It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and not a moment too soon!
Have you looked at the weather forecast for today and tomorrow? There could be no better way to spend the next two days than with a pile of perfect picture books and a cup of cocoa and your favorite little readers (or your favorite little or not-so-little writers. . . yes, you. . . who are reading perfect picture books to learn from the masters 😊)
Today’s Perfect Picture Book is so pretty and so touching I know you’re going to love it!
Opening: “In the front yard of a little house, on the branches of a mighty evergreen, there lived a happy pair of cardinals.”
text and illustration copyright Matt Tavares 2017, Candlewick
Brief Synopsis: [from the book jacket] “Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . . “
Links To Resources: the afterword contains a brief history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition; what are some holiday traditions in your family? draw a picture, write a story or poem, or make up a song about a special holiday tradition in your family; in the story, the cardinals’ favorite Christmas carol is O, Christmas Tree, which was originally sung in German as O, Tannenbaum. Do you have a favorite Christmas or other holiday carol/song? Was it originally in English, or did it come from another language? Which one?
text and illustration copyright Matt Tavares 2017, Candlewick
Why I Like This Book: This is a such a sweet and lovely story – one of those stories that tug at your heartstrings and make it a little hard to read aloud in some parts past the lump in your throat 😊 Red and Lulu are so happy in their tree, and when the tree is taken, with Lulu still in it, Red flies as fast and as far as he can, determined not to lose Lulu. But a bird cannot fly as fast as a truck can drive. . . I love Red’s devotion and determination which clearly show his love for Lulu. I don’t want to give away the ending. . . so I won’t!😊. . . but it’s just right. The watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are full of detail – so pretty! Don’t miss this heartwarming story!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
I think I can say that now that Thanksgiving is over and it’s December 😊❄️🎄
At some point in the not-too-distant future, I’m going to plug in all my holiday lights and see how many bulbs need replacing – always a fun job – which promises to be even more fun with Violet’s help! (Apparently there is no dog-tangled-in-Christmas-lights emoji, but there should be! 😊)
Since we’re embracing the Holiday Spirit, for today’s Something Chocolate let’s have some Candy Cane Pie! Doesn’t that sound delicious? And festive?!
Look at that chocolate-y crust, the little chocolate chips, and that lovely chocolate drizzle! Yum! And so pretty with the candy canes sprinkled in! I know I don’t even need to remind you of the health benefits of eating vegetables for breakfast (peppermint is a leafy green, and chocolate is a bean!) 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Sarah. Sarah Tobias is a, writer, artist, master naturalist, and retired librarian. She loves rescuing worms from puddles, has a collection of dead insects, and found bones. She would rather be outside than inside even on a bad weather day. She discovered on the playground during recess, that the kids at school couldn’t remember if worms had eyes, she thought she should clear things up.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: My Antler Is Missing
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: “MY ANTLER IS MISSING” Moose cries when he wakes and scratches his head. A mystery is afoot. Moose and his bestie Mouse head off on an adventure discovering clues and track prints. They romp through the winter forest chasing down possible thieves as they search for Moose’s missing antler.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Sarah improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in January, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Sarah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to untangling miles of Christmas lights – so sparkly! 😊
If you’re like most of the folks around here, you got up from the Thanksgiving table, decked your halls with boughs of holly, put up your Christmas tree, and strung your holiday lights! Maybe you even put one of those gigantic Santa-on-a-motorcycle blow-up air balloon thingys in your yard! After all, Hanukkah begins two weeks from today, and Christmas is four weeks from today!
I am not nearly that organized! If I get a tree up by December 18 I’ll count myself totally on top of things. (And, if I’m honest, I’m a little worried about Violet vs. Christmas Tree… so waiting a little might not be a bad thing… 😊) But all the holiday preparations around me did get me thinking about snow. We barely had any last year, and although I have no need for treacherous roads and the like, a little frosting for the holiday season is so festive!❄️
So I thought this was the perfect book to share today!
Title: Waiting For Snow
Written By: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrated By: Renata Liwska
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, November 1, 2016, fiction
Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-7… I think 3-6/7
Opening: “Hedgehog found Badger staring at the sky. “What are you doing, Badger?” “Waiting for snow. It’s winter and I haven’t seen one snowflake.”“
Brief Synopsis: Poor Badger is desperate for snow, but no matter what he does the weather won’t cooperate. Hedgehog assures him that everything comes in its own time, but oh! it’s so hard to wait!!!
text copyright Marsha Diane Arnold 2016, illustration copyright Renata Kiwska 2016… a glimpse of ways the friends try to pass the waiting time… 😊
Why I Like This Book: If you’ve ever had a kid… or been a kid… or, well, you’re anyone living life on this earth 😊 you’ve had to wait for things and you know how hard it is! (er, ahem, writers… agency and/or publishing contracts…! Am I right? 😊 ) This sweet, funny, and beautiful book is about a little badger who is waiting for snow. He and his friends try everything they can think of to hurry it along but, as is so often the case when you really want something to happen, nothing works. What he learns in the meantime is the value of good friends. What he learns in the end is that everything happens in its own time. I think we can all take a lesson from Badger’s experience 😊 The soft, fuzzy art is the perfect complement to the text – endearing, engaging, sweet!
text copyright Marsha Diane Arnold 2016, illustration copyright Renata Kiwska 2016
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so it seems an appropriate moment to say
It would be no fun at all around here without you guys, so thanks for hanging around and participating in the high jinx and shenanigans and general tomfoolery! 😊
And since it’s almost Thanksgiving, let’s have something Thanksgiving-y for Something Chocolate today! I was going to go with chocolate-covered strawberry turkeys, (I added the link in case any of you wish to check them out) but this Chocolate Pecan Piecaken looked too good to miss 😊
And everyone knows that pecans are really good for you because of some reason or other 😊 so you don’t even have to feel guilty having seconds! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Aundra who says, “I am a middle school special education teacher and mother to a 4 year old and 2.5 year old. This book was inspired by my 4 year old son who has loved garbage cans and trucks for more than half his life.”
The Pitch: GREGORY THE GARBAGE TRUCK is a 548-word picture book for the 3-9 year old range, especially those who wake up early to watch the garbage trucks come by. Gregory is a lonely garbage truck who putters through his daily routine: Drive around/Clamp the bin/Lift it up/ Dump it in. Day after day, his boredom, loneliness, and stench grows until he meets some clever and unexpected friends. This whimsical, humorous story shows the struggle of making friends when you smell like old socks sprayed by a skunk and washed in dirty diapers. GREGORY THE GARBAGE TRUCK combines the refrain of TRASHY TOWN (1999) by Andrea Zimmerman with the desire for friendship in THE INVISIBLE BOY (2013) by Trudy Ludwig and the symbiotic relationship modeled in AMAZING ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS (2017) by Pavla Hanackova.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Aundra improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in January, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Aundra is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. It’s going to be a little weird – not the big family get-together of other years because we’re all trying to be cautious and maintain small, same-household gatherings with appropriate social distance, for everyone’s benefit but especially because my parents are 91 and 90 – but still a moment to give thanks for all that we have, most especially each other.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone, and a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!!! 😊
‘Twas nearly Thanksgiving When here on my site I realized you guys needed Guidelines to write For the annual Holiday Contest. I know! I’ve left you with only fourteen days to go! So put on your thinking cap! Warm up your pen! For Holiday Contest – numéroTEN!
Okay.
Clement C. Moore I may not be. . . 😊
I mean, if I’m going to be honest about it, I’m not really sure what a sugarplum even is. . . !
Let’s just put dancing fruits right out of our heads for a moment because I have big news!
Huge Excitement!
SOMETHING TO TWIRL YOUR TINSEL FOR!
The guidelines for . . .
THE10THANNUALHOLIDAYCONTEST!!!
~forchildren’swriters~
The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as age 12 and under) about a Holiday Helper!
Your helper can be one helper, or a pair, or a group or a bevy or a herd of helpers. Your helpers can be children, animals, elves, aliens, unicorns, fairies . . . whatever your heart desires. He/she/they can help bake, decorate, shovel snow, wrap gifts, clean the house, entertain guests, feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, bring the holiday spirit to those who have lost it – sky’s the limit 😊 But the focus of the story must be on helping – not just a brief mention in passing that Marla helped Dad set the table in the middle of a story about her frustration at not getting the starring role in the school holiday pageant.
Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s or whatever you celebrate during the Holiday Season, but is not to exceed 250 words (I know! So much freedom after the Halloweensie Contest 😊 ) (It can be as short as you like (the judges will be grateful 😊 , you are welcome and encouraged to write shorter, but no more than 250! Title not included in word count.) The field is wide open! Have fun! The more creative the better! No illustration notes please. (And yes, if you feel compelled to submit more than one entry you may, just remember you’re competing against yourself!)
Post: Your entry should be posted on your blog between 12:01 AM EST Monday December 7th and Wednesday December 9th at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official holiday contest post which will go up on my blog on Monday December 7th and remain up for your reading pleasure until I post the finalists. There will be no regular posts (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or Perfect Picture Book) for the duration of the contest so the links will stay up for everyone to visit and enjoy. If you would like to enter but don’t have a blog you are welcome to paste your entry in the comment section of my December 7th post when it goes up. If you have trouble commenting, you can email me. (We’ll go over this part in more detail on the December 7th post! 😊 )
The Judging: My lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to approximately 10 finalists (depending on the number of entries and final number of prizes – if we get a lower turnout we’ll post fewer finalists, a higher turnout possibly one or two more.) In the interest of finishing up the contest in a timely fashion so everyone can go about their holidays, we will do our best to post the finalists here by Monday December 14th for you to vote on for a winner. The vote will be closed on Wednesday December 16th at 5 PM EST. Whoever gets the most votes will be first and so on down to tenth place (or wherever we place to), and the winners will be announced on Thursday December 17th. (These dates are subject to adjustment if it takes the judges longer than we anticipate to get the judging completed.)
Judging criteria will be as follows:
1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Holiday Helpers! – the rules state a Holiday Helper story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about someone helping someone else in some way during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s, or whatever seasonal winter holiday you choose. The story must center on helping – the help must not be just an offhand mention/reference in a story about something else.
3. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 😊 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
4. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Overall writing quality and use of language are also important.
5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
6. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Large numbers of entries make it easy to cut entries that haven’t been entered as we asked.
The Prizes!: The prize list is under construction. . . But I wanted to get the guidelines up so you guys would have as much time as possible to work on your stories! Stay tuned for an updated list at some point 😊
A Picture Book Manuscript Read and Critique by Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez of Olswanger Literary! Although she is currently closed to submissions (making this prize EXTRA special!) a look at her wish list will give you an idea of what she likes.
Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez
A 12×12 Silver Membership (valued at $177 but worth so much more!) generously donated by author and 12×12 founder and queen, Julie Hedlund! 12×12 is a fantastic, educational, supportive community with TONS to offer its members, including interesting and informational webinars of all kinds, access to forums and critiques, and the chance to submit to agents. If you’re not familiar with it, you can learn all about it HERE. Julie is the author of A Troop Is A Group of Monkeys (Little Bahalia Publishing, 2013), My Love For You Is The Sun (Little Bahalia Publishing, 2014), and the forthcoming Over, Bear! Under, Where? (Philomel Books, Fall 2021)
Julie Hedlund Photo credit Kim Huggins
Rate Your Story owner, Picture Book Mechanic, and author Lynne Marie is offering 4 amazing prizes!
[From the Rate Your Story site] “A SPEED PASS allows a Non-Member to submit to Rate Your Story, as well as a Member to submit additional items to best serve the rating and feedback needs of our writing community.
We have a variety of Speedpass options, including pitches, query letters, art or a single manuscript at any time for a rating + guaranteed comments*, and it will be returned in less than 7 days’ time. Should you require a faster turnaround, fast pass options may be purchased to facilitate that.”
A Picture Book Manuscript Critique by gifted author and former Holiday Contest prize winner, Jenna Waldman, author of the forthcoming Larry’s Latkes (October 2021) (originally written for the Holiday Contest!) and Shark-bot Shalom (August 2021)
Two Picture Books (TBD) donated by Darshana Khiani, whose own picture book How To Wear A Sari is forthcoming from Versify in June 2021.
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 holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazone, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
So there you have it! Fire up those brain cells! Grab a cup of hot chocolate, plonk your tiny hiney into a comfy chair, and get to writing your potentially prize-winning Holiday Helper story!!! You have 14 full days! (And remember, I’m being a helper because deadlines are great for creativity and productivity!) So what if you’re in charge of Thanksgiving dinner this week! Your little cherubs can model helpfulness and serve as inspiration for your contest entry by peeling potatoes, making up the bed in the spare room for Great Auntie Brunhilda, bathing the cats, and whatever other little chores need doing! You’ll have plenty of time to write! 😊
On your mark…
…get set…
…GO!
I am SO looking forward to getting to read all your stories!!!
In this unusual year, when people have been isolated and separated and lots of folks are more than ever in need of holiday cheer, lending a helping hand seemed like a nice topic. I hope you’ll all have fun with it!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and what with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to share this wonderful book by Linda Ashman because the song it’s based on always makes me think of going to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving when I was a kid! (Although we went by car, unfortunately, not by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊)
Title: Over The River And Through The Wood: A Holiday Adventure
Opening: “Pack up the pooches and load the van. We need to leave by eight! There’s so much to bring. Do we have everything? Come on, we can’t be late!“
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Brief Synopsis: Grandma and Grandpa have sent invitations to all the family: Come to our house for the holidays and bring your favorite pie! So all the families pack up and head out… but travel turns out to be trickier than expected!
Links To Resources: Who do you visit for the holidays? Make a photo collage of a family holiday get-together; If you travel on holidays, how do go? Draw a picture or make a model of your transportation – plane? train? bus? car? boat? Make up your own version of “Over the river” and sing who you go to visit and how you get there; Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Krispie Treats (Recipe)
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Why I Like This Book: This wonderful story feels new and familiar at the same time; familiar because we all know the song upon which it is based, new because the travel troubles are fresh and fun (and anyone who has ever traveled for the holidays can relate!) The story is written in Linda Ashman’s trademark fabulous rhyme which is so fun to read aloud. And the art is delightful – a perfect complement to the story – and filled with fun little details… like what happens to the pies along the way 😊 And I love that even in this day and age of planes and trains and automobiles, the whole family ends up arriving by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
I don’t mean to make you jealous, but it’s pretty much non-stop fun and games here on Blueberry Hill where the dogs and I entertain ourselves with such tried-and-true favorite activities as vacuuming, laundry, sweeping leaves out of the garage, and dusting. (I know! What times are these when Susanna Hill is reduced to dusting?! 😊) Violet is especially helpful, doing her energetic best to protect me from the vacuum, abscond with every single sock she can get her little jaws on, pounce on every leaf, and grab the dust cloths and run away with them, refusing to be caught. Scout contributes by shedding so I have something to vacuum and dust 😊
The weather is getting colder. Yesterday it actually snowed at my house for a little while, and today the expected high temperature is only 34 degrees, so I think the perfect Something Chocolate is Hot Cocoa Cookies! Doesn’t that sound good?
I think they’d be extra delicious with some hot cocoa! You can never have too much chocolate, especially on a chilly day! I mean, let’s face it – we need to be well-fueled because we’re burning an outrageous number of calories just staying warm! Or we would be if we didn’t have central heating and/or a fireplace or wood stove 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Diana who says, “I am Diana Lynn Gibson, a retired teacher who never gave up her passion for children’s picture books. There are more picture books on my bookshelves than novels- and what serious children’s book writer does not? And the funnier, the better. Come on over and we’ll giggle together! Here’s my spinoff on Little Red Riding Hood.”
Find her on the web at
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Little Witch Zooming Broom
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Look up! There she zips again. Now she’s off to Grandma’s house with her basket of Trick-or-Treat goodies. But when Werewolf tries to trick Little Witch Zooming Broom, he finds she has tricks of her own under her hat.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Diana improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in January, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Diana is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to writing something new if I can get Violet to take a nap long enough for me to put two sentences together! 😊
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and in the wake of the recent election and Veteran’s Day, I have a wonderful book that celebrates the American Dream!
Title: Oscar’s American Dream
Written By: Barry Wittenstein
Illustrated By: Kristen & Kevin Howdeshell
Schwartz & Wade, October 2020, informational fiction
Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-8, School Library Journal says 6-10 – I think SLJ is more on target
Themes/Topics: American history, immigration, American Dream, change and opportunity
text copyright Barry Wittenstein 2020, illustration copyright Kristen&Kevin Howdeshell 2020 Schwartz & Wade
Opening: “Oskar Nowicki arrived at Ellis Island carrying his life in a cardboard suitcase and a skinny roll of money in his coat pocket, a loan from his mother in Poland for a down payment on his dream.“
Brief Synopsis: 20th century American history unfolds on a street corner in New York City as a little shop changes hands and dreams, from a barbershop in 1899 to luxury apartments in 1999.
Links To Resources: an author’s note at the back of the book expands on the history included in the story; trace the history of your home, or of a building in your neighborhood or town that you find interesting (a library, a town hall, a church, etc.): when was it built? who built it? what kind of history has it seen?; design, draw, and/or describe a shop/building that you would like to own that embodies your dream!
text copyright Barry Wittenstein 2020, illustration copyright Kristen&Kevin Howdeshell 2020 Schwartz & Wade
Why I Like This Book: I really enjoyed the idea of seeing history unfold on a street corner. What an interesting way of looking at the passage of time! A succession of people from different backgrounds with different dreams bought the little corner shop, and as a barbershop, a women’s clothing store, a soup kitchen, an army recruitment office, a bodega, and several other incarnations, the little shop saw the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights – all the history of the 20th century – and how the shop played a role in fulfilling the American Dreams of the various owners. The art is a beautiful complement to the text, filled with interesting details, and reflecting the mood of the times.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
I mean really. How scrumptious does that look? It’s like hot chocolate turned into a cake. Clearly breakfast! 😊
nonnomnomnomnom!
Ah! I feel refreshed! How about you? Ready for some pitching?
Me too!
Today’s pitch which comes to us from Patricia. Patricia is a serial mover and mother to three adult humans and two orange pups. She loves gardening, snorkeling, and exploring new places.
Find her on the web at: Wander, Ponder, Write Twitter: @ptntweets Instagram: ptnozell
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Back To The Sea
Age/Genre: Informational Fiction Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: One magical morning on a lush, tropical island, a young child accompanies a cast of terrestrial hermit crabs as they scritchedy-scratch and clickety-clack on their annual journey to spawn in the sea. Inspired by a viral video of this rarely-viewed event, this lyrical STEM manuscript is Hawk Rising for beach lovers.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Patricia improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in January, so you have time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Patricia is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to a very long nap which I will be scheduling to take place when I have time. . . perhaps a year from Tuesday or so 😊
Before we go, let’s take a moment to celebrate and thank our veterans, since today is their day. I’m sure we all have at least one veteran right in our own families, and to say we owe them everything is not an overstatement. We live the lives we live today because of them. Thank you all for your service ❤️
Especially at this hour when it is WAY past bedtime!
(Shhhh! Don’t tell your mamas!)
But I’m so glad you’re here.
If you’ll all just snuggle up among the pillows, we’ll get right to story time.
Milk and cookies?
Alrighty.
Once upon a time last week, five little skeletons floated down the Halloweensie River in a hollowed out pumpkin.
As they floated they sang:
“Row, row, row your gourd Gently down the stream,” “Toss your noggin overboard. . .”
That was the end of the song because their singing parts were all under water!
They fished their skulls back out with their femurs.
Hahahahaha! they all laughed merrily.
“Whose idea was that?” asked one.
“I don’t know,” said another. “We haven’t got a brain between us!”
This was true.
And probably the reason why they decided to play that game again!
And again. . .
. . . and again.
The End.
Wasn’t that a heartwarming story?
I hope you all enjoyed it!
Thank you for coming to story time! I hope you’ll join me again next week when we’ll read all about the five little potatoes who ran away so they wouldn’t be mashed for Thanksgiving! Even though they didn’t have a leg to stand on. (Sorry 😊)
Goodbye.
Bye now.
Buh-bye.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
What?
You’re still here?
I told you only one story tonight since it’s already past bedtime.
Were you expecting something else?
Maybe something like. . .
The 10 Annual Halloweensie Contest WINNERS? !!!!!!!
Okay. You’ve twisted my radius, ulna, and humerus 😊
Turns out you’ve come to the right place because it just so happens that I know how it all turned out!
As you are all aware by now, we had an amazing turnout for Halloweensie 2020 – 289!!! entries! (And did I use “turn out” enough times in the last two sentences?? 😊) Golly gee willikers!!!
I was thrilled beyond measure to see so many wonderful stories and meet so many new writers! And I don’t know about you guys, but for me Halloween is all the better for 289 fabulous stories to read by jack -o’ – lantern light! 😊☢️
With large entry numbers come hard choices, though. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you for your vote.
There were, however, many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another (one reason being that, at a certain point, we just had to stop adding finalists to the list! :))
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (all-around well-written stories we loved that just missed the finals for one small reason or another!)
Jennifer Broedel for Boneyard Ballet (also great use of language!)
Kristen Foote for A 2020 Halloween Bash
Claire Schlinkert for Not-So-Happy Halloween
Rhett Trull for Lightning And A Mask Of Stars (also nice use of language)
2. For Great Writing and Use of Language: (not already in the finals)
Carrie Karnes-Fannin for The Trash Bandit
Rebecca Allain for The Maple Tree Fright
3. For Spookiest/Creepy Entry: (not already in the finals)
Andrew Hacket for A-Huntin’ (yikes!)
Meghan Wallace for The Haunted House Dare
Kelly Swemba for The House That No One Visits
Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf for A Cat-astrophic Halloween
(A Yogi Is Born – no author identified) for Pumpkin Jack
4. For Excellent Story Telling from 8-and-under Writers!
Autumn Haley for The Night Stacy Saved Halloween
Lea Boyd for Beware Of Skeletons
5. For Funniest Entry: (not already in the finals)
E. Elle Bea for Final Moments
Barbara Di Marco for The Attic Mask
Mary Bleckwehl for Class Pet Trickery! (great ending 😊)
6. For Great Read For Younger Readers: (not already in the finals)
Nicole Loos Miller for Pumpkin Hunt
Kristy Nuttall for The Itsy Bitsy Skeleton
Ashley Congdon for A-Z: Who’s Behind Me?
Linda Staszak for The Skele-Mummy
Sarah Meade for Skeleton Ring
Beth Volkmann for Halloween Hesitation
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your prize, which is (and I have to be cryptic here because when I said it right out last year I got a LO-HO-HOT! of spam email!) a gift of a number of dollars that is between 4 and 6, for a large and well-known online store that begins with A, which will be presented to you in an email 😊 You can spend it on one of the many Kindle choices listed in previous contests here, or add to your account for a gift for yourself or someone else, or whatever else you might choose to do! In addition, you will receive a beautiful badge of achievement that you may display on your blog or print out and frame or turn into a flag to carry with you everywhere and wave out the window of your pumpkin 😊
A word about the prizes before I announce the winners.
We have 12 fabulous prizes, generously donated by authors and various professionals in the writing field. My policy is to let the first place winner have first pick of all the prizes, the second place winner have second choice, etc. That way hopefully nobody gets something they already have, and hopefully everyone gets something that’s valuable to them. All prizes are listed at the bottom of this post for your convenience in perusing the goodies 🙂
Now.
Finally!
Onto the moment you’ve all been waiting for. . .
. . . the reason you rowed your pumpkin gently down the stream to get here even though it is past your bedtime. . .
. . . THE WINNERS OF THE 2020 HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST as chosen by you, our esteemed voters!!!!!
In First Place, winner of the whole entire contest and top of the heap who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Helen Ishmurzin
for
Marine Halloween
Congratulations, Helen, on a fabulously written, creative and original entry that was all around well done and clearly very popular with judges and voters alike!!!
In Second Place,
Ginny Neil
for
The Eletonks
Congratulations, Ginny, on a clever, entertaining, well written, kid friendly entry. You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Helen chooses!
In Third Place,
Lisa Perron for Trick Or Teeth
Congratulations, Lisa, on your cleverly spun tale of the Tooth Fairy’s halloween! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Helen and Ginny choose!
In Fourth Place,
Heather Kinser for A Scare A Skull A Skeleton
Congratulations, Heather, on a fun story with a creative format and a wonderful read-aloud rhythm. You get to pick a prize after Helen, Ginny, and Lisa.
In Fifth Place,
Hollie Wolverton for A Hollow Halloween
Congratulations, Hollie, on making us laugh at just how frustrating it must be for a skeleton to eat candy! You get to pick your prize after Helen, Ginny, Lisa, and Heather.
In Sixth Place,
Deb Sullivan for A Night Out. . .
Congratulations, Deb, on your clever, fun and creative entry! You made us laugh out loud at your ending 😊 You get to pick your prize after Helen, Ginny, Lisa, Heather, and Hollie!
In Seventh Place,
Keatley Eastman for Bones: A Love Story
Congratulations, Keatley, on your delightful Halloween love story, so well written with such great rhythm and rhyme and use of language! You get to pick your prize after Deb!
In Eighth Place,
Crystal Lamb for The Brown, Brown Boots On The Cold, Cold Floor
Congratulations, Crystal, on your creatively written, suspenseful story that was just right for young readers! You get to pick your prize after Keatley!
In Ninth Place,
Tracy Curran for The Skeleton Creep
Congratulations, Tracy! We really enjoyed your playful story with its clever punchline! 😊 You get to pick a prize after Crystal…!
In Tenth Place
“Boo Darkling” (Roo Parkin) for Hola Halloween!
Congratulations, Roo, on your sun-loving skeleton and your wonderful inclusion of Day of the Dead! You get to prize pick after Tracy!
In Eleventh Place
Sarah Hawklyn for Halloween Surprise
Congratulations, Sandy, we loved your little Jojo, disappointed by COVID but still able to celebrate Halloween after all! 😊 You get to pick a prize after Roo.
In Twelfth Place
Marla Yablon for Trick Or Treat
Congratulations, Marla, on a delightfully creepy story! Eek! 😊 You get to pick your prize after Sarah!
And, I don’t think I need to remind anyone that in addition to all these fabulous prizes, everyone mentioned on this page has bragging rights as having won or placed in the Pretty Much World Famous Halloweensie Contest! Not just anyone can say that 🙂
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! If you choose a prize that requires snail mailing, PLEASE include your snail mail address so we don’t have to email back and forth too many times 🙂 If you would like a beautiful certificate to celebrate your accomplishment, you are most welcome to one!
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause, a confetti parade, and a truckload of leftover fun-sized chocolate. . . if there is any 😊
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals, or by donating a prize! It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
And before we go, I will give you all advance warning so you can start planning a little time into your December schedule…
Assuming you guys are up for it – and you’d better let me know in the comments!!! – the 10th Annual Holiday Writing Contest will be coming up sometime in the neighborhood of December 7 so we can all fully enjoy it and still have time for last minute holiday things. I will do my best to post the rules well in advance (maybe a few days before Thanksgiving, good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise! 😊 although yikes that’s just around the corner!) so you all have time to work on your stories! But please let me know if you feel like it’s too much and you’d rather not do it!
Have a terrific Monday everyone, (or actually, I guess by the time most of you read this it will be Tuesday!) and thanks again for making the Halloweensie Contest such a wonderful time for all! 🙂
The Prizes: SO AMAZING! What a generous community we have to donate so much awesomeness!!! 😊
1 – Get Your MS in Tip Top Shape With Vivian Kirkfield!
Vivian is offering a PB MS Critique (fiction or nonfiction/rhyming or prose), along with a 30 minute Skype or FB video chat to discuss, along with a read-through of the revision. And top it all off she will also help you with a query/cover letter edit to go with your polished up ms! WOW!
2 – Penny’s Two Cents – an incredible opportunity for any picture book writer!
Sometimes it’s helpful to chat with a published author about your writing journey. Penny Parker Klostermann is offering her two cents. The prize includes General/Big-Picture Feedback on one picture book manuscript + One 30-Minute Chat (Rhyming or prose-750 words or under) Penny doesn’t claim to have it all figured out, (by any means) but she’s happy to share her two cents based on what she’s learned and continues to learn on her journey as an author.
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 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 visits, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 😊
6
Susanna Leonard Hill 
You must be logged in to post a comment.