Guidelines for the 12th Annual Holiday Writing Contest!

November 23, 2022November 23, 202222 Comments

Guess what time it is?

I realize, of course, that I have yet to post the Halloweensie Finalists. They are coming! I promise! Hopefully in a few days. What a perfect storm of downright insanity the last few weeks have been!

BUT

Time waits for no one, so I have to get the Holiday Contest Guidelines up so you have a couple weeks to write your entries!

Which brings me to the fact that someone (besides me) is in BIG Trouble!

This Dastardly Duo is charged with:

Identity Theft (Jingle and Dingle were found like icicles, dressed in garbage bags, doing jumping jacks to keep warm!)
Knowingly Impersonating an Elf (not very well, I might add!)
Breaking and Entering (emphasis on breaking)
Burglary (No. There is no turkey left. None. So don’t keep asking!)
Breaking and Leaving (not a usual charge but when the dog collar fits…)
Fleeing the Scene of a Crime (and in the process…)
Assault with a Greasy Weapon (one of the perpetrators whacked an innocent bystander in the thigh with a large turkey haunch which left a significant bruise on her leg and a stubborn grease stain (which may be permanent!) on her favorite holiday skirt)
Willful Destruction of Private Property (knocking over a Christmas Tree, smashing ornaments, tangling Christmas lights, and causing a not-that-small fire due to sparks from the mistreated electrical outlet igniting the dry conifer)
Necessitating a Bath (seemingly unrelated unless it was some part of the Elf Impersonation gone awry, but they’re GREEN! Seriously! In the manner of the Witch of the West and the Grinch! What is WITH that?!)

In short, they have been Very Bad Dogs!

Why, you ask, am I bringing this Wickedness to your attention?

Well, I’ll tell you!

As we enter the Holiday Season, there is always an emphasis on Holiday Parties, giving gifts, being kind to others, doing good deeds, sweetness and light., but . .

DUHN! DUHN! DUHN!

. . .what about the Bad Guys?

Because you know they’re out there, wreaking havoc whenever, wherever, and however they can! One look at that WANTED poster will tell you that!

It’s an outright example of Mischief and Mayhem! Tomfoolery! Skulduggery!

Exactly the kind of misbehavior you should be keeping in mind when you sit down to write your entry for the . . .

12th Annual Holiday Writing Contest

~ for children’s writers ~

The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story (children here defined as age 12 and under) about a Holiday Bad Guy – think along the lines of The Abominable Snow Monster (aka The Bumble), Heat Miser/Snow Miser, Burgermeister Meisterburger, the Winter Warlock, The Grinch, Scrooge, etc…, but make up your own – someone you can have some fun with! An elf who laces Mrs. Claus’s cookies with Argu-mint so that everyone who eats them starts fighting! A Candle Kidnapper who holds all the candles for ransom just before Hanukkah! A pair of zebra gangsters who dress up as reindeer, planning to sneak onto Santa’s team and then steal the sleigh and keep all the toys for themselves! A taciturn girl who is found responsible for removing lights and ornaments from all the village displays…but turns out to have brought them to the Nursing Home to cheer the residents. Anything and everything you can think up – the badder the better 😊

Your bad guy can be human, animal, or any made-up creature you like.
They can wind up punished, or redeemed, or they can escape to attempt their mischief and mayhem another day.
They can be the main character or the antagonist, but they should play a significant role in the story.
Their badness can be due to extenuating circumstances that make them sympathetic, or they can be just plain naughty! 😊
We are aiming for lighthearted and entertaining so we don’t go down too dark a path – these are holiday stories for children, after all! – but you can be serious if you like as long as it’s not too grim!

Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s or whatever you celebrate during the Holiday Season, but is not to exceed 250 words (I know! So much freedom after the Halloweensie Contest 😊 ) (It can be as short as you like (the judges will be grateful 😊 , you are welcome and encouraged to write shorter, but no more than 250! Title not included in word count.) The field is wide open! Have fun! The more creative the better! No illustration notes please. (And yes, if you feel compelled to submit more than one entry you may, just remember you’re competing against yourself!)

Post: Your entry should be posted between 12:01 AM EST Friday December 9th and Sunday December 11th at 11:59 PM EST, and must be posted in the comment section of the Official Contest Post which will go up here on my blog on Friday December 9th. That post will remain up for your reading pleasure until I post the finalists. There will be no regular posts (Tuesday Debut or Perfect Picture Book) for the duration of the contest so everyone will have plenty of time to visit and enjoy. If you have trouble commenting, you can email me (we’ll go over this part in more detail on the December 9th post! 😊 ) but do not email me any entries before the opening of the contest on December 9th! They will not be accepted or read!

The Judging: My lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to approximately 12 finalists. Due to the nature of life at the moment I am not going to hazard a guess as to when the finalists will be posted – they’ll be up as soon as I can get them up.

Judging criteria will be as follows:

1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Holiday Bad Guy! – the rules state a Holiday Bad Guy story, so it must be crystal clear that the story, including your holiday bad guy, in some way relates to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s, or whatever seasonal winter holiday you choose. Your bad guy must be central to the story – not just an offhand mention/reference in a story about something else. Have fun creating your bad guy! Make him or her a real character whose wickedness we can enjoy 😊
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. Please proofread! A typo may be the difference between being considered and being set aside.
5. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
6. PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! Large numbers of entries make it easy to cut entries that haven’t been entered as we asked.

The Prizes!: The prize list is under construction. . . But I wanted to get the guidelines up so you guys would have as much time as possible to work on your stories! Stay tuned for the completed list with all info, links, and images! 😊

⭐️ Rhyme & Meter Self Study Course – Renee LaTulippe Renée M. LaTulippe is the author of The Crab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, 2024) and has poems published in many anthologies including No World Too Big, Night Wishes, School People, National Geographic’s The Poetry of US, One Minute Till Bedtime, Poems Are Teachers, ThankU: Poems of Gratitude, and A World Full of Poems.

⭐️ Ask Me Anything Zoom Chat with Sandra Sutter, author of THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL (Spork, March 2019) and STAN’S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN (Spork, September 2020) and the Owner/Publisher/Editor of Gnome Road Publishing)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (author, illustrator, or both) – Julie Rowan-Zoch

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (written/Zoom) OR Ask Me Anything 1 hour session about author websites – Stacy Jensen

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique – Melissa Stoller

⭐️ 30 Minute Ask Me Anything Zoom Chat AND Signed PB – Janet Johnson

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique and Zoom Chat (especially STEAM) – Sue Heavenrich

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Penny Parker Klostermann, talented author of THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT (Random House 2015) and A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE (Random House 2017) as well as the forthcoming SPIDER LADY: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army (Astra/Calkins Creek 2025) and another as yet unannounced 😊

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique – Roxanne Troup

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique – Rosanne Kurstedt

⭐️ 30 Minute Ask Me Anything with Rebecca Gardyn Levington, author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022), WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (Barefoot Books, Mar 7, 2023), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024), and AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? (Penguin/Rocky Pond, Spring 2024)

⭐️ AMA Zoom Chat and signed book – Cindy Schrauben

⭐️ Signed copies of LISTEN, COUNT ON US, and the new TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE board book – 1 prize 3 books – Gabrielle Snyder

⭐️ 15 minute AMA with Teresa Robeson

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! 😊

So! Butt in chair! Snack and beverage near to hand! Writing implement ready! Mischief-making, Mayhem-creating Thinking Caps on!

One. . .

Two. . .

Three. . .

WRITE!!!!!!!

The 12th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest aahhhrrrooooOOOOO!!!

October 29, 2022November 10, 20222,677 Comments

Hi Everyone. Posting of finalists is delayed. I’m not exactly sure when they’ll be up, but it will be as soon as possible. Likely another week.

Eye of newt and dragon fang! It’s time for . . .

The 12th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

THE CONTEST: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in word count) using the words slither, treat, and scare.

Your story can be poetry or prose, scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words. Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 😊
You can go under the word count but not over!
Title is not included in the word count.
You may use the words in any form i.e. slithery (yes, it’s a word, we looked it up 😊), treated, scary, etc, etc, whathaveyou 😊
You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
No illustration notes please!

And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge!

POST: your story in the comment section of the Official Contest Post (that’s this one!)( between Right NOW this very second! and 11:59PM Eastern Monday October 31st (So you have 3 full days to post – today, tomorrow, and Monday.)

For those of you who would also like to post on your blogs, please feel free to do so! You are welcome to include the link to your blog with your entry in the comment section of the Official Contest Post so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of THIS Post between right now and Monday October 31st at 11:59PM Eastern.
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 Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title, byline (that means who the story is by – you! – so for example, By Jane Doe) and word count at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! and please do not submit any entries before the official opening of the contest at 12:01 AM Saturday October 29th. They will not be accepted.
I know how hard you all work on your entries, and how anxious you are to get them posted, but please try to be a little patient if your entry doesn’t show up immediately. Many comments have to be manually approved, and it sometimes takes me a little while to post entries that come in by email. I promise I will get to everything as soon as I can. I try never to leave my desk during contests, but sometimes it’s unavoidable 😊

THE JUDGING: over the following days, my devoted assistants and I will read and re-read and narrow down the entries to a finalist field of about 12 which will be posted here for you to vote on I hope by Saturday November 5th (though if the judging takes longer than expected it might be a little later – we will do our best! But fair warning I have two school visits that week and a long drive Friday.) The winners will be announced Tuesday November 8th (good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise 😊)

Judging criteria will be as follows:

1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
3. Use of all 3 required words and whether you came it at 100 words or less.
4. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 😊 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
5. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
6. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
7. How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines, they won’t even read your submission.

THE PRIZES: So amazing! What wonderful, generous people we have in our kidlit community! Just wait til you see what you can win!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with written feedback AND a 30-minute Zoom Chat with children’s author Vivian Kirkfield, author of PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House, 2019), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books, 2019), FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN (Pomegranate, 2019), MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books, 2020), FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Clarion Books, 2021), and SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING (MoneyPenny Press Ltd, 2010)

⭐️ 30 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything with Rosie Pova author of IF I WEREN’T WITH YOU (Spork, April 2017), SARAH’S SONG (Spork, September 2017), SUNDAY RAIN (Lantana Publishing, March 2021), THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE: A STORY ABOUT SUCCESS (Yehoo Press, May 2022), and for Middle Grade readers, HAILEY QUEEN PRANKING MAKES PERFECT: THE ALIEN ENCOUNTER (Spork, April 2017) Rosie does a lot of school visits and presentations, should that happen to be of interest for your Ask Me Anything.

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming preferred) with Andrea Denish, author of EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE (Astra Young Readers, March 2020), and THE WAY WE SAY HELLO forthcoming from Starry Forest Books February 7, 2023

⭐️ Picture Book Critique (non-rhyming) with Becky Scharnhorst, author of MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Flamingo Books, July 2021) and THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS! (Flamingo Books, August 2022)

⭐️ Connecting With School Librarians! Fabulous Opportunity for published or soon to be published authors! Winner’s Choice of either a Zoom or phone chat about how to connect with school librarians and get their ear or an Ask Me Anything Zoom or phone chat about K-8th grade author visits from a librarian’s POV from Kathy Halsey. Kathy Halsey is Storyteller Academy’s Community Manager and Ambassador. She enjoys writing picture books, humor, and nonfiction. Kathy’s active in SCBWI and blogs with other kid lit writers on the GROG. She serves on the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council and speaks at educational and literary conferences. Kathy’s a former K-12 school librarian and children’s bookseller. She writes monthly author studies for the Reading for Research Month along with Keila Dawson.

Writer, librarian, bookseller, blogger Kathy Halsey

⭐️ 30 Minute Ask Me Anything Zoom Chat (anything relating to writing/publishing) with Penny Parker Klostermann, talented author of THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT (Random House 2015) and A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE (Random House 2017) as well as the forthcoming SPIDER LADY: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army (Astra/Calkins Creek 2025) and another as yet unannounced 😊

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming) PLUS Zoom Chat from developmental editor Lou Piccolo! Lou studied English Literature, creative writing and teaching at university in South Africa. After working as an EFL teacher in France for twenty years, she studied proofreading and editing before becoming a developmental editor of children’s and young adult’s literature for independent authors. She is a graduate of Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – Punching Up Prose With Poetry course and Making Picture Book Magic, the in-house writer for Editions Entrefilet’s language-learning magazine ‘Go English Kids’ for children of 8-12 in France, and a traditionally published author of MG and YA fiction with Burlington Books.

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique PLUS Zoom Chat with Ellen Leventhal! Ellen is the author of DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork, 2017), LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork, 2018), HAYFEST: A HOLIDAY QUEST (ABCs Press, 2010), and A FLOOD OF KINDNESS (WorthyKids, 2021)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or non-rhyming) with Kelly Conroy whose poems have been published in 5 anthologies (10.10, wee words for wee ones, October 2021; BETTER THAN STARBUCKS, January 2022; THINGS WE EAT, Pomelo Books, March 2022; THINGS WE FEEL, Pomelo Books, July 2022; WHAT IS A FRIEND, Pomelo Books, October 2022) and also the author of a rhyming board book due out in 2025.

⭐️ 30 Minute Picture Book Zoom Critique Session with Lynne Marie

Lynne Marie is the accomplished author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten – art by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic 2011), Hedgehog’s 100th Day of School – art by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play — art by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares — art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling 2019 and Scholastic 2019), Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World — art by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books 2019) and The Three Little Pigs And The Rocket Project — art by Wendy Fedan (Mac and Cheese Press 2022) and American Pie — art by Dea Lenihan (Dancing Flamingo Press, April 12, 2022)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with a recording of first read-through by children’s author and poet Sarah Meade, contributor to HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, 2020!)

⭐️ 20 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything with Darshana Khiani, author of HOW TO WEAR A SARI (Versify, June 2021), I’M AN AMERICAN (Viking Books for Young Readers, May 2023), and THE BOYS OF KOH PANYEE (coming Fall 2023)

⭐️ Rate Your Story Speed Pass from Lynne Marie

And maybe I’ll have some extra picture books to add in here and there to sweeten the pie. . . 😊

Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, recommending their books for school and library purchases, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊

Happy Writing! Happy Reading! And Happy Halloween!

For those of you having trouble commenting, I apologize for the fact that my site is apparently very temperamental! I can suggest the following: if you’re trying to post comments from a phone or tablet, try a computer – sometimes it works better than way. Chrome seems to work better with this site than some of the other browsers, although one dedicated individual, determined to be able to comment, has reported that she finally managed with Microsoft Edge. Thank you for trying – it’s so important for all of you to get to hear from each other!

Now, let the Halloweensie begin!

The 239 entries listed below are linked to where they appear in the comments so you can click on the titles and get right to them! (Assuming WordPress cooperates . . . fingers crossed!) Anyone who feels kind can start at the bottom of the list so those entries get some comments too! 🎃 😊

Apparition Preparation For A Scary Halloween – Royal Baysinger
Attack Of The Zornaks – Royal Baysinger
Down In the Halloween Cave – Royal Baysinger
Sisters – Sara Kruger
Halloween Nightmare – Helen Lai
The Follower – Marla Yablon
A Frightfully Fun Time – Susan E. Schipper
The Halloween Dream Team – Jenna Elyse Johnson
Skeleton Sam Settles The Score – Jennifer Cowan
Slug Slime – Vashti Verbowski
Ghost Recipes – Julia Pierre Hammond
Rainforest Halloween – Heather Kinser
On Snail-O-Ween – Heather Kinser
The Frightful Fugitive – Anne Lipton
Little Witchy – Elizabeth Myer zu Heringdorf
Get Your Glow On – Corine Timmer
Sally The Slug Has A Sweet Tooth – Eleanor Ann Peterson
In The Middle Of A Snack – Bridget Magee
Coming Around – Emily Durant
Piper’s Pickle – Colleen Murphy
Safe From Scares – Sarah Meade
Claudia Maude Clickerticker’s Costume Shop – Sarah Meade
What Do Witches Eat? – Kelly Clasen
Ghouldilocks And The Three Shares – Claire Blumenfeld
Closer – Reed Hilton-Eddy
SSSSSScary – Jen Subra
A Shady Halloween – Jennifer Lowe
Help! – Elizabeth James
Arabella’s Halloween Treat – Colleen Fogarty
Trick Or Treat? – Corine Timmer
The Coolest Halloween Costume – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
Green Goulash Stew – Claudine Pullen
The House With The Good Candy – Vanessa Konoval
The House Creatures’ Halloween – Lauri Meyers
When Good Luck Struck – Molly Ippolito
The Haunted House Halloween Challenge – Marty Bellis
Demon On The Line – Laura Polasek
The Spooky Halloween Parade – Janet Krauthamer
Mrs. Cleary’s Cats – Susan Eyerman
A Halloween Twist – Cheryl Simon
Wilhelmina The Witch – Ashlee MacCallum
Halloween Hater – Blaire Moore
The Halloween Bake-Off – Rose Cappelli
Trick-Or-Treat, Shoes To Eat – Ashley Sierra
Tricks Before Treats – Danielle S. Hammelef
Happy Halloween – Stephanie R. Mena
A Batty Halloween – Melissa Chupp
Who Whispers In The Dark? – Erika Romero
Interview With The Vampire – Helen Lai
Slug Life – Kim Wagner Nolan
Sapling’s Halloween – Lori Sheroan
Nothing Scared Alicia Bones – Christine Evans
The Mask – Su Ko
DON’T FLUSH YOUR GOLDFISH DOWN THE TOILET OR HE WILL COME BACK TO GET YOU ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT – Sue Ko
Going As Myself – Marianna Sacra
Halloween Snack – Debra Daugherty
Halloween-ing – Lori Himmel
Something Wriggling This Way Comes – Amy Chini
Edgar Allen Crow – Kathleen Jacobs
Queen Slug’s Halloween – Kelsey E. Gross
Pull Of The Moon – Darla Christie
There’s One In Every Class – Linda Staszak
Snollooween – Katie McEnaney
A (little) STEM Halloween – Jilanne Hoffman
Trick For Treat – Linda Starszak
Mattie, The Scaredy Tabby Cat – Janet Parkinson Bryce
Nothing Scares Me – Karen Condit
‘Twas Halloween Night – Sharon Coffey
A Hotdog Halloween Hullabaloo – Sharon Coffey
Their Trick, My Treat – Carol Van Gorp
Interview With The Vampire – Helen Lai
Halloween Night Light – Daniella Kaufman
Do Goblins Gobble? – Sally Yorke-Viney
Witchy-licious Stew – Charlotte Dixon
The Ghouliest Ghouls – Marta Cutler
The Scariest Bear – Marta Cutler
Halloween Is Different This Year – S.S. Lee
The Rattlesloth – Russell Wolff
The Eyes Have It – Marta Cutler
A Scare Affair – Lori C. Evans
Halloween Haul – Stephanie Maksymiw
Halloween Is Magic – Kristen Littlefield
Command Performance – Jamie Donahoe
Zombie In The House – Isabel Rodriguez
A Wise Disguise – Jill Purtee
Truck-Or-Treat – Mia Geiger
The Halloween Dare – Marty Findley
Witch’s Brew – Marty Findley
A Halloween Tail – Katie Lee Reinert
Creepy People – Sharon McCarthy
Happy Halloween – Elaine D’Alessandro
Scared Sssssilly – Julie Lerczak
A Spooky House – Gail Hartman
A Halloween Smile – Tonnye Fletcher
A Scary Dare – Mona Pease
Stop Your Bellyaching Soup, A Jump Rope Song – Debbie Meneses
A Spell Of Transformation – Meagan T. Gentry
First Flight – Paul Kurtz
I Scare You, You Scare Me – Paul Kurtz
Spiders vs. Snakes – Linda Schueler
Pot Of The Witch – Reed Ambrose
Snake In The Grass – Judy Sobanski
Beware Or Be Scared – Norah Colvin
Bat’s First Halloween – no author listed
Children Of The Bog – Melissa Miles
In Through My Window – Eric Sondergeld
A Squishy Scare – Stephanie Henson
The Last House – Janet Smart
Jack-O-Lantern – Darcee A. Freier
Beak-A-Boo! – Jill Lambert
Jackie Saves Halloween – Brittany Richman
The Treat – S. E. Cottrill
Little Vampire’s First Halloween – Sharon Dalgleish
Franny Fruit Bat’s Friendly Halloween – Amy LaMae Brewer
Chicken’s First Halloween – Emma Hay
Moldy Mayhem – Sue Lancaster
Sea Monster – Patricia Nozell
A Halloween Lullaby – Brigid Finucane
Tricky Treats – Lisa Lowe Stauffer
KA-RUNCH! – Donna Kurtz
Scary-Fairy – Donna Kurtz
Halloween Hop – Carole Gerber
Halloween Treat – Krista Legge
Sara’s Hairy Halloween – Jesse Anna Bornemann
Scary Goat Scam – Elenore Byrne
Goulentine – Michelle S. Kennedy
My Teacher Is A Creature – Mary Ann Cortez
The Haunted House – Karen Morgan
Trick or Treat: A Forest Halloween – Sarah Marhevsky
Shadows Come Crawling – Marlee Fuller-Morris
Slithering Snake – Deborah Hunt
Jack-oh-no! – Pollu Mendoza
Jack’s Lament – Steve Jankousky
Sense The Way – Sarah Hetu
A Costume For Sandy The Snake – Susan R. Waide
Slither and Hiss: Trick or Treat? – Cathrene Youngquist
Pumpkin Jack – Jennifer Weingardt
The Peanut Butter Cup Song – Hannah Roy LaGrone
Gregory’s First Halloween – Morgan Lau
Scary Treats – Ken Major
Super Scary Sausages – Chris James
Midnight Snack – Deborah Foster
How To Trick-or-Treat If You’re A Snake – Abigail Mumford
Scarecrows Of Halloween – Helen Ishmurzin
Sneaky Snake – Jan Suhr
Who’s There? – Dawn Renee Young
Space Rangers And Skeletons – Cynthia Mackey
A Halloween For Willard – Krista Harrington
On Halloween Night – Amanda Flinn
Early Worm’s Halloween Birthday Wish – Curtis King
Sweetie The Parrot – Barbara DiMarco
The Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest – Laura Straut
Boo – Jean Martin
Pete The Smallest Pumpkin – Tiffany Hanson
Candy Corn’s Revenge – Tiffany Hanson
A Martian’s Halloween – Angela Calabrese
Candy Monster – Patricia MacMillan
Igor’s First Halloween – Danna Zeiger
You Can’t Scare Me – Danna Zeiger
Pumpkin, Skeleton, Wolverine – Brenna Jeanneret
Tricky Treats – Ashley Sutphen Delaney
Little Sister Saves The Night – Laurie Kaiser
The Sweetest Treat – Christina Shawn
All Hallows’ Eve – Sasha Sirisena-Green
Pumpkin Cat’s Turn – Bru Benson
Frankenslug – Ryann Jones
The Costume – Nina Nolan
The Best Halloween Ever – Dianne Borowski
Tricked – Geraldine V. Oades-Sese
Trista’s Treat Or Trick? – Krissy Massey
The Scariest Costume Of All – Abby N. Wooldridge
Halloween is the BEST, but. . . – Andi Chitty
It’s A Tricky Afterlife – Katie Schwartz
Spider’s Halloween – Cassy Clarcq
Slimon’s Halloween – Imelda Taylor
The Zombie Flop – Liz Kehrli
Melanie Monster – Lindsey LeBlanc
Switch Witch Swap – Julie Fruitticher Schroeder
S-S-Selma – Nancy Forbis-Stokes
A Halloween Adventure – Gregory E. Bray
Enter If You Dare – Trista Herring Baughman
Snake’s Sweet Treats – Nadia Ali
Costume Crisis – Keatley Eastman
Tricked By The Treats – Elizabeth Muster
Halloween Friend – Thelia Hutchinson
My Dreadfully Dangerous Walk – Susan Twiggs
Slither, Treat, Scare: A Halloween Story – Lynn Greenway
I’m Not That Scared – Allison Gray
The Halloween Prize – Mary Rudzinski
Portia Pumpkin Proclaims – Judy Caldwell Hughes
Pookie The Pomeranian’s Halloween Wish – Stephanie Jackson
Boo The Ghost Gets Beaten – Stephanie Jackson
Costume Drama – David Cobb
Slither Spook – Jessica Milo
Samira’s Potion – Jessica Milo
Sabrina Squirrel Does Not Scare Easily – Liz Gill
Snake’s Stealthy Solution – Kira Barrett
What Did You See? – Kathleen Mazurowski
Father Knows Best – Janice Kay
The Costume – Amy Duchene
Trick Or Treat – Laura Seely-Pollack
Many Happy Resquirms – Diana Webb
Theodore Turkey’s Halloween Hunt – Mary-Catherine Amadu
Ghost Finds His Groove – Cindy Greene
Weird Halloween Treats – Una Belle Townsend
The Jabberwocks Of Halloween – Jenny Bowman
Sooner And Sooner Every Year! – Stephanie Henson
A Slimy Halloween: Halloweenie Competition – Erin Buhr
Candy Night – Anne Weaver
Growing Candy Apples – Hannah Roy LaGrone
Sister’s First Halloween Night – Linda Hofke
Calling All Campers to the Camp Spooky Halloween Campfire – Jamie Rodarte
A Pumpkin Named Rattlesnake Pete – Pat Finnegan
Pumpkin Pride – Pat Finnegan
Gardenia Ghost – Katie Walsh
I Am Always a Cat – Amanda Littlefield
Scaredy Snake – Kathy Hill Crable
Classroom Costume Conundrum – Cynthia Reeg
A Beckoning Spell – Les Degnan
Halloween Eve – Tarsia Rhyne
Which Witch Will Win? – Lucretia Schafroth
The Spider Web House – CJ Penko
The Monster of Barlow’s Bakery – Jill Burns
A Candy Break For Mongoose And Snake – Katie Schwartz
Kid Cobra’s Halloween – Denise Seidman
Costume Not Required – JC Kelly
Lucinda Blackletter – Karen Pickrell
Candi Corn – Liz Kehrli
Glass Lizard Halloween – Maria Marshall
Scaredy Cat And The Haunted Hunt – Samantha Cora Christian Haas
Graduation Night – Naz Alibhai
New Friends – Sarah Hawklyn
Sam Wasn’t Afraid – T. May LeGrys
Black Cats Get A Bad Rap – Colleen Dougherty
Dad’s First Trick or Treat – Annette Bethers
Skeletons Need Teddy Bears Too – Sharon Jackson
Sam And Dusty Trick Or Treat – Julianna Helt
Lost – Brenda Covert
The Snakertons – Emily Holewczynski

Goblins And Ghosties And Ghouls, Oh, My! – Announcing The Guidelines For The 12th Annual Halloweensie Contest!

October 10, 2022October 28, 202239 Comments

Holy Jack-O’-Lanterns, Batman!

Can you actually believe that this year is Halloweensie number 12?!

And are you ready? 😊🎃

Well, of course you’re not ready, because I haven’t told you the rules yet!

You’ve got 2 weeks and 5 days to write, eat miniature chocolate bars, revise, eat more miniature chocolate bars, polish, eat some candy corn (ooh, that was a surprise!) and take a little snooze before it’s time to submit your entry!

So get ready. . .

. . .get set. . .

Here are the guidelines for. . .

The 12th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

Your story can be poetry or prose, scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words. Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people 😊
You can go under the word count but not over!
Title is not included in the word count.
You may use the words in any form i.e. slithery (yes, it’s a word, we looked it up 😊), treated, scary, etc, etc, whathaveyou 😊
You are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊
No illustration notes please!

And yes, I know 100 words is short, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge!

POST: your story in the comment section of the Official Contest Post between 12:01 AM Eastern Saturday October 29th (the day the official contest post will go up here) and 11:59PM Eastern Monday October 31st (So you have 3 full days to post – Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.)

For those of you who would also like to post on your blogs, please feel free to do so! You are welcome to include the link to your blog with your entry in the comment section of the Official Contest Post so that people can come visit your blog, but all entries must be posted in the comment section of the Official Contest Post between 12:01 AM Eastern Saturday October 29th and Monday October 31st at 11:59PM Eastern.
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 Please place your entry in the body of the email including your title, byline (that means who the story is by – you! – so for example, By Jane Doe) and word count at the top – NO ATTACHMENTS! and please do not submit any entries before the official opening of the contest at 12:01 AM Saturday October 29th. They will not be accepted.
I know how hard you all work on your entries, and how anxious you are to get them posted, but please try to be a little patient if your entry doesn’t show up immediately. Many comments have to be manually approved, and it sometimes takes me a little while to post entries that come in by email. I promise I will get to everything as soon as I can. I try never to leave my desk during contests, but sometimes it’s unavoidable 😊

Judging criteria will be as follows:

1. Kid-appeal! – These stories are intended for a young audience (ages 12 and under), so we’re looking for stories that children will enjoy and relate to.
2. Halloweeniness – the rules state a Halloween story, so it must be crystal clear that the story is about Halloween, not just some random spooky night.
3. Use of all 3 required words and whether you came it at 100 words or less.
4. Quality of story – entries must tell a story, including a main character of some kind and a true story arc even if it’s tiny 😊 Entries must not be merely descriptions or mood pieces.
5. Quality of Writing: check your spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. If you’re going to rhyme, give us your best 😊 Use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
6. Originality and creativity – because that is often what sets one story above another.
7. How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines. If you don’t follow agent and editor submission guidelines, they won’t even read your submission.

THE PRIZES: So amazing! What wonderful, generous people we have in our kidlit community! Just wait til you see what you can win! (I’m still juggling the list, so in the interest of getting this posted I’m merely going to generalize the prizes right now – I will add details ASAP!)

⭐️ Picture Book Critique (non-rhyming) with Becky Scharnhorst, author of MY SCHOOL STINKS! (Flamingo Books, July 2021) and THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS! (Flamingo Books, August 2022)

⭐️ 30 Minute Picture Book Zoom Critique Session with Lynne Marie

⭐️ Rate Your Story Speed Pass from Lynne Marie

And maybe I’ll have some extra picture books to add in here and there to sweeten the pie. . . 😊

Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, recommending their books for school and library purchases, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊

Now! Lay in a good chocolate supply (no better time than right before Halloween for THAT!)! Butt In Chair! Pencils, pens, or keyboards ready! Put on your pointy black thinking cap (you know, to get in that Halloween mood 🧙🏿‍♀️ 😊!) And write those prize-winning stories!!!

I can’t wait to read them!!! 😊

Would You Read It Wednesday # 410 – Remmy’s Sticky Situation (PB)

April 20, 2022April 19, 202223 Comments

It’s Wednesday! Let’s wind up for the pitch!

But first. . .

If you spend any time around kids, you have no doubt been challenged to a variety of tongue twisters. My sister and I had two favorites when we were kids: “toy boat” and “rubber baby buggy bumper” ((say either of them at least 3 times fast!)

But the most recent one I got challenged to (which I can barely say 1 time without messing up 😊) is “Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch” Go on! I dare you!

It’s hard, right?! 😊

So, if you’re casting about for a writing prompt today, why not have a go at writing something with tongue twisters? Dr. Seuss did it. You can, too!

I think it’s actually kind of a cool exercise, since it makes you really think about the sounds in words – something we care a lot about here in kidlit 😊

Here’s Something Chocolate to get you fueled up and ready to write – Cookie Dough Fudge! Looks scrumptious, doesn’t it?

Cookie Dough Fudge

Perhaps you’ll feel inspired to write a story full of tongue twisters about cookie dough fudge 😊

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Cindy. Cindy is a kidlit writer, graphic designer, kid at heart, and lover of all things chocolate. She works full time in marketing but writing for kids is her happy place. She is also a member of the Write2Ignite Conference team (write2ignite.com) which offers virtual workshops for children’s writers and her website is cindylynnsawyer.net.

Find her on the web at:

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Remmy’s Sticky Situation

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch: When Remmy raccoon’s cotton candy disappears, he blames his friends. But he finds himself in a sticky situation when he discovers the real reason for the mystery. Has he lost his best buds forever? How can Remmy show his friends that he is truly sorry?

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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Cindy improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings as soon as next week (April 27), so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!

Cindy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing if I can figure out a story that has been percolating in my mind for about 2 weeks. . . I hope I can get it on paper, and I hope I love it when it gets there! 😊

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 😊

Would You Read It Wednesday #409 – Little Camper’s Not-So-Big Adventure (PB) PLUS So Many Pitch Winners!

April 13, 2022April 12, 202216 Comments

Howdy, Friends!

Here’s a little puzzler for first thing in the morning.

April is a big birthday month in my family, which prompts discussions of how likely it is people’s birthdays will land on Easter. I am well aware of the deep and important meaning of Easter and do not make light of it, but let’s face it: for kids it’s all about getting birthday presents AND jelly beans in the same day 😊

I googled a bit, but was quickly sent scurrying back to my rightful place by Scary Math. So, as is appropriate, I’m going anecdotal.

My dad’s birthday has been on Easter 3 times: 1962, 1973, and 1984. Perhaps Easter dates move in 11 year cycles? (How’s that for deductive reasoning? Take that, Scary Math!)

One of my daughters’ birthday has never fallen on Easter for her, but will in 2031. (I will not say how old she’s going to be because it is not polite to tell a lady’s age 😊)

My niece’s birthday is April Fool’s Day and her birthday landed on Easter in 2018 when she turned 14, and will again in 2029 and 2040. (There are those 11s again!) My nephew’s birthday fell on Easter 2 years before he was born when it wasn’t his birthday yet and isn’t due to land on that date again until 2066 when he will be 62 years old!

I, as you know, am extremely ancient, and yet my birthday has only landed on Easter once, the year I turned 9.

My deductions, based on the anecdotal evidence cited above, (and just try to stay with me on this because I know math and science simply aren’t for everyone and you should just not feel bad if your mind has a hard time with the acrobatic feats demonstrated by mine!), is that my next Easter birthday will be whenever Easter feels like it 😊

There will be extra credit for anyone who can guess the dates of my Dad’s, daughter’s, nephew’s, and my birthdays. The cat’s already out of the bag on my niece’s 🤣🤣

Now that I’ve limbered you up with mental calisthenics, let’s do a little celebrating, shall we? I am thrilled to announce the pitch winners that you all voted on last week! Woo hoo!!!

The Pitch Winners are . . . .

September 2021 – Hannah – The Good Wolf (PB 4-8)

October 2021 – Robin – I Am The Zookeeper (PB 3-7)

November/December 2021 – Melissa – Don’t Even Think About Lions! (PB 4-8)

January 2022 – Patti – Dragon Is Out Of Here (PB 4-8)

Congratulations, Hannah, Robin, Melissa, and Patti! Great job! Your pitches have already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I’m sure she will reply with her comments as soon as she can! We have a lot of Straight From The Editors to look forward to!

Congratulations to all our other pitchers, too! You all did a fabulous job presenting your pitches and then taking the feedback offered by our wonderful readers and using it to revise and improve. I hope everyone feels like a winner because I think you all ended up with stronger pitches!

I appreciate everyone who steps up to share because it gives all of us a chance to learn and improve our skills! So, thank you all!

All that math and excitement has rendered me slightly faint, so I think it’s time for Something Chocolate! Don’t these Easter Blossom Cookies (or Spring Blossom if you don’t celebrate Easter) look delicious? So springy! And, more importantly, so delightfully chocolate in the middle! 😊

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Deborah. Deborah Foster is a mother, an architectural drafter, and a fantastic cook. She is a member of 12×12, Inked Voices, and SCBWI. She is always looking for more writing friends on Twitter. Follow her @DeborahClaytonF or check out her blog at www.deborahfosterbooks.com.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Little Camper’s Not-so-big Adventure

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch: Little Camper can’t wait for her first big adventure! Will it be the Grand Canyon? Roaring Niagara Falls? When Little Camper’s first adventure bounces down dusty back roads to the Apron Museum, she’s ashamed to recount her travels to the other campers. But after a hurry-to-the-next-stop trip, Little Camper realizes that bumpy back roads and odd attractions might just be the perfect adventures for her.

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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Deborah improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings immediately, so you could get your pitch up next week if you want for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!

Deborah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Easter weekend! 😊

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 😊

Would You Read It Wednesday – Catching Up On Pitch Picks!

April 6, 2022April 5, 20226 Comments

Hi folks!

Last week we caught up on Straight From The Editor.

But this will tell you exactly how crazy life is around here. Do you realize what I did last week? Did you notice? Did you catch it?

I FORGOT SOMETHING CHOCOLATE!

How can that even happen???!!!

You are all witness to the fact that I am losing my marbles!

So, to be sure I don’t make such a gigantic faux pas this week (and because you need to fuel up for today’s demands!) let’s have Something Chocolate right now! These are just so darn cute I couldn’t resist them – Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes!

Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes

Recipe HERE at One Little Project (photo credit Debbie Chapman)

The cupcakes are chocolate (yum yum!), the fur is made of shredded coconut, the paw pad is a peppermint patty, and the toes are chocolate-covered raisins. So clever! (and delicious 😊) And, like all the treats offered on my blog, they have no calories and can be considered health food if thought about in the right way. 🤣

Now then! This week, we’re all about voting. (Well, voting and eating cupcakes…)

Look at us, catching up! 😊

Let’s choose some pitch winners, shall we?

There is a poll below each group so you can vote for your favorite in that group, so, 4 separate polls in all. Please cast your votes by Monday April 11 at 9PM Eastern and I will post the pitch winners next week on WYRI!

First up, the September 2021 Pitch Pick!

#1 – Elizabeth – CHICK-A-GATOR (PB 3-6)

I bet you’ve never met a chick-a-gator. Neither had the hens in the chicken coop. When one hatches from an egg, pandemonium breaks out. None of the hens accept him; they make him sleep outside the fence;They run whenever he comes near; his rooster father disowns him. But there’s more to Chick-a-gator than they know. One night he performs an heroic act that changes their opinion of him. He is hailed as a hero. He’s half chicken and half gator with a mighty roar. He’s the Chick-a-gator!

#2 – Hannah – THE GOOD WOLF (PB 4-8)

All Wolfington wants is to be included, but when he goes into town, grandmothers hide, pigs squeal, and sheep faint. Fed up with the big bad wolf stereotype, Wolfington sets out to prove that his heart is bigger than his stomach.

#3 – Kelly – WHICH NEWBIE YOU BE? (MG)

While trying to keep her bipolar disorder a secret in a new town, Ella, a twelve-year old resilient young girl overcomes seventh grade obstacles to find hope and discover what friendship is all about despite a bully that reveals her secret. Distinctive weather metaphors help the reader really feel what the main character is thinking and feeling in WHICH NEWBIE YOU BE? a middle grade novel appropriate for ages eight to twelve.

#4 – Jennifer – READEROSAURUS (PB 4-8)

A kid who loves dinosaurs all because he devours books finds out that his favorite place in the whole world is closing and there isn’t anything he can do about it. Or is there?
Will his roar be heard among giants?

SEPTEMBER 2021 PITCHPICK POLL

Next, the October 2021 Pitch Pick!

#1 – Robin – I AM THE ZOOKEEPER! (PB 3-7)

“I have a Messy Zoo inside me.” That is what the child feels about all the emotions growing inside her and escaping as animal behavior. Bear grows and stomps, porcupine prickles, monkey is silly. Loud and crowded! With help, the child discovers self-soothing techniques to tame the animals and become the Zookeeper.

#2 – Melisa – HIBERNATION EXASPERATION (PB 4-7)

Groundhog needs to hibernate, but mounting misunderstandings keep Beaver SMACK WHACK WHACKing at the door with puzzling offerings of unrequested assistance. Groundhog must figure out how to get the message across before Beaver whittles hibernation season into a mere nap.

#3 – Jeannette – DO YOUR THING, PEKING (PB 4-8)

As the zoo’s only peachick, Peking struggles to discover what makes him unique. He can’t swing like Monkey or waddle like Penguin or trumpet like Elephant. He looks at his reflection in the lily pond and doesn’t see anything spectacular. Peking visits the zoo’s animals, tries to copy their talent and asks their advice. Peking’s specialty does surface with time and patience and he becomes brighter and bolder than anyone could have ever imagined.

#4 – Melissa – THE PIED PIPER OF GRANNIES: A joyous twist on the original story. (PB 4-8)

Gran has hit the road with her band, and shy Kai misses his best friend, until he discovers he can use his harmonica to charm grannies galore! That should fill the void… only… it doesn’t.

When the grandchildren track down Kai’s geriatric conga line, Kai has to make some decisions and find his voice, only then does he solve his loneliness – by making a friend.

A 527-word rhyming romp featuring grannies and music from all over the world.

OCTOBER 2021 PITCHPICK POLL

Next, the November/December 2021 Pitch Pick!

#1 – Deborah – WELCOME TO THE WORD FACTORY (PB 4-8) 2d9a5f

Come along on a tour of The Word Factory and listen as EP (exclamation point) explains how words are discovered, spelled, and defined. Despite the repeated interruptions from Oxford, EP is unaware of the growing problem until the tour arrives at the lunchroom where they find a messed up menu and hangry punctuation marks. Thankfully, EP knows the perfect punctuation needed, “Oh Oxford!”

#2 – Melissa – DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT LIONS! (PB 4-8)

He’s been warned, but this renegade monkey and his bush baby buddy break all the rules Mama mentioned as they venture out on a lion quest.

The refrain ‘what if we just…’? entices readers to turn the page, following these wild risk-takers as they creep closer… closer… too close! GULP!

Despite a dramatic rescue, followed by a breath-taking chase, only one of them learns his lesson!

A 437-word madcap rhyming PB adventure featuring found family, and not following the rules.

#3 – Emily – THE ADVENTURES OF RICKY AND FLASH: ESCAPE FROM THE CITY (CB 7-9)

City rats Ricky and Flash race to leave New York City after double-crossing Slick, the street-hardened stray cat who rules the alleyways. But the brothers have never known anything but city life, and country living comes with its own perils! They try to make a home at Wild Down Farm, but just like in the city… cats rule. When two kittens get trapped, Ricky and Flash have a decision to make—help out the fearsome barn cat who has been stalking them or walk away from both the kittens and their new life on the farm.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 PITCHPICK POLL

Finally, the January 2022 Pitch Pick!

#1 – Patti – DRAGON IS OUT OF HERE (PB 4-8)

Dragon is out of here, leaving his ‘same old’ book and flying off to find a better spot in one of the other books on his shelf. But the grass isn’t any greener with the Big Bad Wolf, the Old Woman in the Shoe, or Sleeping Beauty. After a close call with Old MacDonald, Dragon rediscovers his own story where he can fly, breathe fire, and be his true self.

#2 – Kizzi – THERE WAS A SMALL PYTHON WHO SWALLOWED A FLEA (PB 4-8)

There was a small python who swallowed a flea. He swallowed the flea because it was small, but pythons need MORE after all. So the small python swallows more and more things and grows and grows. Soon he’s a huge python swallowing a moose and caboose, and a door and a store. Just when he couldn’t possibly swallow any more… he sees a rat, and even full pythons have room for that. But this rat is tough and cheesy, and soon python feels a bit queasy. After some moaning and groaning, a huge buuuurrrrppppp might solve all his problems.

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY meets THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR in this gluttonous tale.

#3 – Jessica – THE PAPER ROUTE (MG)

Grace takes over the neighborhood paper route, only to discover that these are no ordinary newspapers. These newspapers are magical. Not only do they reveal her neighbors’ wishes, but Grace soon learns that she is able to grant these wishes as well. Grace navigates this newfound secret power, but wrestles with simultaneously feeling more invisible than ever to her friends and family. She desperately needs the advice of her trusted friend, Miss Maisy. But, Miss Maisy died two years ago. As Grace grapples with this reality, her own life hangs in the balance. Will she be able to grant one last wish—her own—before it’s too late?

#4 – Reed – THE ALLEY CAT CHRONICLES: MR. FUZZYPANTS, BOOK 1 (CB advanced 7-9)

Over-confident housecat Mr. Fuzzypants, meets street-wise Sassy, and between them, they have one competent alley cat … it’s not Mr. Fuzzypants.

THE ALLEY CAT CHRONICLES follows the adventures of Mr. Fuzzypants and Sassy and their alley-cat crew as they navigate living on the streets. Mr. Fuzzypants, claims to be an “expert” of the outside world despite a life lived indoors. When he finally slips away to chase his dreams, he discovers that life outside is harder than it looked through the window. A feisty street cat Sassy, who can out-hunt and out-climb him steps up to help him learn the ways of the alley. Mr. Fuzzypants must accept he is in over his ears and hightail it home or dig in his claws and let Sassy teach him the ways of the streets.

JANUARY 2022 PITCHPICK POLL

Whew! That was a whole heckofalotta great pitches and hard decisions! Help yourself to another cupcake to restore your strength!

Please remember to place your vote for the person you think should win in each group by Monday April 11 at 9PM.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 😊

Would You Read It Wednesday – Straight From The Editor!

March 30, 2022March 29, 202211 Comments

Seems like it’s been awhile since we had any Straight From The Editor feedback, so today we’re going to rectify that!

Don’t laugh. I know how far behind these are. Apparently editor Erin Molta has been as busy as I have, and between us she didn’t get to these and I didn’t remind her, so here we are learning from February, March, and May of 2021. (Not sure what happened to April – hoping that comes through soon!)

ANYway, we now have an opportunity to learn, so get ready to take notes! 😊

The winner of the February 2021 Pitch Pick was Robin, with this pitch:

But When She Opens the Door… (PB 4-8)

On an Irish March day, Katie O’Shea and her feline assistant, Shamrock, are surprised by the fickle weather shifting dramatically each time she opens the door. In rollicking read aloud rhyme, Katie keeps changing clothes until a look at the calendar reveals the perfect outfit!

Erin’s comments are as follows:

This sounds so cute and I think it has potential but…rollicking read-aloud rhyme aside—will there be some weather facts in said rhyme or is it just a cute paean to unpredictable March—it comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb type of thing? If it’s got a little weather information in it, I think you may want to state that a tad more clearly or if it’s a book about St. Patrick’s Day you need state that more clearly, too. Different editors will be interested in different aspects and you want to clue them in right up front. No need to keep them guessing.

The winner of the March 2021 Pitch Pick was Diana with:

Wait For Cate (PB 5-8)

Cate promised her team she’d finally be on time for the championship kickball game. But when she encounters the new girl in her class, stuck in the sand on the playground in her wheelchair, she has to make a BIG decision. Should she help or hurry on by? The clock’s ticking.

Erin’s comments are as follows:

I love the premise of this story but I think the pitch might be helped with a tad more “showing” not telling. And maybe an example of why Cate is always late—does she get distracted helping others a lot—whether it be people, animals insects… And I don’t think you need to ask the question of whether she should help or not. THAT can be implied.

Perhaps something more like: Cate is late for everything! She always has a really good reason but when her kickball team plays the championship game she promises she won’t let them down. What’s she supposed to do when the new girl in school’s wheelchair is stuck in sand in the playground?

The winner of the May Pitch Pick was Patricia with:

TY’S TREASURES (PB 4-7)

A crystal. A marble. A feather. Ty growing collection of treasures is causing problems for his family. But where can he stash them? Not in the toybox. Not in the closet. Not in the bed. Mom wants them outside. In his search for a worthy spot, Ty observes birds, squirrels, even his dog hanging on to their treasures. But a visit with his grandma helps Ty discover the difference between a treasure and a memor,y and that there is a place for both.

Erin had this to say:

I like the premise of this story but it seems so quiet and honestly if the poor boy can’t keep a box of treasures (a crystal, marble and a feather are very small, easily stored objects. If you want to make the point that he’s got a lot –rather than saying it’s causing problems for his family — say what is exactly. Is he collecting tires or does he have 4000 marbles and 250 feathers? Is he spreading them all across the dining room table? Or in his mother’s flour canister? Dad’s medicine cabinet? Go big so you can get the point across in a fun way—to grab an editor’s attention and then you can end with how his grandmother helps him tell the difference between a treasure and a memory.

As always, I find Erin’s thoughts so enlightening and so helpful! I hope they are useful to all of you, too!

Due to all the recent upheaval, the upcoming Would You Read It calendar is wide open. If you’d like to share a pitch here for feedback from our wonderful readers between now and June and the chance to get your pitch in front of Erin, please email me! I’d be happy to fill the calendar. Hopefully next week we’re going to catch up and do some voting on who the winners should be for the fall 2021 pitches and then we’ll be sitting pretty 😊

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Happy writing! 😊

The 2022 Valentiny Contest WINNERS!!!

March 23, 2022March 23, 202211 Comments

Once upon a time. . .

. . . on a blueberry-covered hill not all that far, far away in upstate New York. . .

. . .a princess lived in a little house in the woods.

(I know. You’re wondering why the princess lived in a little house in the woods. “That’s not right!” I hear you saying. “Princesses are supposed to live in castles, or be trapped in towers or dungeons!” But this is not your usual run-of-the-mill princess. . .)

This princess was a champion pogo-sticker (yes, that is too a word.) She had been training for years, doing hours of jumping, and keeping to a strict diet of Spring Beans and Garbouncebos. It was very effective. The villagers could often be heard proclaiming, “That princess sure is full of beans!” And, “Boy! Can she bounce!”

The Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship, the most prestigious of all pogosticking competitions in the Universe, was only days away, and the princess (whose name was Poppy – so fitting, don’t you think? due to all that popping up and down? it’s almost like her excellence in pogosticking was foreseen when her parents picked her name. . .) but anyway, Poppy passionately wanted to win the competition and the life-size golden pogostick trophy that was the prize!

There was just one small problem. . .

She was supposed to have posted the winners for the 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest and she had spent so much time jumping and bouncing and eating beans and various other explosive foods that she had not done it. NO, SHE HAD NOT!

So her mother said, “Poppy, there will be no Pogosticking Championship for you until you have met your obligations! I will not have shirkers in my little house in the woods!”

Well. Poppy REALLY wanted to get to that Championship! So she sat on her hippity-hop (great indoor leg strength building for bouncing and jumping muscles) and made the list of winners and honorable mentions in record time (because Poppy was all about making records, whether in pogosticking or in judging whilst hippity-hopping and continuing her bean eating!)

“I am so proud of you, Poppy,” her mother said. “Not only have you fulfilled your obligations, you have kept up with your exercise regimen and your bean eating at the same time, showing great commitment to your sport and your goals! Now, go to the Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship and jump the socks off your competitors!”

There will now be a short commercial break to announce the WINNERS of . . .

The 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest

~ for children’s writers ~

(don’t worry – you’ll find out what happened to Poppy after this break from our sponsors)

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 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 nearly 150 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. And remember that the judging is based on the contest criteria. If you wrote a great story that didn’t showcase pride enough or that was too grown-up or not related to Valentine’s Day, you didn’t make the final cut. But that 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!)

Lori Sheroan for The Proudest Pencil

Susannah Lee for Shelby’s Heartache

Claire Noland for The Valentine Surprise

Chayala Nachum for My Icky Sticky Valentine (great kid appeal too!)

Rachel Bandy for V’s For Valentine

Terri Hellard-Brown for Isabella’s Valentine

Becky Goodman for ValenTalent Show

Lauri C. Meyers for My Gummy Love

Susanne Whitehouse for The Mural

Judy Sobanski for Sloth’s Original Valentine

Laura Bower for Llama Love

Sara Kruger for The Perfect Present

2. For Great Read Aloud:

Brigid Finucane for Love Somebody (makes you want to sing and dance 😊)

3. For Great Story For Younger Readers:

Patti Ranson for Valentines Breakfast For Mom

Cindy Greene for Valentine’s Day Heartache

Tara Knox Cerven for The Purrfect Valentine

Lori C. Evans for Never Too Many Valentines

4. For Humor:

Donna Kurtz for Don’t-Let-The-Dung-Beetle-Make-The-Valentine-Brownies!

Jill Purtee for Gumballs

5. For Fun POV/Character:

Jenna Elyse Johnson for Hammie’s Valentine Surprise (dog)

Deborah Foster for Gary Groundhog Conquers The Shadow Monster (groundhog/snowhog)

6. For Great Ending:

Alayne Kay Christian for What Kind Of Cupid Am I?

Kristy Roser Nuttall for Love Inside

Mary Schultz for Taffy’s Sweet Surprise

7. For Well-Written Story With Great Sibling Interaction:

Julianna Helt for Allie’s Biggest Heart

Armineh Manookian for Lost But Found

Erika Romero for You Make Me So Proud

8. For Beautiful Writing:

A. Kidd for Three Hearts

Corine Timmer for It’s A Matter Of Taste (also educational and funny ending!)

9. For Best Short Valentiny Story:

Marty Findley for A Valentine For You (64 words!)

10. For Sweet Valentiny:

Heather Ferranti Kinser for Teeny Houdini

Kathy Crable for Valentine Barks

Lindsay Moretti for A Valentine For Mr. Weatherly

11. Best Story From A Young Writer:

Sophie Moore (age 10) for Detective Spot And The Search For A New Cupid (also clever and funny!)

Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! Please 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’ve done this for previous contests 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…

Michaela Almeida
for
A Change Of Heart!!!

Congratulations, Michaela! Terrific job 😊

In Second Place

Daniella Kaufman
for
Sweet Valentine

Congratulations, Daniella! You get to pick your prize after Michaela.

In Third Place

Katie Brandyberry
for
Valentine Delivery – Part II

Congratulations, Katie! You get to pick your prize after Michaela and Daniella.

In Fourth Place…

Jesse Anna Bornemann
for
Showdown In Smoochalot

Congratulations, Jesse! You get to pick your prize after Michaela, Daniella, and Katie!

In Fifth Place…

Allison Strick
for
Percy’s Performance

Congratulations, Allison! You get to pick after Michaela, Daniella, Katie, and Jesse!

In Sixth Place...

Katie Palazzola
for
Oog Love Rock

Congratulations, Katie! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 😊

In Seventh Place…

Sarah Meade
for
V-Day!

Congratulations, Sarah! You get to pick next 😊

In Eighth Place…

Amy Leskowski
for
Cupid’s Confidence

Congratulations, Amy! You get to pick after Sarah 😊

In Ninth Place…

Laura Bost
for
Flicker’s Valentine

Congratulations, Laura! You get to pick after Amy! 😊

In Tenth Place…

Kate Thompson
for
The Valentine’s Cake

Congratulations, Kate! You get to pick after Laura! 😊

In Eleventh Place…

Sara Petersohn
for
Valentine Wins

Congratulations, Sara! You get to pick after Kate! 😊

In Twelfth Place…

Kimberly Shrack
for
The Perfect Valentine

Congratulations, Kimberly! You get to pick your prize after Sara! 😊

In Thirteenth Place…

Emily Keener
for
Special Delivery

Congratulations, Emily! You get to pick after Kimberly!

In Fourteenth Place…

Zach Schloss
for
Hoppy Belated Valentine

Congratulations, Zach!

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 😊 .

Oh! And as a special reward I will tell you that Princess Poppy went to the Bouncy Trouncy Pouncy Flouncy Pogosticking Championship and pogoed with astounding energy, bouncing and jumping as, one by one, all the other competitors fell victim to Jelly Legs and toppled off their pogo sticks, and she was so impressive that not only did she win the competition and the life-sized golden pogo stick trophy (“That’s my girl!” her mother said proudly), they also named a brand of beans after her, so now you can buy Princess Poppy Beans – Beans That Pop With Flavor and Will Make You Jump For Joy! They are high in fiber and an excellent source of protein so you really can’t go wrong! Try some with your chocolate! (er… or maybe that WOULD be wrong 🤣)

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 Wednesday, everyone! 😊

The Prizes: Swoonworthy! As always, we are so fortunate to have an abundance of wonderful prizes donated by our very generous friends in the kidlit community! Just look at all these goodies!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Read & Critique from agent Mary Cummings of Great River Literary, “an agency devoted exclusively to representing authors and author/illustrators of books for children and teens. Strong relationships with editors have resulted in a rapidly growing list of sales of board and picture books, chapter books and novels to such publishing houses as Knopf; Philomel; Viking; Nancy Paulsen/Penguin; Balzer & Bray; Walker; Little, Brown; Henry Holt; Holiday House; Feiwel & Friends; FSG; Running Press; WorthyKids; Abrams; Random House; Wiseman S & S; Chronicle; Candlewick; HarperCollins and many others.”

⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with author Lynne Marie!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Penny Parker Klostermann, talented author of THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT (Random House 2015) and A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE (Random House 2017)

⭐️ 30 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything with Keila Dawson, author of THE KING CAKE BABY (Pelican Publishing 2016), NO VOICE TOO SMALL (Charlesbridge 2020), and OPENING THE ROAD: VICTOR HUGO GREEN AND HIS GREEN BOOK (Beaming Books, 2021)

⭐️ Access to author/editor Alayne Kay Christian‘s webinars! Alayne is the author of BUTTERFLY KISSES FOR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA (Blue Whale Press, 2008), SIENNA THE COWGIRL FAIRY: COWBOY TROUBLE (Blue Whale Press 2021), THE WEED THAT WOKE CHRISTMAS (Blue Whale Press, 2020), and AN OLD MAN AND HIS PENGUIN (Blue Whale Press, 2020)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017), SADIE’S SHABAT STORIES (Spork, 2020) and PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Rebecca Gardyn Levington author of BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, Summer 2022), I WILL ALWAYS BE…(HarperCollins, Spring 2024) and a contributor to the delightful anthology HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, October 2020)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonrhyming) from Rebecca Kraft Rector, author of SQUISH SQUASH SQUISHED (Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House, 2021), LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR (Aladdin, September 2022), and TRIA AND THE GREAT STAR RESCUE (Delacorte/Random House)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique and Query Letter Critique from Jessica Stremer author of the forthcoming GREAT CARRIER REEF (Holiday House, 2023)

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Cathy Ballou Mealey author of WHEN A TREE GROWS (Union Square Kids, 2019), SLOTH AND SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE (Kids Can Press, 2021), and the forthcoming MAKE MORE S’MORES (Sleeping Bear Press, 2023)

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of THE KING CAKE BABY by Keila Dawson

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM by Melissa Berger Stoller

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of IT’S A MUFFULETTA! IT’S A WHATA? (Spork 2021) by Patricia Saunders

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of Winner’s Choice of any available Susanna Leonard Hill picture book

With Prideful Heart – The 7th Annual Valentiny Contest Is HERE!!!

February 11, 2022March 15, 20221,776 Comments

Hi Everyone! I’m so sorry, but there is absolutely no chance I’m going to have finalists Friday morning as I originally posted. I’m not even sure when to say I will have them, though I’ll get them up as soon as I can. It will not be over this weekend, I’m sure of that. Thank you all for your patience. I’m so sorry for the delay!

[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!

Whether your characters are filled with pride and joy, puffed up with pride, or in danger of pride going before a fall, the time has come for . . .

The 7th 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 proud! They can be proud in a good way or a bad way. They can be proud of themselves for asking someone to be their Valentine, or they can be proud of how they asked. They can be proud of a Valentine they make, or a Valentine celebration they plan. They can be proud of giving something up, or proud of asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason in order to be nice. They can be proud of their performance in a Valentines Day play or concert or parade. . . sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! 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 proud (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 in the comment section below between right now this very second and Sunday February 13th by 11:59 PM EDT. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or PPBF), so the post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy. 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. [Also, a small note: I have a serious family situation at the moment. I didn’t want to cancel the contest at the last minute, but please be patient with me if it takes me a while to post emailed entries and update the link list etc. I will do my best, but apologies in advance for delays.]

The Judging: my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 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 Friday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 21st 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 pride, and success in making us feel the pride (whether it’s good pride or bad)!
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.

The Prizes: As always, we are so fortunate to have an abundance of wonderful prizes donated by our very generous friends in the kidlit community! Just look at all these goodies!

⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with author Lynne Marie!

⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique and Query Letter Critique from Jessica Stremer author of the forthcoming GREAT CARRIER REEF (Holiday House, 2023)

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of THE KING CAKE BABY by Keila Dawson

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM by Melissa Berger Stoller

⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of IT’S A MUFFULETTA! IT’S A WHATA? (Sprok 2021) by Patricia Saunders

Now! Put your heart into it and proudly post your entries!

I can’t wait to read your stories!!!

Eager Readers: Check out the comment section for all the fabulous entries! 😊

ENTRIES (all entries are linked) [will be linked tomorrow – sorry for delay]

The Perfect Present – Sara Kruger
Dr. Basil Discovers His Secret Admirer – Royal Baysinger
Teeny Houdini – Heather Ferranti Kinser
How To Win At Wordle – Anne Lipton
Eva Valentina’s Day – Katie Fischer
Chick Forgot Valentine’s Day – Jess Burbank
The Make-A-Valentine Contest – Hanna Geshelin
Never Too Many Valentines – Lori C. Evans
Proud As A Peacock – Bru Benson
Valentine Farm – Jennifer Lowe
Gary Groundhog Conquers The Shadow Monster – Deborah Foster
Tucker And The Sneezies – Susan E. Schipper
When Dad Is Away – Aileen Stewart
It’s Valentine’s Day, Thomas, The Worm – Maria Lahman
The House On The Corner – Elyse Trevers
Staying In The Lines – Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf
Top Of The World – Christine Alemshah
The Canape Caper – Cathy Stenquist
My Icky Sticky Valentine – Chayala Nachum
The Best Card Maker – Stephanie Maksymiw
Dad Gets Weird On Valentine’s Day – Debbie Day
The Valentine Tiff – Sally Yorke-Viney
Glitter & Glue – Janna MacLean
Heart Aflutter – Kelly Clasen
Little Things – Molly Ippolito
Veronica’s Surprise – Janel Caverly
My Quiet Valentine – Amanda Sherlock
Who’s Ana? – Ellie Langford
Prince Of The Pride – Jessica Seitz
Cupid’s Big Day – Marty Bellis
A Match Made In Socks – Laura Heath
Momma’s Smile – Amber Hendricks
The Perfect Valentine – Kimberly Shrack
Miss Frog And Mister Turtle – Sharon McCarthy
The Trees Of The Girl Who Raised Bees – B.J. Genovese
Mailbirds: Valentine’s Day – Reed Ambrose
The Perfect Card – Keely Leim
Valentine’s Day Is For Everyone – Janet Scratchley
Valentine’s In The Jungle – Melissa Rafson Friedman
The Lovesick Groundhog – Debbie Daugherty
Rosas For Senor Perez – Carmen Castillo Gilbert
Get Well Soon, Mrs. Love – Rebekah Hoeft
A Valentine For You – Marty Findley
Cupid, A New Generation – Linda Staszak
A Valentine For Her – Marty Findley
Mr. Sunder’s Valentine’s Day Cookie – Marta Cutler
Valentine Countdown – Marta Cutler
V’s For Valentine – Rachel Bandy
ValenTINY – Jessica Milo
Three Hearts – A. Kidd
I Whale Always Love You – Kimberly Horch
Isabella’s Valentine – Terrie Hellard-Brown
Dear Moon – Carissa Brown
A Nose For Love – Julie Kurtz
Rabbit [heart] Rebecca – Anne Bromley
The Heart Of A Wizard – Jany Campana
Sweet Valentine – Daniella Kaufman
The Valentine’s Cake – Kate Thompson
Gene’s Forbidden Valentine – Vanessa Konoval
The Best Part – Sarah Meade
V-Day! – Sarah Meade
The Special Valentine Card – Sherry Roberts
Cutting Is Hard – Ashley Chance
Hammie’s Valentine Surprise – Jenna Elyse Johnson
Pinky’s Message – Elizabeth Muster
Everyting You Taught Me – Shuba Mohan
It’s A Matter Of Taste – Corine Timmer
Broken Hearts Need Love Too – Stephanie Henson
All Aboard – Debbie Whittam
Dove Letters – Amy LaMae Brewer
My Furry Valentine – Tiffany Hanson
A Squawking Serenade – Tiffany Hanson
Proud That You Are Mine – Tonnye Fletcher
Mother, You Are One In A Million – Elaine D’Alessandro
King Of Love – Sue Ko
Rose’s Creative Valentines – Elaine D’Alessandro
Dear Valentine – Jill Burns
Subterranean Lovesick Blues – Andrea MacDonald
Love, Mama And Me – Karen Olmstead
A Gift For My Mami – Lana Montalban
Baby Bear’s Heart – Lori Himmel
Gumballs – Jill Purtee
Beaming With Pride – Paul Kurtz
Proud As A Peacock – Paul Kurtz
Don’t-Let-The-Dung-Beetle-Make-The-Valentine-Brownies! – Donna Kurtz
Best Valentine’s Day Ever! – Donna Kurtz
To Sarah – Elizabeth Westra
The Heart-Shaped Mitten – Sherri T. Mercer
Love Inside – Kristy Roser Nuttall
Valentine’s Field Trip – Darcee Freier
Heart And Hands – Marjorie David
Flicker’s Valentine – Laura Bost
A Valentine For Birders – Geraldine Oades-Sese
The Floofabims – Sabrina Shah
I Wanted To Say I Love You – Joy Curtis
Percy’s Performance – Allison Strick
Showdown In Smoochalot – Jesse Anna Bornemann
Theo’s Not-So-Perfect Valentine’s Day – Kelsey E. Gross
Mama, Are You Proud Of Me? – Pamela Swanson
Awesome Together – Sarah Hetu
Valentine’s Breakfast For Mom – Patti Ranson
Special Delivery – Emily Keener
Harriet’s Cards – Jessica Reed
Dolley’s Favorite Month – Lincoln Mansch
Llama Love – Laura Bower
Will You Be My Valentine? – Michelle S. Kennedy
Sunshine Valentine – Vashti Verbowski
Shelby’s Heartache – Susannah Lee
Taffy’s Sweet Surprise – Mary Schultz
Where Is Puppito? – Bridget Magee
Princess Candace – Sheila R. Schmotzer
Suzie And Jordan’s Special Day – Shadi Kafi
Valentine Delivery – Part II (sequel to 2021 Valentine Contest Entry) – Katie Brandyberry
A Friend For Valentine’s Day – Daniele Arndt
Hoppy Belated Valentine – Zach Schloss
Remember The Love – Ashley Murray
The Proudest Pencil – Lori Sheroan
My Gummy Love – Lauri C. Meyers
Love ME – Melissa Rutigliano
Love Potions And Laughter – Tiffany Hanson
A Cake-tastrophe – Tiffany Hanson
The Valentine’s Day Invitiational – Lori Keating
Lost But Found – Armineh Manookian
L-O-V-E – Ronda Einbinder
Shakesbear In Love – MaryLee Flannigan
A New Friend – Steve Jankousky
What Kind Of Cupid Am I? – Alayne Kay Christian
My Hero – Dawn Young
Valentine’s Day Dance-Off In Nestville – Lynn Marie Moore
Hidden In These Hallowed Hills – Shuba Mohan
A Rose For Toad – Ashlee MacCallum
I Do NOT Like Rohini Rao – Sandhya Acharya
Untitled – M.M. Sutanto
A Heart Of Gold – Ryan Schneck
Haiku Valentines: Love In 5-7-5 Rhyme – Brenda Whitehead
Kate’s Valentines – Sheila M. Hausbeck
A Nest For Bluegill – Katie Palazzola
A Puzzling Valentine – My Side Of The Phone Call… – Ingrid Boydston
Smelly Kelly – Glenda Roberson
Underneath It All – Carrie Charley Brown
How To Find A Valentine – Bevin Rolfs Spencer
My Daddy’s Valentine – Gayle Krause
Proud Valentine’s Day – Deborah Hunt
A Valentine For Annie B. Bear – Charlotte Dixon
Valentine’s Day Heartache – Cindy Greene
Valentine Shenanigans – Vasilia Graboski
You Make Me So Proud – Erika Romero
I Am Proud To Be Your Friend – Kerry Porter
Love Somebody – Brigid Finucane
Marcus Is Not An Elephant: How A Woolly Mammoth Makes A Friend – Susan Schwartz Twiggs
Purple Lace – Liz Kehrli
Puppy Love – Kathy Halsey
Valentine’s Day Booty – Danielle Sharkan
Wholeheartedly – Catherine Brewer
Valentine Barks – Kathy Crable
Oog Love Rock – Katie Palazzola
C.I.T. (Cupid In Training) – Colleen Murphy
Allie’s Biggest Heart – Julianna Helt
Detective Spot And The Search For A New Cupid – Sophia Moore (age 10)
The Valentine Surprise – Claire Noland
The Purrfect Valentine – Tara Knox Cerven
A Valentine For Mr. Weatherly – Lindsay Moretti
A Proud Mum – Shariffa Keshavje
Valentine’s Day At Sweet Pig’s – Patricia Corcoran
Poppy’s Gift – Melanie Adkins
Go Tell Bully Brady – Mona Pease
Valentine Surprise – Abby Wooldridge
Full Of Heart – Allison Burke
Two Little Valentines – Judy Abelove Shemtob
A Change Of Heart – Michaela Almeida
The Mural – Susanne Whitehouse
The Perfect Friend Chip – Cheryl Simon
Sloth’s Original Valentine – Judy Sobanski
Be My Fred – Lisa Furness
Cupid’s Confidence – Amy Leskowski
The Flower Code – Ashlee Hashman
A Valentine For Jake – Andrew Fairchild
Cardi V – Alicia Meyers
The Heart Of The Matter – Sarah Marhevsky
Bear And Fish – A Love Story – Aly Kenna
Valentine Wins – Sara Petersohn
Sweet Breakfast – JC Kelly
ValenTalent Show – Becky Goodman
Marla’s Mistake – Jessica Watts
The Koi That Should Have Been In The Zodiac – MeiLin Chan
Surprise Valentine’s Day Party – Una Belle Townsend
My First Love – Adolfo Gomez-Herrera

Would You Read It Wednesday #408 – The Cottonwood Stars (PB)

February 9, 2022February 8, 202217 Comments

Hi Everyone!

It’s Would You Read It Wednesday where we’re all about practicing, polishing, and perfecting pitches!

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

First, a fortifying snack, Something Chocolate which isn’t exactly chocolate today 😊 Since we had chocolate cake yesterday for our impromptu giveaway winner celebration party, and since it’s practically Valentine’s Day, and since this cake is SO pretty, I’m departing from the norm and serving Valentine’s Day Cheesecake! (And it does have chocolate crust! 😊)

That just looks like four layers of heaven, doesn’t it? YUM! Dig in!

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Mary Beth who says, “I am a debut picture book author from Nebraska, blessed with four children who have given me more story material than I could ever use. I have been learning how to write picture books with the help of the wonderful writing community through SCBWI, 12 x 12, and the amazing authors like you with your informative and encouraging websites.

When I am not making Jam (Covid stress reliever?!) I am a retreat facilitator and am trying to build more and more pockets of time to write.”

I can be found online at:
Instagram @mbwallarice
Twitter @mbwallarice
Facebook..Mary Beth Rice
http://thevillagejoymaker.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Cottonwood Stars

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) (or maybe 5-9?)

The Pitch: Hattie shares the wonder of the Cottonwood tree with her brother near their Gram’s garden. In snip, snap, snapping the tree twigs in half, actual stars are revealed! Later that evening, Hattie makes a new discovery: Her heart is still linked to Gram’s through the stars in tree and sky. THE COTTONWOOD STARS encourages healing through the power of nature.

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 you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Mary Beth improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There is an opening February 23 and March is open too, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!

Mary Beth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to the Valentiny Writing Contest (guidelines HERE if you’re interested in writing an entry!) which opens in 2 days!!! I can’t wait to read everyone’s entries!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 😊

Susanna Leonard Hill

Children's Author

Tag: writing practice

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