A pause for Perfect Picture Book Friday while I take this week to feature Susanna Hill’s Halloweensie Contest! There’s still time to enter. It’s all good fun!

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!

So here’s mine, clocking in at 93 words!!

A (little) STEM Halloween

by Jilanne Hoffmann.

It’s time to be wary!
Those Goblins are scary.
You’d better not tarry.

They want to steal all your clothes.
Quick! Hide!

While you were dithering,
Ghoul Slugs came slithering,
slimy and withering.

They want to slide up your nose.
Quick! Hide!

Forsaking all sleeping, 
your eyeballs keep peeping, 
cause Werewolves are creeping.

They want to gobble your toes. 
Quick! Hide!

The trick? There’s no treating!
Starved Zombies start eating
through all of your sheeting—
screeching as they decompose.

Phewf! Saved by bacteria
securing the area,
ends the hysteria,
brings Halloween to a close.

Happy Trick or Treating!!!