In case you haven’t noticed, it is only one week and one day until the most important day so far this year…
GROUNDHOG DAY!
Poor Phyllis has been laying low. She took it pretty hard when Holiday House put her out to pasture. I told her it was nothing personal. She had a good 10 year run, which is more than a lot of books have. She sallied forth into the Scholastic Book Clubs and was eagerly snatched up by loads of happy campers. She was produced in French for Scholastic Canada – Debout, Marmotte! (though for some inexplicable reason they changed her name to Charlotte – maybe they thought it went better with marmotte?) –
and she has been read aloud on cassette and CD. She even has legions of devoted followers who have helped her celebrate her favorite day year after year.
Still… she has not taken kindly to obscurity. She’s just not that kind of hog.
Last March, both PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS and APRIL FOOL PHYLLIS became available on Kindle. That appeased her a little…
But now, hopefully, paws crossed!!! both of Phyllis’s books will soon be available through Amazon for POD (print-on-demand)! They’re supposed to be up already (er, they’re not…) but hopefully they’ll appear any day. And when they do, Phyllis feels strongly that there should be some form of celebration. Likely it will involve feasting and a book giveaway, so stay tuned 🙂
Anyway….
The first order of business today is to announce the winner of the November/December Pitch Pick.
Drum roll, please….!
And the winner is Nadine with her delightful pitch for Armadillo Pillow Fight! Congratulations, Nadine! Your pitch is already in editor Erin Molta’s inbox awaiting her words of wisdom! I’m sure you’ll hear from her at her earliest convenience.
And to all our other pitchers, hurray for you! You all did a tremendous job! You wrote a pitch, bravely put it out in the world for constructive feedback, took that feedback and used it to improve your pitch, and submitted it again for the judgment of your peers – no easy task! Even though you won’t get thoughts from Erin, I hope the experience was positive and educational, and you’ve come away from it feeling like you have a better handle on this pitch in particular and pitching in general! And thanks as always to all the wonderful readers who take the time to read and evaluate the pitches each Wednesday and provide their helpful thoughts. We seriously couldn’t do this without you!
I think all this writerly camaraderie calls for a celebration in the form of Something Chocolate, don’t you? And boy to I have a treat for you today! Check THIS out:
But really! YUM!!! I feel an honest-to-goodness chocolate swoon!
The great thing about virtual chocolate is that we can all have 14 of them without guilt and we never run out! 🙂
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Costantia. Costantia has been gathering the knowledge and courage required to enter the world of children’s writing and illustrating after 15 years of teaching, a lifetime in academia and two young children. She is just beginning to tentatively dip a toe, her big toe… Or maybe a whole foot into what appears to be a huge pond of existing talent, and she is petrified! Could there be space out there for a new author/illustrator who wants to help guide children through new experiences and social processes that they don’t yet understand?
Find her on the web at: Twitter: @Costantia Facebook: @costantiamanolirumfitt
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: George
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 2+)
The Pitch: George has ASD. This means that he has some rather unusual behaviors – but what do the other children make of this? This is a simple story told in rhyming couplets about showing love and understanding for those who work in a different way.
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 Costantia 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in February, so you have a little time to polish your pitch before putting it up for helpful feedback and have a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!
Costantia is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Phyllis’s books being available in paperback once again, and to getting the guidelines for the Valentiny Contest up! Really, I am! I’m still contemplating… and still working on prizes (that is a totally unsubtle hint if anyone has a prize to offer or knows where I can get my hot little hands on something of writerly value!) but I know you guys need time to write, so I’ll do my best to get them up ASAP!
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂 And yes, definitely, have another Chocolate Cream Pie Bite! 🙂
I realize that since it’s Inauguration Day I should probably have chosen a book on a related topic… but I already reviewed President Squid last March 🙂
Setting one’s sights on the State Fair isn’t SO far off setting one’s sights on the White House… and being pinned with a blue ribbon is kind of like being sworn in as POTUS…
Okay…
Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch 🙂
But this is still a totally fun book and I hope you’ll get a kick out of it!
Title: Fair Cow
Written & Illustrated By: Leslie Helakoski
Two Lions (Amazon’s Children’s Publishing), August 2010, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 5-8
Themes/Topics: believe in yourself, be yourself, having goals
Opening: “Effie dreamed of being a state fair cow. She loved living on the farm, grazing in the fields, and giving milk every day. But still…she dreamed of being beautiful, of billowing blue ribbons, and big, bodacious barns.”
Brief Synopsis: Effie dreams of being a state-fair cow. Petunia the pig gives Effie loads of helpful advice on how to become beautiful and win a ribbon. But in the end, it seems that maybe it’s best for Effie to just be Effie.
Why I Like This Book: Effie is cute and sassy, determined to make it to the fair, willing to follow Petunia’s (often ridiculous 🙂 ) advice to make her dreams come true. The theme of the book isn’t new, but the execution is fun and fresh, and I think there’s always room for a book that encourages kids to be themselves and follow their dreams (er… come to think of it, I’ve written one myself, though it’s about groundhogs, not cows 🙂 ) The art takes the fun story to the next level of humor – colorful, fun and engaging, with plenty of silliness and great expressions. And the repeating line of “Nothing a little {something} won’t fix” is used to great effect 🙂
Text and illustration copyright Leslie Helakoski 2010
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!
It just goes to show that technology can even (tually) come to the Back Of Beyond 🙂
Look!
It does not get more exciting than this!
Now, I realize that this is a big project. The cable won’t be laid for weeks…maybe months, and then there’s all manner of high-tech whatnot that will have to be organized no doubt, but it’s coming! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! The prehistoric internet I’ve been working with for years, which moves at the speed of hibernating turtles…walking backwards…through the mud…, does not allow for Skype, webinars, uploading photos and files, or even accessing email half the time. So this upgrade is long-awaited and much-anticipated!
Who knows what amazing opportunities await once our internet moves at the same speed as the rest of the world’s! (And NO! of course the ability to stream Netflix and binge watch Parks & Rec which my children have informed me I must do has nothing to do with my excitement! 🙂 )
So, if you all would stop talking about your favorite TV series to binge watch, we could get down to work! 🙂
First off today, we have the November/December Pitch Pick!
Here are the pitches:
#1 Carolyn – Celebirdy (NF PB ages 7-11)
This nonfiction story tells the account of a chicken that lived without its head for 18 months. The truth doesn’t get much weirder than that!
#2 Anne – Harry’s Magic (PB ages 4-8)
Eliza wakes up on the wrong side of the bed feeling quite grumpy, almost as if a monster has taken over her body. Her brother Harry says will cast a magical spell to drive out the angry beast and restore Eliza to her sweet, silly self. This 560 word, rhyming picture book will have children ages 4-8 laughing as they watch Eliza running about gathering up all of the necessary and ridiculous ingredients for Harry’s magic potion, but will Harry be able to save his sister in time?
#3 Nadine – Armadillo Pillow Fight (PB ages 4-8)
It is Willow Armadillo’s birthday and she wants a pillow fight party. She asks her friend to help spread the word of this nocturnal affair. Her animal friends mess up the message spreading details by accident. Did Willow say to meet at the peat moss or where the streams cross? Poor Willow. Hopefully she will have someone show up to her burrow tonight.
#4 Noel – Good Old Gus (PB ages 5-8)
No longer safe working on the boat, Gus, an ice cream loving dog is left to retire on the pier and wait for his captain’s evening return. Torn between obeying his master and engaging in the tempting seaside activities, when someone needs help, Gus’s decision becomes clear.
Please vote for the pitch you think is best and most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday January 22 at 5 PM EST. Results will be posted next Wednesday!
Golly!
It’s hard work reading and evaluating those pitches and trying to decide which one is best when they’re all so good! I think we need Something Chocolate, don’t you? (Though let’s be honest… when do we ever NOT need Something Chocolate?! 🙂 )
Seeing as how Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we should be taste-testing and recipe-practicing, I’m thinking Strawberry Chocolate Cake!
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Michelle who says, “I am an active member of SCBWI, numerous critique groups, and am on the advisory board for Authors.me. I am also a mother of 2 and married to a great man from Finland!”
Find her on the web at Twitter @Mmvattula
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Stalking Seagulls
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: One boy. One sandwich. A flock of seagulls. The dive bomb debacle of last summer will not happen again! Those sneaky seagulls have one mission, Alec’s sandwich! It’s Alec’s duty to foil their plans and not let those pesky birds triumph. Victory is on the horizon until he unwraps his sandwich.
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 Michelle 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in February, so you could have a turn pretty soon to get helpful feedback and have a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!
One last item on today’s agenda: just a heads up that everybody’s favorite I-Heart-Writing competition, The Valentiny Writing Contest!, is coming soon to a blog near you! (Er, that would be this one 🙂 ) If someone would just light a fire under the people in charge around here, the guidelines might ever get posted one of these days 🙂 But just so you know, the contest will run from February 10-14, so mark your calendars and get those thinking caps out of mothballs 🙂
Michelle is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to getting high speed internet (although not holding my breath) and to someone posting the guidelines for the Valentiny Writing Contest (and although not holding my breath for that either , it could happen at any moment and is likely to beat the high speed internet into existence 🙂 )
Yes, it is Perfect Picture Book Friday, which is always special 🙂
But today is also my Brown Dog’s birthday!
Here she is when she was tiny:
And here she is now that she is 10!
She is the best Brown Brownie in the whole wide world – my loyal, devoted friend who has stayed by my side during some of the toughest times I’ve been through, warm and comforting and kind. I feel so lucky to have her. So we will celebrate her 10th birthday tonight with a party, complete with yellow cake with vanilla icing so she can have some 🙂 Happy Birthday, my faithful, loving friend!
I guess I should have chosen a Perfect Picture Book for today that was about birthdays or dogs or cake… I chose one about pie… that has a dog in it… (I mean the story has a dog in it, not the pie! 🙂 ) and ends with a party 🙂
Title: An Apple Pie For Dinner
Retold By: Susan VanHecke
Illustrated By: Carol Baicker-McKee
Two Lions (Amazon Children’s Publishing), August 2009, fiction
Opening: “One day, Old Granny Smith wanted an apple pie for dinner. She looked around her cozy kitchen. She had flour and butter. She had sugar and spices. But there was one thing she didn’t have.”
Brief Synopsis: Granny Smith wants to bake an apple pie, but she doesn’t have any apples. So she fills her basket with plums and sets out to see if she can trade. She swaps plums for feathers, feathers for flowers, flowers for a gold coin… but will she ever find her apples?
Links To Resources: Apple pie recipe at the back of the book; author notes about the retelling and illustrator notes about how the three-dimensional mixed media art was created are also included at the back of the book; An Apple Pie For Dinner dedicated website with related activities
Why I Like This Book: This story has such a cozy, friendly feel. Granny is so sweet. She goes along, patiently hoping to find apples for her pie, doing good for everyone she meets and making their days better even though time after time she fails to get the apples she needs. The story is cheerful and comes full circle to delicious ending 🙂 The mixed-media illustrations are delightful in their 3-D, stand-out-from-the-page, sunny, colorfulness. An all-around satisfying read complete with an apple pie recipe to try at home!
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!
Even at my ripe old age, I didn’t actually know what a hot toddy was… Shocking, isn’t it?! After all those British mystery novels and medieval adventure novels and whatnot where people constantly return damp and bedraggled from harrowing adventures on the rain- and wind-swept moors and require hot toddies to restore them to health! I had to look hot toddy up last night to discover that it is hot tea mixed with honey, lemon, and/or herbs… and whiskey (or I suppose some other form of alcoholic pizzazz.)
Honestly, I was disappointed. Hot toddy sounds so good and cozy and delicious, doesn’t it? But all it turns out to be is a cup of tea with a slosh of alcohol in it which really does nothing for me.
So. We’re going to have a new kind of hot toddy to celebrate National Hot Toddy Day. It shall be a Blueberry Hill Hot Toddy. And this is what it shall be:
Dark Belgian hot chocolate, topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream, sprinkled with dark chocolate curls!
Doesn’t that sound SO much better than tea with whiskey in it?! At least for breakfast…?! 🙂
So go make yourself a Blueberry Hill Hot Toddy to celebrate the day! 🙂
Now then. What with the Halloweensie and Holiday Contests and the holidays themselves, the Would You Read It schedule has been knocked a little off the rails.
But lo and behold, we do in fact have Straight From The Editor today for October!
Can I have a Woo Hoo?
WOO HOO!!!
You will recall (well, actually you may not recall since it was so long ago! 🙂 ) that the October Pitch Pick was won by Michele with her PB pitch for When Sheep Fall Asleep.
The Pitch: All Sam wants to do is stay up late. His parents agree to a deal: If he gets into bed and counts sheep all the way up to ten, then he can stay up all night. But the sheep aren’t cooperating, and once the monkeys, elephants, chickens, and even hyenas start crowding in, it’s all Sam can do to keep his room from turning into a zoo!
Here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:
This seems like it’ll be cute! For the pitch, however, I would end on the falling asleep bit, so instead of his room turning into a zoo, you should go more in the direction of “it was all Sam could do to keep his eyes open…
Best of luck!
As always I find Erin’s comments so interesting, insightful and helpful! I hope you do too!
Before we get to today’s pitch, I believe we all need Something Chocolate to sustain and energize us! How do you feel about Dark Chocolate Cake?
I have to say, I feel pretty good about it. Possibly good enough for a second…and third… slice! Really. We need to keep our blood sugar at an optimal level so we can be productive members of the writing community! 🙂
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Robin. Robin leads the children’s departments of Midwestern public libraries providing reference and literacy foundations to the smallest patrons and supporting their parents. Mid life, she was called to ordained ministry as a parish pastor. She continues to read to children as a volunteer in developing countries and writes stories to read and read again! Robin is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.
The Pitch: The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf have grandchildren now. The youngest grandwolf, Frank, is tired of turnips and determined to get a pork chop dinner. His plans are hog tied by the Three Little Grandpigs who have just the cure for ham hock hankering.
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 Robin 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for a chance for helpful feedback and a possible read by editor Erin Molta!
Robin is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to my visit from the insurance adjuster being over. Poor Princess Blue Kitty (my trusty Subaru Outback for those of you who don’t know her) had an unfortunate run-in with a stone wall on Friday due to a hidden patch of ice. She has been injured, and awaits the judgment of the insurance adjuster before she can be patched up. She has been Very Brave, but I’m sure she would appreciate it if anyone wanted to write a nice poem or song about her 🙂 She might even award a prize or a token of her favor 🙂
Happy First Perfect Picture Book Friday of 2017, Folks!
There’s really nothing like Friday, is there?
Not only do we get a brand new list of Perfect Picture Books to enjoy, we have the prospect of the whole weekend stretching before us in which to read them, hopefully by a cozy fire with a cup of hot chocolate, or tucked under a warm quilt with a pajamaed youngster or two or three eagerly anticipating the stories to come 🙂
If you haven’t yet read this Perfect Picture Book, you’re in for a treat!
Title: Mother Goose Bruce
Written & Illustrated By: Ryan T. Higgins
Disney Hyperion, November 2015, fiction – an Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book
Suitable For Ages: 5-8
Themes/Topics: humor, determination/perseverance
Opening: “Bruce was a bear who lived all by himself. He was a grump.”
Brief Synopsis: Bruce is a grumpy bear who lives alone and likes to cook fancy egg recipes he finds on the internet. But when the eggs he procures hatch, he’s in for a whole lot of trouble – a bunch of goslings who think he’s their mother and WILL NOT LEAVE! 🙂
Why I Like This Book: This book made me laugh out loud! It’s clever and funny. Bruce is stubbornly determined to maintain his loner living status, and the goslings are equally determined that they will never leave their “mother” 🙂 And the art is amazing! Bruce’s grumpy expressions, the adorable goslings, the beautiful backgrounds and details – such fun!
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!
A whole new year, full of possibilities for great writing and illustrating, opportunities to share your stories with the world and read the amazing stories written by your talented fellow writers, conferences and workshops to attend, critique partners to encourage and support, friendships to strengthen and enjoy, wonder and delight, imagination and creativity to share with the picture book crowd, young and old, with whom we all choose to spend our time…
We’re going to do good things in 2017, my friends! 🙂
I had a lot of ambitions for 2016 that didn’t come to fruition for a multitude of personal reasons with which I will not bore/depress you 🙂 , so I’m not going to make any promises at the start of this year. I will only say that I hope to be in a better position this year to accomplish some of those things which are very important to me and I hope will be helpful to you!
Now then! Let’s jump right into this new year, shall we? And what better way to begin than with Something Chocolate: Raspberry-Iced Nutella-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes! So pretty!… and YUMMY! 🙂
(Also so healthful – there’s fruit (raspberry) and nuts (hazelnut) and whole grains (flour) and protein (eggs) and vegetables (cocoa BEANS) in there – health food, I tell you! So enjoy without guilt! 🙂 )
Now that we’re properly fortified, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Julie who says, “I’m a former teacher/ gifted & talented specialist for grades K-8. 13 years ago, I left the classroom to be a stay-at-home mom and president of our crazy life in dusty west Texas. 2016 found me with 2 teenage daughters who pushed ME out of the nest and encouraged me to finally write the stories I’ve always made up for them. I’m extremely lucky that my husband of 15 years encourages me to finally follow my passion and desire to write the next great picture book. (finger’s crossed!) You can find my blog at https://julielacombeauthor.wordpress.com/ . I’m also on Twitter at @Madkatmom0305 .”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Tooth Fairy In Training
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-7)
The Pitch: Tooth Fairy in training Ember Heartglow has a big problem. She has odontophobia, the fear of teeth. Ember is determined to overcome her fear and be the best tooth fairy in school.
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 Julie 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in January and February, so you could have a chance to get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!
Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to jumping headfirst into this new year and all it has to offer and hopefully accomplishing something of worth! Who can tell? It could happen! 🙂
I know I signed off and wished you all well for the holidays and new year, saying we’d pick up on January 4th.
But I got wind of a contest I thought you’d all like to know about: Writing With The Stars!
Writing with the Stars is a new picture book contest where writers and illustrators apply to win a mentorship from published authors and illustrators. The mentors will evaluate the applications and pick a winner to work with for three months. The contest is open to unpublished and un-agented picture book writers and illustrators. All the details can be found at http://beckytarabooks.com/contest/
Doesn’t that sound amazing?! And you could win a mentorship with Lori Richmond, Andrea Zuill, Camille Andros, DJ Steinberg, Stacy McAnulty, Peter McCleery, Beth Ferry, Penny Parker Klostermann, Paul Czajak, Laura Gehl, Katy Duffield, and many more!
Such an incredible opportunity!
Please share with anyone you know who might be interested!
Consider it a little holiday gift to you! 🙂 Good luck!!! and may the force be with you! (er, why yes I went to see Rogue One yesterday… how could you tell?! 🙂 )
What brings you to this neck of the woods on a Monday?
Oh wait. I bet I know…
You heard about my Snickerdoodle experiments and came to try some!
By all means, help yourselves! I’ve got more Snickerdoodles at this point then I know what to do with!
I’ll put on some coffee. Take a load off. Have a little break from the holiday craziness 🙂
Ah, that’s better, isn’t it? Nothing like hot coffee and buttery, cinnamon-sugary cookies to ease your cares.
But I won’t keep you.
I know you’ve still got:
12 square miles of paper a-wrapping
11 hundred yards of ribbon a-curling
10 hour days of baking
9 million cards a-mailing
8 light-up reindeer to set up artfully on your lawn a-grazing and a-looking nobly into the distance like they’re completely natural…next to the inflatable Santa on a motorcycle…
7 miles of Christmas lights a-stringing
6 -ty-seven Christmas movies a-watching (yes, Virginia, you CAN put up with Frosty The Snowman in it’s entirety 67 times in a row if it will keep the little darlings out of your hair long enough to get these other things done!)
5 tumblers of egg nog (with ALL the ingredients 🙂 )
4 thousand verses of Jingle Bells
3 days left to get a picture of the little darlings with Santa
2 hours of sleep if you’re lucky
And a lovely balsam fir tree to trim! (and keep the cat from climbing!)
Thanks ever so much for stopping by! Have a happy, happy holiday and a terrific 2017!
Bye now.
Buh-bye.
So long.
Why aren’t you leaving?
We just went over that list of all manner of holiday busy-ness you have yet to get to…!
Off you go!
Scoot!
You want WHAT?
Well deck me out in tinsel and call me a Christmas tree! I KNEW there was something else that had to go on that list!
Instead of trimming the fir tree I guess the last line should have been…
AND TO FIND OUT WHO THE WINNERS OF THE HOLIDAY CONTEST ARE!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
The6thAnnualHolidayContest!!!!
WINNERS!!!
As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! Really! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all!
But with large entry numbers, all of high quality, come hard choices. 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 on Tuesday 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, or that the judges couldn’t reach a consensus on.
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: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)
Ingrid Boydston for A Child’s First 12 Days Of Christmas (which would make a terrific board book for youngest readers! and could also have won a prize for best entry in fewest words! 🙂 )
Jennifer Garthe for The 12 Mice Of Christmas (a sweet story, beautifully written!)
Karen Morgan for Bear’s Longest Twelve Days Ever (delightful 🙂 )
Mariah ??? for A FURever Home For Christmas (poignant with a lovely message!)
2. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Rebekah Hoeft for Sneaky Snoop: A Cautionary Christmas Tale
Greg Bray for My Favorite Christmas So Far (also great kid voice)
Leslie Goodman for Santa’s Twelve High-Tech Days Of Christmas
KT for The Twelve Days of Vacay
3. For Excellence In Evoking Mood And Holiday Spirit And Tradition:
Melissa Stoller for The Eight Nights Of Chanukah (also lovely portrayal of family)
4. For Beautiful Rendition Of The Christmas Story:
Sue Frye for A Star Shown In The Sky
Carmen Castillo Gilbert for Burrito’s Epiphany Gift
5. For Lovely Christmas Spirit:
Tracy Potash for Kindness Counts To Twelve
6. For Fun Educational Holiday Stories From Other Places:
Anne Lipton for The Twelve Days Of Canadian Winter
Marla LeSage for 12 Days Of Christmas In New Brunswick
7. For Wonderfully Woven Folk Tale/Fairy Tale Stories: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Jennifer Rugge for Twelve Crows At Christmas
Elizabeth Steffenson for The Partridge In-A-Pear-Tree
8. For Skillful Combination Of Multiple Holidays/Cultures/Traditions:
Erin Nowak for The Twelve Days Of Dishes
Ellen Leventhal for Happy Everything (also appealing kid voice)
9. For Favorite Character: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Mary Miller for Doug The Turtle in The Twelve Days Of Giftmas
Johnell DeWitt for the irascible Griselda in Griselda’s Christmas Witch List (which should also win a prize for humor 🙂 )
10. For Humor And Fun: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Carol Samuelson Woodson for The Glorious Tree
Shelley Kinder for A Cold And Clammy Christmas?
Deborah Boerema for The 12 Strays Of Christmas (also a great message 🙂 )
11. For Thinking-Outside-The-Box Creativity:
David McMullin for The Twelve Daisies Of Christmas
Jennifer Kaap for Christmas Clues (fun riddle format)
Amanda Sincavage for The Gift Of Reading: A Picture Book Riddle (fun riddle format)
12. For More Appealing For Grown-ups But Well-Written And Enjoyable! (These entries were terrific but either focused on the relationship between Santa and Mrs. C or had humor that we considered funnier for adults than kids)
Judy Sobanski for The Christmas Parade
Vivian Kirkfield for Twelve Days Of Surprises For Santa
Kathryn Rammell for 12 Days After Christmas
Kristen Olsen for Doughnuts In The Fir Tree
Maggie Jeffrey for Grandma’s Christmas (fun entry for Grandmas 🙂 )
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com to collect your prize, which is your choice of one of the following: (the titles are all links so you can go see what they’re about) (and if you request a paperback, please include your snail mail address!)
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2015 HOLIDAY CONTEST as voted on by you!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Lucretia Schafroth
for The Woodland Christmas Tree!!!
Congratulations, Lucretia, on a fun, kid-friendly entry that was clearly very popular!!! 🙂
In Second Place…a tie!
Susan Schade
for The Christmas Cookie Crook
Hermanator33 for A Plane Ticket In A Rare Tree
Congratulations, Susan and Hermantor33 (sorry I don’t know your name – no byline!) on entries that were creative, kid-friendly and fun!!! You get first choice of the prizes that are left after Lucretia makes her choice. (We’ll have to sort it out between us since you tied.)
In Fourth Place…
Eileen Washburn for The Twelve Days Before Christmas
Congratulations, Eileen! You get to pick your prize after Lucretia, Susan, and Hermantor33!
In Fifth Place…
Lynne Marie for Let Witchmas Begin…
Congratulations, Lynne! You get to pick after Lucretia, Susan, Hermanator33, and Eileen.
In Sixth Place…
Jodi McKay for The Way We Celebrate Holidays: A Merry Mash-Up
Congratulations, Jodi! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 🙂
In Seventh Place…
Jen Bagan for The 12 Emotions Of Arbor Day
Congratulations, Jen! You get to pick next 🙂
In Eighth Place… another tie!
Monica Anderson for A Gift For The Princess
Jean James for The Evil Dr. Gerbil’s 12 Days Of Christmas
Congratulations, Monica and Jean! You get to pick after Jen! And again, we’ll just have to sort it out between us since you tied!
In Tenth Place…another tie!
David McMullin
for The Twelve Daves Of Christmas Town
Joni Klein-Higger
for Farmer Bubbe’s Chanukah
Congratulations, Dave and Joni! You get to pick after Monica and Jean! And again…! we’ll just have to sort it out between us since you tied!
And in Twelfth Place, rounding out the top dozen of these amazing finalists and the 82 Holiday Contest Entries for 2016…
Kim Ball for The Twelve Days Of Zoo Christmas
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! And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.
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 and a Holiday Treat (Snickerdoodles anyone? she asked hopefully 🙂 )
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. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
As I… hmm… maybe didn’t mention…?, I’m taking a little blogging break so I can spend time with my family – I’ve got children to fetch, cookies to bake, Christmas presents to shop for and wrap, and my sister and her family are arriving form Georgia on today! 🙂 So I will see you all in a couple weeks – most probably Wednesday January 4th for Would You Read It 🙂
So now, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday filled with love, laughter, joy, and family, and a happy, healthy and successful new year! It is a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend time with you all, and I’m happy and grateful to know each and every one of you!
Looking forward to all the things we’ll do in 2017!
Happy Holidays, and all best wishes for a wonderful New Year!!!
– Enrollment in Making Picture Book Magic (my online picture book writing class – in January or a later month to be mutually agreed upon by the winner and me)
In case any of you are wondering, it is actually Thursday evening.
I can tell that it’s Thursday evening because I’m writing this post. And that was my job for Thursday evening.
Ergo, it is Thursday evening.
Phew!
I’m glad we’re all clear on that.
I’m pretty sure it all works out with a time zone thing… you know, if it’s 10 PM on the east coast on the day after Thursday that we’re humoring me by agreeing is still Thursday, what time is it in Wales? Or in Australia or Japan where it’s never the same day?
Plus I’m pretty sure that if your internet totally dies for 12 hours due to sub-zero weather and frigid wind chills preventing you from posting, those 12 hours don’t count… it’s like they didn’t happen yet… and because it was so cold they multiply like dog years. So. Still Thursday 🙂
These situations, hauntingly reminiscent of 6th grade word problems in math, are very taxing to the tired and over-stressed, under-caffeinated, chocolate-deprived brain.
Or maybe I’m in a time warp… 🙂
Anyway, here on Thursday evening, my fellow judges and I have crawled out from under our rock hollow-eyed and haggard from the torment of having to choose a handful of finalists out of all these fabulous entries, and the time has nearly come for you to vote for your favorite!
But first a few words from the people in charge around here who always have to put their two cents in. (Apparently we’ve become the Royal We, referring to ourselves in the plural 🙂 )
First, I want to thank EVERYONE who found time in their busy holiday season schedule to write an entry for this contest – all 82 of you! The overall quality of the entries was amazing! There were no easy cuts. My assistant judges and I found something to like in every story and hated having to cut anyone! And this was a challenging prompt. You guys did an amazing job and really rose to the occasion. So much creativity and great writing! You should all pat yourselves on the back and have a celebratory bonbon!
Second, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time to go around to as many of the 41 different blogs as you could, as well as the 41 entries posted in the comments here, and read and leave supportive comments for the writers who worked so hard on these stories, and especially those who took the time to share many of those entries on social media to draw in other readers. In this business where rejection is a common and unavoidable part of the process, it means a great deal to writers to know that their work was read and enjoyed, and to receive a few kind words about their writing. It is one of the best things about this community – that people are so generous and kind to each other.
Third, before I list the finalists, I want to say again how really difficult it was to choose. There were so many fabulous entries. The sheer volume meant that many great stories had to be cut. So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And the fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to hone and tweak if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Finally, I’d like to be very clear about the voting process. Due to the large number of entries, there are 12 finalists listed below. I have deliberately listed them by title only, so as to help with objectivity. Please read through them and choose the one you feel is best and vote. You are MOST welcome to share a link to this post on FB, twitter, or wherever you like to hang out and encourage people to come read ALL the finalists and vote for the one they think is best. Please do that. The more people who read and enjoy these stories the better, and the more objective votes we get the better. HOWEVER (and I want to be very clear on this) please do not ask people to vote for a specific number or title, or for the story about Mrs. Claus dancing the makaraina with Rudolph or whatever. Trolling for votes or trying to influence the outcome is counter to the spirit of this competition which is supposed to be based on merit. I thank you in advance for respecting this.
Now, without further ado, here are your finalists. There is a mix of poetry and prose, funny, cute, and poignant, stories for younger and older child readers – quite a spread!
Remember that the judging criteria were:
1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience, so entries that were well-written but lacked child-friendliness or whose humor or content felt more appropriate for an older or adult audience did not make the cut. Sadly there were several GREAT entries where the judges felt the emphasis was too much on the relationship between Santa and Mrs. Claus (too adult to be appreciated by kids) or where the humor was directed at things adults would find funny but were less applicable to kids. At least one of our favorites fell into this category 😦
2. Quality of story – the rules stated that entries were to tell a story, so if they appeared to be more of a description or mood piece, they didn’t make the cut. We looked for a true story arc, and unfortunately there were quite a few lovely, entertaining, well-written entries that failed to meet this criteria. Quite a few entries started out very promisingly but fell flat at the end – casualties of the strict word count, I’m sure.
3. Quality of writing – use of language, correctness of tense, spelling and grammar, quality of rhyme and meter for the poetry entries, and overall impression of writing were factored in.
4. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
5. Following the contest rules… which happily I don’t really have to mention this time because no one submitted after the deadline, and no one exceeded the word count, and no one wrote a story that wasn’t about the holidays! Hurray! But one of our favorite entries, which was beautifully written and told a lovely story did not stick to the 12 Days format, structure or pattern as well as it needed to to make the finals, so that was too bad 😦
We cut 70 entries to leave you with these 12. It was very hard! We did the best we could. We chose some poetry, some prose; some for younger readers, some for older; some funny, some quieter; and a mix of holidays. I hope you’ll all find at least one of your favorites on the list below.
#1 – THE TWELVE DAYS OF ZOO CHRISTMAS
On the first day of Christmas, Elephant gave McGee the bark of a cinnamon tree.
On the second day of Christmas, Tortoise gave McGee two ginger roots.
On the third day of Christmas, Penguin gave McGee three clove buds.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Rhinoceros gave McGee four vanilla beans.
On the fifth day of Christmas, Owl gave McGee five nutmeg seeds.
On the sixth day of Christmas, Gorilla gave McGee six juicy lemons.
On the seventh day of Christmas, Lion gave McGee seven tubs of butter.
On the eighth day of Christmas, Hyena gave McGee eight jars of molasses.
On the ninth day of Christmas, Giraffe gave McGee nine scoops of raisins.
On the tenth day of Christmas, Armadillo gave McGee ten bags of sugar.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Chameleon gave McGee eleven sacks of flour.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Ostrich gave McGee twelve fresh laid eggs.
“Spread the word, Ostrich,” said McGee. “Party tonight!”
At closing time the zoo filled with delicious, spicy scents. Every nose quivered as the animals gathered.
Then McGee arrived with a wagon full of gingerbread cookies and a barrel of lemonade.
“My dearest friends, you showered me gifts and love. Now I’m sharing them with you.”
The animals trumpeted, hooted, roared and laughed.
“Before you dig in, here’s something I wrote for you.”
McGee sang. Soon the animals joined in. They finished like this:
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my best friends gave to me:
Twelve fresh laid eggs
Eleven sacks of flour
Ten bags of sugar
Nine scoops of raisins
Eight jars of molasses
Seven pounds of butter
Six juicy lemons
Five nutmeg seeds
Four vanilla beans
Three clove buds
Two ginger roots
And the bark of a cinnamon tree!
#2 – A Plane Ticket in a Rare Tree
I get to visit my Grandfather in Florida for Christmas but there’s a catch. My ticket is somewhere on a scavenger hunt, to be found in clues I assume.
The first clue of Christmas my Pop-Pop sent to me….
“Look for it in a in a rare tree. “
I start at the park, but there’s no a rare tree, just two turtle loves walking s-l-o-w-l-y and holding hands.
“Excuse me, have you seen a rare tree?”
“No. Check. the. lobby. of the French Inn.”
Ugh Turtles. I run toward the lobby. Am I holiday hallucinating? Is that four birds making phone calls? I skip a bird conversation and head for the Lost and Found.
No luck, all I see are five gold earrings! Who has five ears? Six dolls that look like geishas lying are in there too, but no rare tree.
I walk back to the park to plant myself on a bench. Is that my friend Swansa going swimming?
“Hi Swansa! Is your maid still making you drink those Smart Milk Smoothies?
“Daily. Why?” Swansa asks looking a rare case of confused.
“I’m looking for a rare tree. Want to help?”
“Look out! This delivery guy is not slowing down, ” Swansa says as she pushes me to the grass.
“Sorry, I have to get these late t-shirts to the Lord of the Dance gift shop before the show ends.”
I’m wobbly from my fall and walking like a piping sandpiper. My head feels like twelve drummers are pounding on my brain.
I take out my phone to listen to the message again. This time I laugh and laugh. Swansa looks concerned about my head.
“What is it?” She asks.
Well…… It turns out Pop-pop actually said,
“The ticket has been mailed to me.” Bad signal, sorry.
#3 – THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CROOK
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Detective Danish was called in to find the Christmas Cookie Crook.
“Start at the beginning,” he told the cookies still on the plate.
Fig Newton began,
“On the eleventh day of Christmas, before the Platter Party…
Eleven Linzers left,
Ten Truffles split,
Nine nonexistent Nut Balls,
Eight absent Anises,
Seven vanished Stars,
Six no-show Shortbreads,
Five Spritz disappeared,
Four missing Macaroons,
Three lost Thumbprints,
Two AWOL Tarts,
And one misplaced Biscotti.”
Detective Danish smacked his lips, “Hmmm, interesting, and appetizing.”
“Did you see anything suspicious, Fruitcake?”
“No, I didn’t. I’m very busy. Everyone loves me.”
He questioned the milk.
The milk was sour and tight lipped so the Detective moved on.
“Paper towel, did you see anything during clean up?”
“Why am I only invited to clean up?” She sobbed.
Detective Danish knew in his filling that something wasn’t right.
“NO ONE LOVES FRUITCAKE! He’s the Christmas Cookie Crook!”
Detective Danish freed the missing cookies from the fruitcake box.
The cookies cried, “Detective Danish cracked the case!”
and presented him with an invitation to the Platter Party.
Fruitcake was sent to the fridge with no parole.
#4 – THE WAYS WE CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS: A MERRY MASH-UP
Twas’ the time for the holidays and my friends had me thinking,
How do they celebrate? I don’t have an inkling.
I wanted to learn, understand, and to see
What folks ‘round the world honor and believe.
And to my surprise on my doorstep appeared
All of my friends, singing holiday cheer.
“On this very merry holiday we give these gifts to thee…”
Twelve star pinatas,
Eleven glowing crowns,
Ten bowls of noodles,
Nine toy-filled stockings,
Eight spinning dreidels,
Seven honored candles,
Six prayerful sticks,
FIVE LAMPS FOR LAKSHMI!
Four Fiscus trees,
Three sweet Klaicha,
Two golden lamps,
and a box of gratuity.
Such beautiful gifts from the friends I adore,
“Come in! Please, come in! I need to know more!”
So we sang and we danced, we shared stories of ways,
To celebrate each of these twelve holidays:
Las Posadas
St. Lucy’s Day
Omisoka
Christmas
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
Winter Solstice
Diwali
Bodhi Day
Eid
Chinese New Year
Boxing Day
And as snow sprinkled down from the heavens above
Our group became quite as we soaked in the love.
We learned what’s important, it’s really quite clear,
Now we’re paying it forward with this holiday cheer.
“On this very merry holiday, we give these gifts to thee…”
Twelve caring carolers
Eleven well wishes
Ten heartfelt hugs
Nine words of wisdom
Eight great memories
Seven crafty keepsakes
Six hands for holding
FIVE BLISSFUL BLESSINGS!
Four miracles
Three peace doves
Two gifts of hope
And love of diversity.
#5 – The 12 Emotions of Arbor Day
On the first day of Christmas, Arbor Day was mad.
“Christmas always gets the sparkle. The glitz. The Falala. Where are the Arbor Day decorations?”
On the second day of Christmas, Arbor Day was disgusted.
“Are these countdowns really necessary? We get it. It’s big. Nobody even knows when Arbor Day is!”
On the third day of Christmas, Arbor Day was annoyed.
“If I hear Jingle Bells one more time, I’m going to lose it!”
On the fourth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was defensive.
“Why don’t the other holidays get this hoopla? We’re pretty great too! Looking at you Static Electricity Day.”
On the fifth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was jealous.
”Santa!? Who can compete with that?”
On the sixth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was depressed.
“It’s no use. Christmas will always be the best. I’ll never be important.”
On the seventh day of Christmas, Arbor Day was surprised.
“A package? Ooooh … lights and beautiful baubles!”
On the eighth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was cheerful.
“I feel so lovely all dressed up. I wonder who was so kind to me?”
On the ninth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was amazed.
“I’ve never seen the forest glitter and sparkle so magically.”
On the tenth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was peaceful.
“It really is a wonderful time of year.”
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Arbor Day was touched.
“Another package? Ooooh … what a perfect star. It fits right on top. And a note: For Arbor Day. You are a star to me. Love, Christmas.”
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Arbor Day was happy.
“I love that I’m Arbor Day and Christmas is Christmas. We’re all special and I want to enjoy every one … even Static Electricity Day.”
#6 – A GIFT FOR THE PRINCESS
On the day after Christmas, Marek left the small shack he shared with his mother, holding tightly to a treasure his father had carved before he died. He joined a line of people waiting to enter the palace courtyard, each hoping his gift would please the princess enough to invite the giver and his family to celebrate the twelve days of Christmas in the palace.
“A partridge? A pear tree?” scoffed Princess Celina. “I have no use of these. Next!”
“Two turtledoves? Three French hens? Four calling birds? This is a palace, not an aviary.” Princess Celina dismissed the three men.
The jeweler offered the princess five gold rings. Princess Celina waved him away. “I have much finer things.”
The next man in line shooed in six geese.
“More birds?” Princess Celina said with a sigh.
“But any one of these could be the goose who lays the golden eggs,” the man told her.
“Or not,” she replied. “Next!”
Princess Celina yawned through seven mechanical swans swimming in a circle, and eight maids milking eight cows. Nine ladies danced in the courtyard. Ten Lords leapt. Eleven pipers played, and twelve drummers marched. Nothing captured Princess Celina’s attention.
“Is that all there is?” Princess Celina demanded. “Is no one worthy of celebrating the twelve days of Christmas here at the palace?”
Marek stepped forward. “I bring you an angel, carved by my father for the top of a Christmas tree. My mother and I are too poor to have a tree, but the angel deserves to be seen. Perhaps she may have a home here.”
Princess Celina looked at the angel, and into Marek’s hopeful eyes.
“Yes,” she agreed. “She may have a home here. Bring your mother to the palace and we will celebrate the twelve days of Christmas together.”
#7 – The Woodland Christmas Tree
On the first day of winter the critters did agree,
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the second day of winter the critters did agree,
Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the third day of winter the critters did agree,
Beaver cut it down, after Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the fourth day of winter the critters did agree,
Bear brought it home, once Beaver cut it down, after Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the fifth day of winter the critters did agree,
Gopher dug a hole, where Bear brought it home, once Beaver cut it down,
after Fox found the perfect pine to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the sixth day of winter the critters did agree,
Deer made a clearing, since Gopher dug a hole, where Bear carried it home,
once Beaver cut it down, after Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the seventh day of winter the critters did agree,
Raccoon strung the garland, after Deer made a clearing, since Gopher dug a hole,
where Bear carried it home, once Beaver cut it down, after Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
On the eighth day of winter the critters did agree,
Crow placed the topper, once Raccoon strung the garland, after Deer made a clearing,
since Gopher dug a hole, where Bear carried it home,
once Beaver cut it down, after Fox found the perfect pine
to make a special woodland Christmas tree.
By working in unity the critters did agree,
they were a model of efficiency!
(—four whole days ahead of schedule!)
#8 – LET WITCHMAS BEGIN…
“Christmas is more snow than glow,” Octavia observed. “It needs a makeover. Santa’s
lucky I traded holidays with him!”
With a flick of her wand, Christmas became “Witchmas”
Elves turned from merry to scary,
Colors from bright to just right and
Carols to scare-alls!
A tear ran down Octavia’s nose as she sang along…
On the twelfth day of Witchmas
my Crypt-mate sent to me:
12 Demons Dribbling
11 Pookas Primping
10 Mummies Mumming
9 Vampires Vamping
8 Monsters Mashing
7 Souls a-Swirling
6 Toads a-Croaking
5 Black Batwings
4 Carrion Birds
3 Ravens
2 Cawing Crows
and a Vulture in a dead tree.
“It’s a nightmare come true,” she murmured. And it was, until…
Octavia knocked at house #1.
“Scary Christmas!”
A door slammed in her face.
She’d forgotten to use the chimney.
After bandaging her nose, she entered house #2 from the roof.
“Ouch!”
She’d forgotten about the Yule Log.
After applying burn cream, she entered house #3 through the window.
“Crash!”
She’d forgotten about the Christmas tree.
She picked ornaments and pine needles from her hair.
“This holiday is more unbearable than scareable. I’m exhausted.” She threw up her hands. “I should be moon-tanning right now…”
With a flick of her wand, she brought back Christmas AND Santa.
“Glad you’re here,” said Octavia. “I quit!”
“Not until you’ve visited EVERY home on my list. A deal’s a deal,” Santa reminded her. “Besides, I have ideas for cheering up Halloween.”
“But Halloween’s a perfectly frightful holiday,” Octavia protested.
“Not for long.” Santa grabbed Octavia’s wand. “Ho Ho Ho, Merry Witchmas to all and to all a good night. See you on Holly-ween!”He pointed the wand at himself. “POOF!”
“I should be careful what I wish for,” said Octavia. “Where’s the cocoa? It’s going to be a long night.”
#9 – FARMER BUBBE’S CHANUKAH – removed at author’s request – look for this as a picture book one of these days 🙂
# 10 – THE DAVES OF CHRISTMAS TOWN
Twelve elves named Dave in Christmas Town
perform a simple task –
which every year saves Christmas time.
“But how?” I hear you ask.
Dave One puts sugar in a bowl,
Dave Two, he adds some more.
Dave Three pours milk and cracks the eggs.
The flour comes from Four.
Number Five then stirs the dough,
Six plops it in a pan.
Eight helps Seven bake it to
a lovely golden tan.
Nine spreads frosting, Ten shakes sprinkles,
Eleven sneaks a lick.
The cake is fetched by number Twelve
and given to St. Nick.
It has
Twelve shakes of cocoa,
Eleven juicy berries,
Ten curls of chocolate,
Nine crumbled cookies,
Eight small marshmallows,
Seven toasted almonds,
Six candied gingers,
Fiiiiive – jel – ly – beeeeeans,
Four toffee bits,
Three gum drops,
Two candy canes,
Leaving one huge smile on Santa’s face.
See, Santa never stops to rest,
he works till he’s run down.
Poor Santa Claus would starve without
the Daves of Christmas Town.
#11 – The Evil Dr. Gerbil’s 12 Days Of Christmas
Fox Breaking News: 1st day of Christmas
After being sentenced to a life of spinning for crimes committed against the animal kingdom, The Evil Dr. Gerbil managed to escape from his prison wheel today. Traces of pear were found at the scene, leading investigators to believe The Evil Dr. Gerbil’s on-again, off-again girlfriend Patty Partridge might have been involved.
Story at 11…
Fox Breaking News: 5th day of Christmas
At a press conference today Inspector Wallaby announced that the 5 Golden Ring Avian Gang comprised of 4 Calling Birds, 3 French Hens, and 2 Turtle doves sang fowl, giving up crucial information about Dr. Gerbil’s escape. They’ve had it out for Dr. Gerbil ever since the catastrophic avian flu vaccine incident.
Update at 11…
Fox Breaking News: 7th day of Christmas
While The Evil Dr. Gerbil remains at large, pressure in the Avian community persists. 6 Geese a laying believe they spotted Dr. Gerbil at the 7 Swans a Swimming indoor pool.
News at 11…
Fox Breaking News: 12th day of Christmas
It’s been 12 days since The Evil Dr. Gerbil’s escape from prison. Police are no closer to his whereabouts. Inspector Wallaby received numerous, revengeful tips from the community. Dr. Gerbil’s history includes: stealing 100 gallons of whole milk from the 8 Maids a Milking organic dairy farm, failing to pay 9 Ladies Dance studio for 40 hours of tango lessons, and leaving 10 Lords a Leaping hopping mad after he swindled them out their inheritance.
Once caught, Dr. Gerbil will be placed in solitary confinement, and subjected to the 11 pipers piping/12 drummers drumming prison band.
Fox News Update:
After an embarrassing 12-day failure to capture The Evil Dr. Gerbil, Inspector Wallaby has called on Dr. Gerbil’s archenemy Wonder Weasel to assist in the investigation.
Stay tuned…
#12 – The Twelve Days Before Christmas
Twelve days before Christmas, mom bought me a sparkly, bright light-up necklace that blinked red, silver and green – just like real holiday lights.
Eleven days before Christmas, Luis said my necklace wasn’t quite as cool as his talking Christmas tie. The new girl, Lucy, said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Ten days before Christmas, Mr. Silver said I should put the necklace in my desk until the end of the day.
Nine days before Christmas, mom and I brought cookies to the neighbors who give us coconut cake on Kwanzaa.
Eight days before Christmas, my necklace stopped blinking.
Seven days before Christmas, mom replaced the batteries and told me not to sparkle quite as much.
Six days before Christmas, I asked Lucy what she wanted for Christmas. She looked down at her feet and said snow boots would keep her dry.
Five days before Christmas, we sang in the holiday concert. I wore my necklace forRockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, but not for the Native American Winter Song.
Four days before Christmas, Mr. Silver found five shiny, gold chocolate coins for Hanukkah on his desk.
Three days before Christmas, Ms. Pam had to remind me not to leave my necklace on the bus.
Two days before Christmas, I gave Lucy the necklace. She smiled and twirled and said the colors glowed – like friendship.
On the day before Christmas, I asked Santa to bring Lucy the most sparkly pair of snow boots he could find. And more batteries.
Having read (and probably re-read and re-read!) through these 12 fabulous finalists, please VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE in the poll below by Sunday December 18 at 6 PM EST. I’m hoping the full weekend will give you enough time! That way, I can post the winners on Monday and we can celebrate and then all get on with our busy holiday schedules!
Thank you all so much for taking the time to write (if you did), read, and vote! These contests simply wouldn’t be what they are without all of you!
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