The Halloween Pets of the Girl in the Bat-Hat

Susanna Leonard Hill is hosting her 4th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest. As I rarely write anything whimsical, I decided it was a good challenge. It may not be brilliant, but it's done and I feel good about stretching out of my comfort zone a little bit.

The rules: "Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (title not included in the 100 words), using the words pumpkin, broomstick, and creak."

Mine is 88 words.

The Halloween Pets of the Girl in the Bat-Hat

by Camilla M. Mann

Pumpkin, Broomstick, and Creak

Were the pets of one Halloween freak.

 “I love Halloween!” screeched the girl in a hat.

She always wore a witch’s hat emblazoned with a single bat.

Pumpkin, her bearded dragon, liked to hiss

Unless you stroked his head and gave him a kiss.

Brookstick is an insect – a walking stick

Who stood still long enough to get a lick

From Creak the dog

Who seemed to think he was a frog.

“Ribbit,” Creak said

As the girl in the bat-hat patted his head.

PiBoIdMo 2014 - I'm in!

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that though I love writing - and get paid to write! - and I am a parent, I don't often write for kids. Ever. Really.

I write notes to my kids, but I don't think of kids as a target audience for things that interest me: food sustainability, environmental issues, beer and coffee. Yes...believe it or not I just spent a month researching and writing an article about coffee. My kids listen to me ramble on about why we need to eat one way and not another, why I choose to buy chickens from one farm and not another. And I cart them along with me on research trips to visit beekeepers and learn how to roast coffee. But I don't usually think that other people's kids would enjoy these topics.

However, inspired by a good friend and her pledge to join the PiBoIdMo: Picture Book Idea Month - November 2014, hosted by Tara Lazar, I decided to take the plunge and see if I can complete the 30-day writing challenge and come up with daily ideas about how to write books for kids about important things such as eating fruits and vegetables. We'll see...stay tuned.

Thanks for the nudge P...like I need anything else on my plate this month!