Tons Of Fun Monday!

I hope you're all feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning (and really, don't ask me what being "bushy-tailed" means exactly or what it has to do with being awake... :))

Since it's Monday, I assume some of your bushy tails look like this:

google images

and some like this:

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But if you're feeling like the second one, never fear!  You've come to the right place!  We have donuts :)

And, as you know, we always have plenty of fun around here!  Today is extra-especially fun because of all the winning!  Ready?

First  off: this week's Fun Foto theme is HIBERNATION!  So scout around for a child-friendly photo that says hibernation to you and get ready to post it on your blog Friday for everyone to enjoy and use as a story prompt :)

Next up: the October Pitch Pick.  The winner, whose pitch will be sent to the awesome editor Erin Molta for evaluation and comment, is none other than KIM!!!!!  Congratulations, Kim!!!  Well done!!!  And congratulations also to Carla, Christie, and Tracy, our other brave contestants, who put their work out there for everyone to see and critique.  As always, all the pitches were wonderful, and I'm sorry that everyone can't win.  But please, keep those pitches coming.  It's great practice, and who knows?  You could be a winner next time!  Stay tuned for Straight From The Editor coming up whenever Erin's comments happen to arrive... :)

Next: the winner of which book will go on a journey around the world is Can't Sleep Without Sheep! If you would be interested in having Can't Sleep come to your neck of the woods, please sign up in the comments.  I will either choose one person to start with (possibly by a contest of some kind... mwah-ha-hah!) and let them send it on, or if enough people from enough far-flung places sign up, perhaps I'll just put together an itinerary.  The idea is for the book to travel around and be signed with a first name, location and date (and a tiny message if you like) and then come back to me eventually to share with kids on school visits!

illustration copyright Mike Wohnoutka 2010

Finally: here are the Halloweensie Contest finalists for you to vote on.  Boy did this turn out to be way harder than I expected!  Everyone's entries were so good!  In the end, though, my assistant judge and I narrowed it down with heaviest emphasis on what a child would most enjoy since the point is, after all, to write for kids, with secondary consideration to how close you came to the 100 word count.  So here are the 3 finalists, identified by number. not name.  Please read them and vote for #1, #2, or #3!

#1

Oh Judy!

A gaggle of boys and girls dressed like soldiers, dancers, animals and one lone devil walked down the street in search of Halloween treats.

Before they reached Judy's house, a ghost darted out of the bushes.

“Boo!”

A ballerina jumped throwing her candied apple into the air.

A bear cried as the gooey treat fell on his furry head.

The devil stumbled over a jack o'lantern into the bushes.

The group joined together to return the devil to his feet.

"Oh Judy,” they yelled.

"What?" she cried from her front porch, as a shadowy figure slipped into the bushes.

#2

Red candied apple dripping in goo.

Orange carved pumpkins spelling out BOO!

Yellow glowing jack o’lantern’s grin,

Green as the wart on an ugly witch chin!

Blue satin Cinderellas looking for a shoe,

Purple bubbling cauldron of stinky witch brew.

Black is the cat, white ghost in flight,

A rainbow of colors on Halloween night!

#3

Boo smirked and pulled Jack O’Lantern to the spooky looking house.
“Come on. Let’s go here.”
Jack O’Lantern gasped at skeletons and ghosts hanging from trees. The eerie sound of a wind chime, the only noise.
“Maybe we should have come out earlier,” said Boo, shivering in the cold and dark.
Circumnavigating a hanging ghost to reach the door, Boo dared to ring the doorbell.
Just as the door creaked open, a gust of wind blew the hanging ghost into them.
“Aargh!” They screamed as two candied apples were thrust toward them.
The boys ran and called back,
“Thank yoooooooo!”

So please vote for your favorite today or tomorrow!  (Poll will close Wednesday November 9 at 5 AM EST so I can post the winner on Wednesday morning.)


The winner will receive a signed hard cover copy of Haunted Party by the incomparable Iza Trapani!
And as I said, all of the entries were fantastic - I was so impressed with the quality and with how imaginative people could be within the constraints of the writing requirements!  I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving Contest I've had requests for which I will post as soon as I think up what it is :)

Don't forget to vote for the Halloweensie winner, let me know if you'd like to have Can't Sleep journey to your house, and pick out a hibernation foto for Friday!