⭐️Deck the Halls! ⭐️ Light the menorah! ⭐️ Fill the Kikombe cha Umoja! ⭐️
It’s time for the . . .
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Tag: Kirsti Call
The 2021 Valentiny Contest WINNERS!!!
Rise and shine, my friends!
I know it’s Monday.
I know it’s freezing cold and snowing… AGAIN!
I know someone in your house probably snagged the last Poptart and you’re stuck eating All-Bran for breakfast. . .on a frigid Monday morning. . .in the snow!
But.
BUT!
I am about to cast a ray of sunshine into your freezing, snowy, All-Bran-y, Monday morning!
Yes!
It’s true!
Here comes sunshine and heart-warming happiness because I am going to SING YOU A SONG! 🎶🎵🎶
🎶How much are those Poptarts in the window,
So sugary sweet and divine?
I’m brave, but not brave enough to offer
All-Bran to my sweet Valentine!🎶
No?
Ok, how about
🎶Oh, my darling,
Oh, my darling,
Oh, my darling, Valentine!
I will give you all my Poptarts
If you promise to be mine!🎶
Oh no, wait! I’ve got it!
🎶I’m a little Poptart filled with jam
Some say I’m sweet and it’s true! I am!
But my Valentiny also true –
No one else is sweet as you!🎶
I don’t know what’s happening here.
Apparently someone (who is not a good singer) has Poptarts on the brain.
Who could that be?
But never mind, because GUESS WHAT?
It’s time to announce the WINNERS of
The 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time and care to write an entry for this contest. You all did a fabulous job and provided great enjoyment for so many! As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all! The other judges and I are blown away anew each time!
Second, I’d also like to thank EVERYONE – writer, reader, or both – who took the time to go around and read as many entries as you could and leave supportive comments. This means so much to the writers who worked hard on their stories. It helps them see what they did well, as well as giving them the joy of knowing that their stories were read and enjoyed. I hope you all got as much delight and entertainment out of the reading as I did! Plus, we got to meet quite a few new people which was a wonderful added bonus! 🙂
Third, I want to say again how difficult it was too choose! There were so many amazing entries. Really. I could find at least something terrific about every single one. The sheer volume of entries meant that many good ones had to be cut. We chose 14 finalists, and around 35 Honorable Mentions which we also loved, and even with those 49 total there were over 200 entries we couldn’t list! So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. You’re in good company! 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 and a deadline. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to expand beyond 214 words if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Because it was such a hard choice, and there were so many wonderful stories, before we get to the winners, my assistant judges and I would like to award bragging rights, 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!)
Elizabeth Volkmann for Class List
Melissa Trempe for The Most Terrible, Awful, Icky Valentine Ever
David McMullin for Brave Brave Brave (also funny 😊)
Laken Slate for The Brave Little Conversation Heart
M.R. Haqq for Soon
Mia Geiger for Peanut’s Brave Valentine’s Day
Ashlee Hashman for The Wildflower
Lindsey Hobson for U R Brave
Audrey Day-Williams for Legendary Valentine
Sara Ackerman for Arrrrr Is For Valentine
Amy Leskowski for A One-of-a-Kind, Just-in-Case, Not-at-All-Pink Valentine’s Day
Donna Kurtz for The Owl and the Kitty-Kat
2. For Great Kid Appeal: (not already mentioned in the finals or other categories)
Una Belle Townsend for Six Secret Valentines
Jan Suhr for The Lost Valentine
Kaylee Gwarjanski for Mission: Cancel Cupid Call
Gregory E. Bray for A Valentine’s Day Quest in the Land of Moore
Elizabeth Muster for W-R-I-T-E For Each Other
3. For Original POV:
Molly Ippolito for Cardamom’s Courage (POV of cardamom)
Rozana Rajkumari for Lemon-Tine (POV of a lemon)
4. For Humor:
Kelly Conroy for The Monster’s Valentine Buffet (dark 😊)
Catherine J Lee for The Valentine on My Shoe
Karyn Curtis for The Valentine’s Quest
Tracy Curran for The Wibbler (also great POV – jelly!)
5. For Well-Written, Fun Story With Great Sibling Interaction:
Brenda Whitehead for Step-Brother Battle
Shannon Howarth Nelson for Super Brothers
Danielle S. Hammelef for Scaredy-Cat
6. For Beautiful Writing:
Ciara N M Greenwalt for The Gift Tree
Sandhya Acharya for Sarla Asks A Question
Jyoti Rajan Gopal for A Cocoon of Love
Amy Flynn for Tilly’s Great Big Heart
7. For Best Short Valentiny Story:
P. J. Purtee for A Simple Valentine
8. For Sweet Valentiny:
Kelly Swemba for Brave For Gigi
Anne Bromley for Caleb’s Heart
Carmen Castillo Gilbert for Roses From Valentina
9. Best Story From A Young Writer:
Sophia Zafra for Bravery Is From The Heart
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 award badge and prize, which is five dollars in a format that can be emailed for you to put toward something you’d like at a large online store (and I’m being cryptic because when I did this for Halloweensie I got a ton of problematic spam mail because of the way I worded the post, but hopefully you can figure it out. The store starts with the letter A 😊) I know it’s not much, but hopefully it will come in handy for something!
And now…
…the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2021 VALENTINY CONTEST as voted on by you, our devoted readers!!!
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…
Sarah McDermott
for
Lemur in Love!!!
Congratulations, Sarah! We had such fun reading this aloud! Terrific job 😊
In Second Place
Sarah Meade
for
Jana’s Valentine Visit
Congratulations, Sarah! So believable! You get to pick your prize after Sarah.
In Third Place
Nancy Derey Riley
for
Percy’s Valentine
Congratulations, Nancy! What a perfectly rhymed and timely story! You get to pick your prize after Sarah and Sarah.
In Fourth Place…
Jessica Hinrichs
for
Valentine’s Gotcha Day
Congratulations, Jessica! So sweet! You get to pick your prize after Sarah, Sarah, and Nancy!
In Fifth Place…
Carrie Boone
for
The Ballad of Bad Bart
Congratulations, Carrie! What a Valentine bargain! You get to pick after Sarah, Sarah, Nancy, and Jessica!
In Sixth Place...
Nicole Loos Miller
for
Stella & Hank
Congratulations, Nicole! You must have a cat and a dog to write them so well! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 😊
In Seventh Place…
Paul Kurtz
for
Someone Special!
Congratulations, Paul! You made us laugh You get to pick next 😊
In Eighth Place…
Chambrae Griffith
for
Octopus Hugs
Congratulations, Chambrae! Happy ending for shark 😊 You get to pick after Paul 😊
In Ninth Place…
Janie Reinart
for
Untangled Valentines
Congratulations, Janie! So beautifully written! You get to pick after Chambrae!
In Tenth Place…
Anne Lipton
for
Most Valuable Valentine
Congratulations, Anne! You did a masterful job of turning history and racial justice into a Valentiny story! And in rhyme! You get to pick after Janie!
In Eleventh Place…
Katie Brandyberry
for
Valentine Delivery
Congratulations, Katie! We could just see the picture book your little mail truck would make! You get to pick after Anne 😊
In Twelfth Place…
Lauri C. Meyers
for
Charmadillo
Congratulations, Lauri! You had us at the title! And we laughed at the ending 😊 You get to pick your prize after Katie.
In Thirteenth Place…
Judy Sobanski
for
Brave Little Friends
Congratulations, Judy! Little Racoon was certainly very brave! 😊 You get to pick after Lauri!
In Fourteenth Place…
Samantha Haas
for
Valentine’s Day Rocks
Congratulations, Samantha! We loved Marjorie for her kindness and understanding, and Roger for bravely (and intelligently) coming up with valentines that worked for him!
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! (The sooner the better!) 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 gigantic chocolate heart… or lots of little chocolate hearts… or both… really, you can never have too much chocolate 😊 . (Or, can I interest you in a Poptart? Maybe a chocolate Poptart… 😊 )
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!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone! 😊
The Prizes: Swoonworthy!
Hannah VanVels – Agent, Belcastro Agency – PB MS Critique
Hannah will offer one lucky winner a PB MS critique. The winner may submit fiction or nonfiction, rhyme or prose – Hannah is open to anything!
Winner’s choice of Renee LaTulippe‘s Lyrical Language Lab Intensive Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course OR a one-hour ZOOM consultation with Renee to get feedback on a manuscript of your choice, ask questions about writing in rhyme/lyrical prose, or spend however you like!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyme or Prose, Fiction) from Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids 2019), COUNTING ELEPHANTS (Running Press Kids, March 2020), and THE NIGHT BAAFORE EASTER (WorthyKids January 26, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Kirsti Call author of The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall (Mazo Publishing, January 2019), Mootilda’s Bad Mood (Little Bee, September 2020), as well as COW SAYS MEOW (HMH) and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown) which will release in 2021.
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), and SADIE’S SHABBAT STORIES (Spork, October 2020)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction) from Becky Scharnhorst, author of the forthcoming MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel Books, July 6, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of A Flood Of Kindness (WorthyKids April 2021), DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018), and HAYFEST A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press 2010)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction, fewer than 800 words) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, February 16, 2021) (which means it’s coming out in the middle of our contest!😊) and the forthcoming LITTLE RED (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2022) and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonfiction PB or rhyming PB) from Julie Abery, author of LITTLE TIGER and LITTLE PANDA (Amicus Ink 2019), YUSRA SWIMS (Creative Editions February 2020), LITTLE MONKEY and LITTLE HIPPO (Amicus Ink February 2020), THE OLD MAN AND THE PENGUIN (Kids Can Press, December 2020), and the forthcoming LITTLE PENGUIN and LITTLE ZEBRA (Amicus Ink, March 2, 2021) and SAKIMOTO’S SWIM CLUB (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
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) She is on twitter at @SarafinaDesign
– Either a signed copy of WHEN A TREE GROWS OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique – winner’s choice! – from Cathy Ballou Mealey, author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Sterling April 2019) and the forthcoming SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
– a personalized signed copy of SUNDAY RAIN from author Rosie Pova PLUS a personalized signed copy of DEAR GRANDMA from Yours Truly.
– a personalized signed copy of DON’T HUG DOUG: (He Doesn’t Like It) from author Carrie Finison PLUS a personalized signed copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY from author/illustrator Nancy Derey Riley!
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Baafore Easter from author Dawn Young PLUS a personalized signed copy of Hop To It: Poems To Get You Moving from poet Sarah Meade!
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Be Brave, My Heart! – The 6th Annual Valentiny Contest Is Here!!!
[For those trying to post, you must click on the Blog Post Title to get on the blog post page and access the comments]
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Valentinies rock
And so do YOU!
Like galloping hooves, our brave hearts are pounding with excitement and anticipation (or maybe trepidation!) because it’s time for. . .
The 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels brave!
- They can be brave about asking someone to be their Valentine, of course, but they can also do something brave to get a Valentine (the person or the gift), or do something brave to help a friend. They could be brave about giving something up, or brave about asking someone they’re not sure they like to be their Valentine just to be nice. . . sky’s the limit! Think beyond the obvious!
- Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone brave (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊
- You can go under the word count but not over!
- Title is not included in the word count.
- You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
- No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section below (preferred) or on your own blog between right now this very second and Sunday February 14th by 11:59 PM EDT. If you only post on your own blog, add your post-specific link to the form list at the bottom of the post. This post with all the entries in the comment section and the list of links for those who prefer to post on their own blogs will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty posting your entry to the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! [susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com
We discussed changing the entry posting. The majority voted to have all the entries in one place here in the comment section, so we’re going to give that a try. But there were some who wanted to continue blog-hopping, so I’m going to include a link list for them at the bottom of the post. For those who are willing to post in the comment section but also plan to post on their own blogs, you are most welcome to post the link to your blog in your posted entry here (see example below.) That way people can come visit you if they want to but can also read most of the entries in one place on my blog if they prefer. It is certainly easier for the judges to have as many entries as possible in one place. We’ll try it this way one time and see how it works. We can always go back to the old system 😊
(So a sample entry might look like this:
ENTRY TITLE – word count
Author Name
(link to your own contest entry blog post if you have one and would like to share it)
Amazing wonderful Valentiny Contest story.😊
Dudley’s Brave Valentine – 212 words
by Violet Hill
http://bit.ly/3aOxhZm
It was almost Valentines Day and Dudley’s heart had sunk to somewhere near his big toenail.
(etc etc amazing story continues)
I know how hard you all work on your entries and how anxious you are to be sure your entry is posted, but please try to be a little bit patient if you’re waiting for your entry to show up in the comments or on the list of entries. I try never to get up from my desk during contests but sometimes it’s unavoidable. 😊
The Judging: over the next several days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 12 top choices which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Thursday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 22nd depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
- Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
- Creativity in using bravery and success in making us feel the bravery!
- Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story!
- Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
- Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
- Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
- How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines they won’t even read your submission.
The Prizes: Talk about a pounding heart! Just look at these fabulous prizes!
Hannah VanVels – Agent, Belcastro Agency – PB MS Critique
Hannah will offer one lucky winner a PB MS critique. The winner may submit fiction or nonfiction, rhyme or prose – Hannah is open to anything!
Winner’s choice of Renee LaTulippe‘s Lyrical Language Lab Intensive Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course OR a one-hour ZOOM consultation with Renee to get feedback on a manuscript of your choice, ask questions about writing in rhyme/lyrical prose, or spend however you like!
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyme or Prose, Fiction) from Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids 2019), COUNTING ELEPHANTS (Running Press Kids, March 2020), and THE NIGHT BAAFORE EASTER (WorthyKids January 26, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Kirsti Call author of The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall (Mazo Publishing, January 2019), Mootilda’s Bad Mood (Little Bee, September 2020), as well as COW SAYS MEOW (HMH) and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown) which will release in 2021.
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), and SADIE’S SHABBAT STORIES (Spork, October 2020)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction) from Becky Scharnhorst, author of the forthcoming MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel Books, July 6, 2021)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of A Flood Of Kindness (WorthyKids April 2021), DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018), and HAYFEST A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press 2010)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction, fewer than 800 words) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, February 16, 2021) (which means it’s coming out in the middle of our contest!😊) and the forthcoming LITTLE RED (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2022) and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonfiction PB or rhyming PB) from Julie Abery, author of LITTLE TIGER and LITTLE PANDA (Amicus Ink 2019), YUSRA SWIMS (Creative Editions February 2020), LITTLE MONKEY and LITTLE HIPPO (Amicus Ink February 2020), THE OLD MAN AND THE PENGUIN (Kids Can Press, December 2020), and the forthcoming LITTLE PENGUIN and LITTLE ZEBRA (Amicus Ink, March 2, 2021) and SAKIMOTO’S SWIM CLUB (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
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) She is on twitter at @SarafinaDesign
– Either a signed copy of WHEN A TREE GROWS OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique – winner’s choice! – from Cathy Ballou Mealey, author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Sterling April 2019) and the forthcoming SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
– a personalized signed copy of SUNDAY RAIN from author Rosie Pova PLUS a personalized signed copy of DEAR GRANDMA from Yours Truly.
– a personalized signed copy of DON’T HUG DOUG: (He Doesn’t Like It) from author Carrie Finison PLUS a personalized signed copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY from author/illustrator Nancy Derey Riley!
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Baafore Easter from author Dawn Young PLUS a personalized signed copy of Hop To It: Poems To Get You Moving from poet Sarah Meade!
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
Now! Put your heart into it and bravely post your entries!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!!
Eager Readers: Check out the comment section for all the fabulous entries, and the link list at the end to visit the blogs of the authors who wanted to post on their own home turf 😊
ENTRIES IN THE COMMENT SECTION: (all entries are linked)
- Not “IT” – Danielle Sharkan
- A Goosely Valentine – Danielle Sharkan
- Charlie and Sienna – A Friendship Story – Laura Roettiger
- Most Valuable Valentine – Anne Lipton
- A Valentine’s Day Quest in the Land of Moore – Gregory Bray
- Red-Green Valentine’s Day – Stephanie Amargi
- A One-of-a-Kind, Just-in-Case, Not-at-All-Pink Valentine’s Day – Amy Leskowski
- Love Is Stronger – Teresa Traver
- Valentine’s Gotcha Day – Jessica Hinrichs
- Carmela’s Valentines – Lu Pierro
- Bee Brave – Gennie Gorback
- Crushed – Corine Timmer
- Too Chicken – Sue Lancaster
- Shelly and the Path of Peril – Sue Lancaster
- Brave Hearts – Jamie Donahoe
- Step-Brother Battle – Brenda Whitehead
- I Woof You – Debra Daugherty
- My Valenchicken – Glenda Roberson
- A Neighborly Valentine – Meg King-Sloan
- U R Brave – Lindsey Hobson
- If I Were Brave – Rose Cappelli
- Elonso’s Best Valentine’s Day Ever – Susan Drew
- Dibble and Wiscowski: “A Cookie Valentine” – Bru Benson
- One Brave Balloon – Susan Schade
- The Wibbler – Tracy Curran
- Brave Bonnie – Shannon VanStraten-Sundlass
- Cupid, Junior – Linda Staszak
- A Valentine Visit – Julie Maria
- Cupid: The Love Fairy – Rachel Shupin
- Be Brave On Valentine’s Day – Sara Kruger
- Operation Moonbeam – Simon Yeend
- A Valentine Rose – Daryl Gottier
- The Ballad of Bad Bart – Carrie Boone
- The Brave Little Seed – Michelle S. Kennedy
- Something I Want To Say – Jeny Morales
- Stella & Sparky And The Last Valentine – Patricia Nozell
- Stella & Hank – Nicole Loos Miller
- Untangled Valentines – Janie Reinart
- The Wildflower – Ashlee Hashman
- The Color of Love – Allison Strick
- Puppy Love – Deb Buschman
- Super Brothers – Shannon Howarth Nelsen
- Brave For Gigi – Kelly Swemba
- Wannabe my Valentine – Cynthia Stacey
- Cupix – Bridget Magee
- U To The Rescue – Amy Heath
- Blob’s Valentine’s Wish – Deb Sullivan
- Violet & The Valentine’s Vampire – Sarah Meade
- Jana’s Valentine’s Visit – Sarah Meade
- Mole & Miss Vole on Valentine’s Day – Sarah Meade
- A Valentine’s Mouse In Our House – Elizabeth Meyer Zu Heringdorf (2 entries in one comment)
- Will you be my ninja – Elizabeth Meyer Zu Heringdorf (2 entries in one comment)
- Grouchy Grover – Rebekah Hoeft
- Brave In A Cave – Cedar Pruitt
- Cardy’s Valentine Story In All Its Glory – Sally Yorke-Viney
- My Kind of Valentine! – Megan France
- Lavender Buzz – Vicky Langdon
- Love Sick – Abi Island
- Be Brave! – Lisa M. Clewner-Newman
- I’m Not Afraid – Patricia J. Franz
- The Girl With The Candyfloss Hair – Simon Yeend
- Valentine’s Day on Halloween Hill – Abby Wooldridge
- W-R-I-T-E For Each Other – Elizabeth Muster
- Olive You Forever – Ann Ferrello
- The Pink Pro – Kelsey Gross
- Brave Brave Brave – David McMullin
- The Witch of Valentine Lane – Marietta Apollonio
- Gordon’s One-Footed Hop – Kelsey Gross
- Charmadillo – Lauri C. Meyers
- “Soon” – M.R. Haqq
- More Than Cookies – Halley M. Cormack, LCSW
- Fishing For Love: A DIARY – Amy Olsen
- The Lost Valentine – Jeannette Suhr
- Brave New Friends – Dawn Young
- Scaredy-Cat – Danielle S. Hammelef
- Hard To Love – Robin Currie
- Brave Hearts – Susan Klaren
- Across The Road – Rachel Dutton
- Knight of Hearts – Ellen Crosby
- Tootsee Tulip Bulb’s Love-Treat – Judy Caldwell Hughes
- Brave in the Basement – Jessica Whipple
- Caleb’s Heart – Anne Bromley
- Corn Dogs on the Corner – Colleen Dougherty
- Brave Heart – Rebecca Gardyn Levington
- Knock, Knock, Knock – Marty Findley
- Villain-tine’s Day – Laura Bower
- Take A Deep Breath – Elyse Trevers
- Only Three Words – B. A. Schlosser Hill
- A Stolen Valentine – Martha Holguin
- Class List – Elizabeth Volkmann
- Cards and Cookies – Jennifer Reichow
- Chalk Tears – Judy Brewer
- Nurse A Broken Heart – E. Elle Bea
- Bravely Soldier On – E. Elle Bea
- New Kid Blues – Darcee A. Freier
- Valentine’s Recitation – Keely Leim
- Mama Love. Dada Love. – Nancy M. Tichenor
- A Valentine’s Treasure – Ingrid Boydston
- An Itsy Bitsy Valentine – Maria Antonia
- Dino & Gigi – Carolina Bottino (Nina K. Brown)
- Hearts Trail – Carolina Bottino (Nina K. Brown)
- The Giant’s Valentine – Sheila M. Hausbeck
- The Loneliness Street – Nina K. Brown
- Brave Little Valentine – Charlotte Dixon
- Playdate – Margaret Aitken
- Octopus Hugs – Chambrae Griffith
- Conversation Heart Courage – Becky Kimbrough
- My Friend Nate – Karima Davis
- Jojo’s Valentine – Sarah Hawklyn
- “I Like You A Lot” – Julie Schnieders
- Unconventional Friendship – Sarah Hawklyn
- The Flavors of the Heart – Armineh Manookian
- The Candybot – Ellen Seal
- An Otter Love Story – Kristy Roser Nuttall
- Floret And The Fondue – Ashley Sierra
- Be Brave, Be Kind, My Valentine – Susan E. Schipper
- Cupid’s Booty Camp For BabyBoo – Ally Enz
- Playing To Win – Norah Colvin
- Super Special Valentine – Aundra Tomlins
- A Brave Change of Heart – Amy Nicolai
- Sarla Asks A Question – Sandhya Acharya
- A Trail of Ketchup and Mustard – MeiLin Chan
- Juliet and Romeo: Verona’s Valentine’s Celebration – Cristina Raymer
- A Little Atom – Isabel Cruz Rodriguez
- Oscar Octopus Plants A Garden – Isabel Cruz Rodriquez
- My Bestest Friend – Roberta Abussi
- My Every-Day-Valentine – Roberta Abussi
- Sarah’s Valentines – Rachel Zimmerman Brachman
- Lemur In Love – Sarah McDermott
- A Cocoon of Love – Jyoti Rajan Gopal
- Eggbert – Charlie Bown
- A Valentine For Mom – Patricia Martin
- Becca’s Brave Hearts – Marty Bellis
- Little Truck’s Daring Delivery – Kristin Kolp
- The Valentine On My Shoe – Catherine J. Lee
- No More Pink – Robin Currie
- Shiny Sharp Scissors – Katie Fischer
- Valentine Love Languages – Jaymie Dean
- Val & Jack – Karen Keesling
- Brave Heart – Tonnye Fletcher
- Valentine Delivery – Katie Brandyberry
- Apple Pie: Valentine’s Day Treat – Sarah Skolfield
- Brave Little Friends – Judy Sobanski
- Lone’s Very First Day – Jennifer Reinharz
- The Monster’s Valentine Buffet – Kelly Conroy
- Freddie Frog’s Valentine – Lindsey Hobson
- A Simple Valentine – P. J. Purtee
- The Wonky Heart – Stacy Burch
- Roses From Valentina – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
- A Natural Valentine’s Day – Sharon McCarthy
- Miss Hedgehog’s Valentine Mission – Amy LaMae Brewer
- Blown Away – Diana Webb
- Zooming Valentine’s Day – Susan VandeWeghe
- Snack Attack – Melisa Wrex
- Heart Hands – Sarah Heaton
- Bigfoot’s Valentine – Kirsten Leestma
- Geronimo! – Lydia Loeber
- The Most Terrible, Awful, Icky Valentine Ever – Melissa Trempe
- Babies Share Bedrooms – Kristi Newsome
- 214 St. Valentine Way – Tracy Anderson Martin
- Six Secret Valentines – Una Belle Townsend
- The Bees and the Birdss – Paul Kurtz
- Someone Special! – Paul Kurtz
- Zombie My Valentine – Donna Kurtz
- The Owl and the Kitty-Kat – Donna Kurtz
- No Pictures! – Diane S. Scotti
- Blue Flower – Mary Warth
- New Line Valentine – Marcia Parks
- Leo Lionhearted – Jill Lambert
- Bravery Is From The Heart – Sophia Zafra
- A Heavenly Visit – Deborah Dolan Hunt
- The Bird And The Cat – Beth Winslow
- THE Valentine Question – Kate Rehill
- How To Be Valentines (With A Boa Constrictor) – Mary Noon
- Desi’s Daring Delivery – Darci Nielson
- New Best Friend – Sherri T. Mercer
- The Gift Tree – Ciara N M Greenwalt
- One Shot – Dazzle Ng
- Fuzzy Bum – Stacey Miller
- Arrrrr Is For Valentine – Sara Ackerman
- Valentine’s Day Rocks – Samantha Haas
- Cyrus The Bold – Patricia Corcoran
- Saying What I Really Mean – Nina Nolan
- Mr. Grumpy’s Valentine – Anne Sawan
- Heart Shaped Everything – Rathi Munukur
- You Can Do This Jonathan! – Martina Palkovicova
- Caveman Valentine – Jennifer Lowe
- Percy’s Valentine – Nancy Derey Riley
- Brave Hearts – Mary Rudzinski
- Legendary Valentine – Audrey Day-Williams
- In Front Behind – Diana Webb
- A Punny Valentine – Linda Staszak
- Love is an Ocean Away – Kimiko Wadriski Lumsden
- Valentine’s Day Rescue – Brigid Finucane
- Mission: Cancel Cupid Call – Kalee Gwarjanski
- The Valentine’s Quest – Karyn Curtis
- Seeking Courage – Bonnie Kelso
- Valentina and Valentino – Claire Lewis
- Will You Bee My Valentine – Ranessa Doucet
- A Valentine Ski – Clara MacClarald
- Dance Like An Eagle – Jyothi Nookula
- A Gift For Abuelo – JC Kelly
- My Tummy Valentine – Janice Kay Alexander
- Elijah and the Valentine – Susan Twiggs
- Assortment Phobia – JC Kelly
- A Beastly Valentine – Steve Jankousky
- A Valentiny for ME! – Karima Davis
- Friendship Cake – Dea Lenihan
- Be My Valentine – Liz Kehrli
- Love Story – Liz Kehrli
- Love Birds – Lisa Lee Furness
- Mr. Grumpy – Mary A. Zychowicz
- Feep and Meep – Echo Roben
- The Cave of Utter Darkness – Bill Canterbury
- Yellow Like A Mango – Imelda Taylor
- Melanie’s Back! – Shari Della Penna
- All About Heart – Anna Lunt
- Tilly’s Great Big Heart – Amy Flynn
- Insiya’s Valentine – Aditya Simha
- Corazon Does Not Cliff Jump – Kate Rehill
- We’re Still Brave! – Kelly Coutsoubos
- The Cupcake Who Dared To Be Different – Susanne Whitehouse
- Lucy’s Brave Lifelines – Karen A. Kelly
This form ONLY for people who prefer to post on their own blogs and are ONLY posting their entries on their own blogs!
Eh, What’s Up Doc? Announcing The Guidelines For The 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest!!!
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Atlas.
Atlas who?
Atlas, it’s Valentines Day!
Ok, well, it’s not quite Valentines. . .
How about this one?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Iguana.
Iguana who?
Iguana hold your hand!
Ok 😊 I’ll stop 😊 Because what iguana do really is let you know that it’s time to fire up those brain cells and write your entry for. . .
The 6th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels brave! They can be brave about asking someone to be their Valentine, of course, but they can also do something brave to get a Valentine (the person or the gift), or do something brave to help a friend. They could be brave about giving something up, or brave about asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason to be nice. . . sky’s the limit! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone brave (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 🙂 You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 🙂 No illustration notes please!
Post your story on your blog between 12:00 AM EDT Friday February 12th and Sunday February 14th by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list that will accompany my February 12th post. There will be no regularly scheduled posts that week (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It or PPBF), so the post and the list of links will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section of that post once it’s up. (Or, if you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! Although I have a question I’d love addressed in the comments: would it be easier for everyone to post their entry in the comment section of my blog so everything is all together? I know it means no blog-hopping, but do you guys think it would be simpler? Or do you prefer the opportunity to visit new blogs?
The Judging: over the next several days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-10 top choices depending on number and quality of entries (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with the narrowing, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Thursday February 19th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 22nd depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
- Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
- Creativity in using bravery and success in making us feel the bravery!
- Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story!
- Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
- Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
- Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
- How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.
The Prizes: I’m still working on prizes (aren’t I always 😊), but I wanted to get the contest guidelines up so you’d have time to write. If anyone has anything fabulous to offer, drop me an email 😊 But meanwhile, start writing and watch this space for prizes which I will add as I get them organized!
Hannah VanVels – Agent, Belcastro Agency – PB MS Critique
Hannah will offer one lucky winner a PB MS critique. The winner may submit fiction or nonfiction, rhyme or prose – Hannah is open to anything!
Winner’s choice of Renee LaTulippe‘s Lyrical Language Lab Intensive Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course OR a one-hour ZOOM consultation with Renee to get feedback on a manuscript of your choice, ask questions about writing in rhyme/lyrical prose, or spend however you like!
Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyme or Prose, Fiction) from Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids 2019), COUNTING ELEPHANTS (Running Press Kids, March 2020), and THE NIGHT BAAFORE EASTER (WorthyKids January 26, 2021)
Kirsti Call – Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Kirsti Call author of The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall (Mazo Publishing, January 2019), Mootilda’s Bad Mood (Little Bee, September 2020), as well as COW SAYS MEOW (HMH) and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown) which will release in 2021.
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), and SADIE’S SHABBAT STORIES (Spork, October 2020)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction) from Becky Scharnhorst, author of the forthcoming MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Philomel Books, July 6, 2021)
Ellen Leventhal – Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of A Flood Of Kindness (WorthyKids April 2021), DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018), and HAYFEST A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press 2010)
– Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non-rhyming, fiction, fewer than 800 words) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, February 16, 2021) (which means it’s coming out in the middle of our contest!😊) and the forthcoming LITTLE RED (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2022) and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)
Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonfiction PB or rhyming PB) from Julie Abery, author of LITTLE TIGER and LITTLE PANDA (Amicus Ink 2019), YUSRA SWIMS (Creative Editions February 2020), LITTLE MONKEY and LITTLE HIPPO (Amicus Ink February 2020), THE OLD MAN AND THE PENGUIN (Kids Can Press, December 2020), and the forthcoming LITTLE PENGUIN and LITTLE ZEBRA (Amicus Ink, March 2, 2021) and SAKIMOTO’S SWIM CLUB (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
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) She is on twitter at @SarafinaDesign
– Either a signed copy of WHEN A TREE GROWS OR a Picture Book Manuscript Critique – winner’s choice! – from Cathy Ballou Mealey, author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Sterling April 2019) and the forthcoming SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021)
Rosie Pova – personalized signed copy of SUNDAY RAIN
– a personalized signed copy of DON’T HUG DOUG: (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison PLUS a personalized signed copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY by Nancy Derey Riley!
Dawn Young – personalized signed copy of The Night Baafore Easter
So you’ve got nearly 3 weeks to write your entry! Butt in chair! Valentine Chocolate and coffee/tea on your desk! Brain in gear! Ready, set, WRITE! Be Brave! You can do it!!!
I can’t wait to read your stories!!!
The 10th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest ~ aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!!!
Viper fangs and dragon claws. It’s time for. . .
The 10TH Annual HALLOWEENSIE CONTEST!!!
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words skeleton, creep, and mask. Your story can be scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 🙂 (And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge! We got over 325 fantastic entries last year, so I know you can do it!) Also, you may use the words in any form – e.g. skeletons, creepy/crept, masked/unmasked, whathaveyou 🙂 NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES PLEASE! (And yes, you may submit more than one entry if you’re so inclined 🙂 )
Post: your story on your blog between right now this very second and Saturday October 31st by 11:59 PM Eastern Time and add your post-specific link to the list below. There will be no Tuesday Debut, Perfect Picture Book or Would You Read It posts for the duration of the contest so the links will stay up for everyone to visit and enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section below (please include your byline if your posting handle is something like MamaWritesByNightlight so I can identify you.) If you have difficulty posting in the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and I’ll post it for you. Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title and byline at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! And please do not submit entries in more than one place because it becomes confusing.
The Judging: in a grueling marathon over the following days, my devoted assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 6 9 12? top choices (give or take… you know how hard it is to choose!) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Wednesday November 4th or Thursday November 5th (if the judging takes longer than we expect if could be later…but we will do our best!) The winner will be announced on Monday November 9th (good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😊 )
Judging criteria will be as follows:
- 1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
- 2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
- 3. 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: 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!
Vivian Kirkfield is the author of SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books, 2019), PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House, 2019), FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN (Pomegranate 2019), MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD (Little Bee, January 14, 2020), and more…
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.
Penny is the author of THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT (Random House 2015) (now available in board book and with matching pajamas! 🙂 ) and A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE (Random House 2017)
3 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyme or prose) from Carrie Finison, author of DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS (Putnam, July 2020) and DON’T HUG DOUG (forthcoming from Putnam in January 2021.)
4 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Lydia Lukidis, author of NO BEARS ALLOWED (Blue Whale Press 2019) and many educational titles.
5 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction or nonfiction) from Teresa Robeson, author of Queen of Physics (Sterling, 2019) and Two Bicycles In Beijing (Albert Whitman, 2020)
6
6 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Kirsti Call author of The Raindrop Who Couldn’t Fall (Mazo Publishing, January 2019), Mootilda’s Bad Mood (Little Bee, September 2020), as well as COW SAYS MEOW (HMH) and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown) which will release in 2021.
7 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018), and HAYFEST A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press 2010)
8 – Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Heather Gale, author of Ho’onani Hula Warrior (Tundra Books, October 2019)
9 – a personalized signed copy of The King Cake Baby and 15 Minute “Ask Me Anything” Video Chat with Keila Dawson, author of The King Cake Baby (Pelican 2015), No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History (Charlesbridge 2020), and Opening The Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book (forthcoming from Beaming Books, January 2021)
10 – Making Picture Book Magic Self Study – an online picture book writing class – any month of winner’s choice!
11 – a personalized signed copy of EITHER ROCK AND ROLL WOODS (PB) or an ARC of SPIRITS AMONG US (MG) from author Sherry Howard
AND a personalized signed copy of TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE (Abrams Appleseed, May 2020) by Gabi Snyder
12 – a personalized signed copy of NOT SO SCARY, JERRY (Spork, 2017) by Shelley Kinder
AND a personalized signed copy of MARS’ FIRST FRIENDS: COME ON OVER ROVERS! (Sourcebooks 2020) by Susanna Leonard Hill
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 😊
Now then, my pretties! It’s past the witching hour in the dead of night – very appropriate for a Halloween story, don’t you think? – and the time has come for me to embarrass myself my sample entry which should fill you with confidence in your own MUCH MUCH better efforts!!!
Halloween
A pumpkin moon
A ghostly ship
A still lagoon
Tattered sails
Like swirling mist
Ancient rigging
Creaks and twists
Skull and crossbones
Striking fear
Warning sailors
Far and near
Captain Jack
Comes thump-a-peg
Limping on
His broomstick leg
“Steady now,”
breathes Captain Jack,
“Mustn’t blow
our sneak attack!”
Silently
The ghost ship glides
Closer . . .
Closer . . .
On the tides
Guided through
The murky blue
By the ghastly
Skeleton crew
Stealthily
it comes abreast
creeping
uninvited guest
nearing windows
warm with light
no idea
of their plight
Captain Jack
Deceit complete
Unmasks and shouts out, “Trick-or-treat!”
It’s truly spooky how willing I am to embarrass myself for you! 😊😊😊
I can’t wait to read all of your entries! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still nearly 3 days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the google form below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!)
Eager Readers – just go along the list of links, click on them, and enjoy the stories!
Happy Writing and Happy Halloween!!! 😊 🎃
And don’t miss the 169!!! fabulous entries that are posted in the comments
below! (Hopefully each one is a link, but thanks to the new wordpress, I’ve redone the list twice with uncertain success!)
- Midnight Rescue – Laura Bost
- You Don’t Scare Me – Brenda B. Covert
- Rattle, Rattle Skeleton – Vashti Verbowski
- Corona’s Evil Plan – Marty Findley
- Littlest Witch’s Wild Ride – Marty Findley
- Shy Skeleton’s Dance – Marty Findley
- A Night Out. . . – Deb Sullivan
- See Billy Bony – Helen Addyman
- Scare School – Laura Howard
- Is It Time? – Sue Lancaster
- The Skeletons’ Masked Ball – Sue Lancaster
- Halloween Masquerade – Jamie Donahoe
- The Curse of Halloween – Bru Benson
- Halloween Hesitation – Beth Volkmann
- The Phantom Of The Library – Natalie Cohn
- Trick Or Treat – Alli Straus
- No Bones About It – Judy Sobanski
- Family Business – Natalie Cohn
- Tattered Treats – Marilyn Garcia
- Halloween Surprise – Anna Ouchchy
- A Spider’s Tale – Darcee A. Freier
- Grandfather’s Clock – Sarah Heaton
- Halloween Peeps – Jamie Donahoe
- Mystery Guest – Dawn Young
- Nelly O’Skelly – Danielle Sharkan
- First Halloween – Carol Jones
- One Noisy Halloween – Rebecca Thill
- Polly’s Not-So-Perfect Potion – Susan Summers
- Masquerade – Kathiann Weatherbee
- Howl-o-weenie – Ashlee Hashman
- Trick Or Treat – Stephanie Mena
- Skelly The Skeleton – Michelle S. Kennedy
- Trudy’s Toothy Halloween – Kelsey Gross
- Class Pet Trickery! – Mary Bleckwehl
- Hola Halloween! – ‘Boo Darkling’ (Roo Parkin)
- BOO! – Rebecca Woodall
- Haunted – Anne Lipton
- Creepy D’s – Martha Holguin
- Trick Or Treat – Marla Yablon
- Skellie’s Closet – KeelyWrites
- Skelly B. Skeleton – Cathy Chester
- When Skally Nearly Didn’t Show His Face – Diana Webb
- Sammy Goes Home – Courtney Rubo
- GRRRRRRRRRR! – Donna Kurtz
- Teeth Love HalloweenToo! – Donna Kurtz
- The Halloween Fair – Donna Kurtz
- Skeleton And Ghostina – Gail Hartman
- Little Bonesy Loves Halloween! – Paul Kurtz
- Mousey’s Batty For Halloween! – Paul Kurtz
- Spider-Claws Is Comin’ To Town – Paul Kurtz
- A Bone-afide Friend – Kristen Reinsel
- Wendy’s Sugar Spell – Caitlin Eslinger
- A Very Scary Halloween – Kerrie Elizabeth Godding
- Haunted Hallo-weave – Cathrene Valente Youngquist
- Spider’s Can’t Dance! – Cathrene Valente Youngquist
- The Beady Eye – Libby Hartwell
- Stitch – Amy Duchene
- Halloween Surprise – Sarah Hawklyn
- Four Dancing Skeletons – Isabel Rodriguez
- First Trick-or-Treat – Carol Samuelson-Woodson
- BIG Boney Story – Yolanda Danyi Szuch
- Skeleton Knights – Islancy Guada
- Halloween, This Year – Nina Nolan
- The Arnold Rock – Polly Sheldon
- Skeleton’s Scare – Erin K. McCabe
- Skeleton’s In The Closet – Karen Keesling
- Vampire And Skeleton Go Shopping – Jay Reece
- Haiku – Corine Timmer
- Opportunity Wanders – Florbela Nienaber
- The Skele-Mummy – Linda Staszak
- All On A Halloween Night – Linda Staszak
- Creep A Little Closer – Yvonne McCutchen
- Moonlight Party – Yvonne McCutchen
- Stella Decorates – Melissa Warren
- Candy Heist – Sarah Hawklyn
- Pillows In Pants – Christine Menke
- The Masked Skeleton – Deborah Dolan Hunt
- Mask Required – Lucretia Schafroth
- Psyched Out – Karen Pickrell
- The Case Of The Missing Skeleton – Karen Pickrell
- All Hallows’ Eve – Liz Kehrli
- My Worst Thirty-first – Obbverse
- Scary Mary – Geraldine Jones
- Sweet Escape – Allison Strick
- Bones: A Love Story – Keatley Eastman
- Phoebe’s Magic Stew – Linda Hofke
- Paco And The Skeletons – Katie Schwartz
- Lester Skeleton’s Halloween Hunt – Ford Waight
- Little Frankie Patches Things Up – Rozana Rajkumari
- Witch’s Fiery Broth – Corine Timmer
- Jack’s Halloween – Kara Sibilia
- The Jolly Skeleton – Linda Staszak
- Sammy Skeleton’s Warm Halloween – Lily Erlic
- Slinky Skeleton – Penelope McNally
- Annabelle’s Halloween – Penelope McNally
- The Hungry Corpse – Robert Schechter
- Little Goblin’s Halloween – Kathleen Mazurowski
- The Curse – Glenda Roberson
- Moving Day – Laura Bower
- Halloweenie – Lauren Harris
- Letter On The Door – Jessica Reed
- Sebastian’s Halloween – Polly Owen
- Skeleton’s Halloween Party – Polly Owen
- Halloween High Jinx – Stacey Miller
- Weensie’s Potion – Lisa Lee Furness
- The Nightmarish Place – Suzie Olsen
- I’m Not Scared – Desirae Moten
- What A Haul! – Diane Hanington
- The Halloween Trick – Aimee Larke
- A Skeleton’s Fright – Nadia Ali
- The Maple Tree Fright – Rebecca Allain
- Creepy Cookie Night – Annette LaFortune Murray
- The Night Stacey Saved Halloween – Autumn Haley (age 8)
- The Skeleton Ball – Jenny Caddy
- The Halloween Car Parade – Laura Bower
- The Halloween Ball – Crystal Lamb
- A Halloween Scare – Sarah Hetu-Radny
- Skeleton And Jack – Jennifer Bochonowicz
- Halloween – Marjorie David
- Ben’s Biggest Fear – Maria Pichler
- Skeletons – Patty Wright
- GHOST On The COAST – Becky Loescher
- The Scare Dare – Nancy Derey Riley
- Lonely Spider’s Dance – Danielle Sharkan
- Things That Go Cronk – Carla Bourne
- Grrrr! Brothers! – Susan Drew
- Midnight Mortal Ball – Nicola Thackrey
- The Monsters Of Halloween – Ryan Roberts
- The Perfect Halloween Present – Jenny Buchet
- Hopeless Heist – Karyn Curtis
- A 2020 Halloween Bash – Kristen Foote
- Boneyard Ballet – Jennifer Broedel
- Halloween Night – Di Litwer
- Tom Bones Goes Rogue – Marty Bellis
- A Bone-Fide Halloween Tale – Marty Bellis
- Dad’s Halloween – Lisa Lipsey
- Final Moments – E. Elle Bea
- How To Hug A Ghost – Cathy Lee Patterson
- Not This Year! – Carmen Castillo Gilbert, PhD
- Shh! Party In My Room! – MeiLin Chan
- Little Witch – Tracy Detz
- A Pumpkins Story – Christine Graham
- Beware Of Humans – Janelle Springer-Willms
- Beware Of Skeletons – Lea Boyd (age 8)
- Little Badger’s Great Big Scare – Bridget Grey
- Lightning And A Mask Of Stars – Rhett Trull
- Creature Of The Night – Lindsey Aduskevich
- Thorny Lane’s Treasure – Rhonda Gatlin
- Argleby’s New School Adventure – Echo Roben
- A Cat-astrophic Halloween – Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
- Two Can Play – JC Kelly
- Mia’s Halloween Celebration – Lily Erlic
- Seven Jack-O-Lanterns – Mary Arkiszewski
- A-Z: Who’s Behind Me? – Ashley Congdon
- The Attic Mask – Barbara DiMarco
- Not-So-Happy Halloween – Claire Schlinkert
- The Skeleton Creep – Tracy Curran
- The Brown, Brown Boots On The Cold, Cold Floor – Crystal Lamb
- Hedgehogs In The Garden – Nicola Holden
- Home Sweet Home – Mona Pease
- All Bones – Desi Valle
- Hallowcake Cravings – Katie Pals
- Foggy Halloween – Denise Seidman
- Halloween Is Scary – Valerie McPherson
- The Sweetest Halloween Treat On Earth – Jill Burns
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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