s heart glowed.
Werewolf peeked into Inky’s mirror – which he was careful not to break.
His hair was wild. His teeth were sharp, but he beamed. Inky purred louder.
Werewolf’s hard work paid off.
They were in love!
Werewolf crossed his fingers and hoped for a lifetime of love and good luck.
But Inky was a black cat!
There was one more superstition Werewolf would have to follow.
He held her close so she would never cross his path, because that might bring bad luck.
But he was fine with that.
SNUGGLE! SNUGGLE!
187 words
M.Morrison
Valentine’s Day is Cracked!
It’s Valentine’s Day but there’s no love on our walk to school.
Just my friend Zack and a silly rhyme,
that’s in my head now too!
“Step on a crack, break your mama’s back!”
Thank goodness I’m young, because these words just about give me a heart attack.
It’s just a lot of pressure, too much to put on me.
Now I have to save my mom……….
My anxiety!
Every sidewalk?
Everywhere?
What if i’m looking at the clouds, and I forget to care?
“It’s just a superstition,” (Zach’s relaxed, not me!)
But it’s too late I’m off in space, spinning cracked destiny.
By the time we get to homeroom, heart pounding in my ears.
My teachers asks me what is wrong, and I burst into tears.
“Step on a crack and break my mama’s back?”
How have YOU avoided cracks THIS long?”
“Oh my dear, that’s just a rhyme, most likely a recess song.
Find out the origin, look it up, you’ll see that saying is wrong,
I exhale and I turn around, head shaking in disbelief.
I have Valentine’s Day homework,
But.,,,.
at least I have relief.
Lucy’s Lucky Valentine
By Rebecca Singer
(214 words)
Lucy wanted Valentine’s Day to be perfect.
She wore her ladybug charm, pulled on red heart socks, and slipped her lucky penny in her pocket.
When she stepped outside to mail valentines, she saw a black cat.
“Shoo,” said Lucy. “No bad luck today!”
She turned inside and didn’t notice the cat sneak after her.
Lucy arranged streamers and balloons. She set out candy hearts and frosted cookies.
Behind her, the cat pounced and played. It swatted streamers, flipped the candy bowl, and licked frosting from its paws.
When Lucy looked up, she saw a cat-astrophe.
“Bad luck,” Lucy grimaced.
Suddenly—POP! Lucy jumped as the cat leapt on a balloon.
“This is your fault!” Lucy scowled.
She picked up the cat, set it on the stoop, and slammed the door.
“Valentine’s Day is ruined!” Lucy flopped on the couch.
The room felt empty. Then she heard a soft sound.
“Mew?”
Lucy tiptoed to the door and cracked it open.
The cat stared up, wide-eyed. Lucy glanced at the mess, then back at the cat, who rubbed against her leg.
“Do you need a friend?” asked Lucy.
She picked up the cat and hugged him close. He felt snuggly and warm as he purred against her chest.
“You’ve made Valentine’s Day purr-fect,” said Lucy.
The Other Bird
By Sherry Moon (word count 212)
Raven liked shiny things. After all, he was an art collector. But, when he spied a piece of broken mirror on the ground, he paused. He didn’t need any bad luck, and isn’t that the way with cracked mirrors? It flashed in the sun. Raven grabbed it.
He gazed into it. “This must be enchanted.” The most beautiful bird was staring back at him. Such bright, intelligent eyes! Such smooth plumage! What perfect poise!
“I am in love!”
The other bird smiled.
“I have such feelings for you!”
The other bird grinned.
“Let’s be married on Valentine’s Day!”
On February 14th, some forest creatures gathered for the wedding. Owl performed the ceremony. Raven stood in front of his beloved, reflected in the mirror.
Owl said, “You may now kiss your bird, er, bride.”
Raven’s beak pressed, then poked against the glass. Alas! The other bird wasn’t real. Raven flew away, and he did some thinking. That mirror must be enchanted, so maybe he should just embrace the magic? He returned to the forest and snatched that broken glass. He spent the rest of that day reciting poetry, smiling at his reflection.
“Roses are red
Violets are blue,
The key to happiness
Is right in front of you!”
LUCKY CHARMS
by Penelope McNally
WC 213
Tommy loves Nora. He’s going to ask her to be his Valentine. He cut out a big red heart from construction paper. Well, it mostly looked like a heart. And drew pictures of cats all over the card. Well, they mostly looked like cats. But not a black cat. That would be bad luck!
Tommy knows Nora loves cats. She has a cat backpack and cat stickers on her notebooks.
Tommy puts his shiniest, luckiest penny into his pocket, and puts his lucky swirly seashell into his other pocket. Next he puts on his lucky blue sweatshirt – good things always happen when he wears it. And finally, he put on his favorite beanie. It feels like a hug on his head, which must be good luck too. He is loaded with good luck! Nora will surely want to be his Valentine, now.
He rings her doorbell, then crosses his fingers and toes.
Nora answers the door holding…
A BLACK CAT!
The worst type of luck, Tommy thinks. My good luck charms can’t beat out black cat bad luck!
“Hi Tommy,” Nora says, snuggling the cat, “Meet Tommy!” She waved Tommy the cat’s paw at Tommy.
“I named him after my Valentine,” she says shyly.
Tommy beams. Maybe black cats are actually good luck!
Very cute story! I have a stray black cat living under my shed presently, and we named him Bruce, because, well he looks like a Bruce to us 🙂
A Blue-Footed Booby’s Valentine
by Susan Summers
WC: 212
Jumbly-tummy, wobbly feet.
Today’s the day, a mate I’ll meet.
I have a trick to get it right –
keep my blue feet in her sight!
My blue tootsies are true beauties
Perfect for those female boobies.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, tap.
Wiggle-waggle, flap, flap, flap.
My second trick, I’m superstitious –
the gift I give must be ambitious!
I must present a token found,
a booby prize, straight from the ground.
Rock or stick, which one to choose?
What goes best with blue suede shoes?
Left foot, right foot, left foot, tap.
Wiggle-waggle, flap, flap, flap.
Here she comes, she sees my feet!
I hope she likes my quirky beat.
Oh no! Where’s my special gift?
Find it now! I must be swift.
Pebble? Perfect. Here I go.
I push it to her – nice and slow.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, tap.
Wiggle-waggle, flap, flap, flap.
A birdy pause, an awkward stare.
This heart-shaped rock has caused despair.
I guess that’s it, I tried my best.
I won’t be sharing this gal’s nest.
Whistle. Snort. What’s this I see?
She’s pushed the rock right back to me!
Left foot, right foot, left foot, tap.
Wiggle-waggle, flap, flap, flap.
A perfect pair we’re meant to be.
My booby Valentine and me.
The Unluckiest Valentine
by Barbara Targonski
WC 214
My foot hits a crack in the sidewalk, I stumble and my Valentine cards fly from my hand
and land SPLAT in a puddle.
I stare at the soggy pink mess.
I’m the unluckiest kid ever.
The other kids show off their perfect cards with dry candy taped on top.
Mine sit in a damp, droopy heap on my desk.
I’m the unluckiest kid ever.
By the time I get my lunch, the heart cookies are gone.
In gym, they pick everyone else first, then me.
On the bus, the big kids grab all the good seats.
I’m the unluckiest kid ever.
At dinner, my sisters go on and on about all their Valentines.
No one even asks about mine.
And then they dump bags of candy all over the table
I only have five in my little bag.
I’m the unluckiest kid ever.
Mom tucks me in and tells me some days are like this and next Valentine’s Day
will be better.
I’m not sure anyone’s ever had a worst special day than me.
The next morning is my sister’s birthday.
She’s glued to her phone and walks right under a ladder.
SPLAT!
Paint pours down like a colorful rainbow, covering her from head to toe.
Maybe I’m not the unluckiest kid ever.