Impossible to write a #SpookyNotScary Halloween tale for kids under 100 words?  And include the words spider, moon and ghost, too?  Yikes!

I'm taking on that challenge with a special Halloween post in author Susanna Leonard Hill's 6th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest.  

Photographer/author pal Leigh Emery Shearin's image of an old house near her farm in upstate New York is my inspiration for this mini-yarn.  

​Please have a read and enjoy!  Don’t forget to hop over to Susanna’s Blog to read some of the other entries.

The Watcher
a 100-word #SpookyNotScary Tale for Kids
by Cat Michaels

​They dare her to enter the old house
looming under a Halloween moon.

She reaches the rickety entry covered in spider webs. 
Nobody's lived here for years. 
BUT...

Is that someone watching from the window? 
And a shadow moving behind it!

She flees to safety in streetlights beyond.

"Aw, ma, why couldn't I have a taste of that one?"
the shadow cries.

"Behave yourself, boy! 
​As long as there's breath in me,
I'll protect innocents who visit on Halloween night."

"But ma," the ghost protests. 
"You don't have a breath. 
We're dead."
​
"Don't talk back to your mother!"

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Fall is THE best time of year.  Autumn tints.  Trick-or-treating wee goblins.  Apple picking.  US Elections (NOT!).

My imagination went a little crazy as I turned to  photographs for inspiration. Get ready for shivers and giggles in this quintet of #spookynotscary mini-tales for kids and grown-ups.

Berry Condundrum
© Cat Michaels @catmichaelswriter.com

The old woman surely won't mind
if I sample a berry from her garden. 

​Reaching to pluck the fruit,
​a black cat appears at my side. 

​"Are you certain?" it asks.

The Stack
© Cat Michaels @catmichaelswriter.com
 
OOOOOOOooooo!  The little boy and his mom are coming closer!  Maybe they'll  pick me!  I'm perfectly orange, and my shape, well, my shape is smooshed on one side.  But I'm firm and ready for carving.  Please, please, please take ME home. 
 
No way!  I'm the biggest in the stack.  Surely they'll take ME!
 
Bah!  Boy wants a petite-sized ME for school.
 
"Decision time, Jake.  Which is to be our jack-o-lantern?"
 
"Let's keep looking, mom.  I don't see any pumpkin I want in this stack."
 
"OK, sweetie.  We'll search more.  But it's starting to shower, so let's hurry to the car to stay dry."
 
No, not a rain shower. 

We're shedding Pumpkin Tears.

Watcher
© Cat Michaels @catmichaelswriter.com

Big Red
© Cat Michaels @catmichaelswriter.com

October's sun still warms my face.
Morning dew shines up my petals.  
​Frost coming soon but til then I'm feeling it ---
​ FLOWER POWER!

Bridge Work
© Cat Michaels @catmichaelswriter.com

"Something's strange ahead on the old bridge," the woman warns as she passes by.  "My dogs barked non-stop and nearly leapt from their leash, but I didn't see anything."
 
I thank her and resume my walk. I reach the old bridge.  It's quiet, and I hurry over it without a glance back, eager to enjoy my stroll on a perfect fall afternoon.
 
Under the bridge, the troll sighs.  No work today.  Another early voter I can't scare with the evil noise of political ads.

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Get ready for a Kid Lit trek to the Australian outback.  Sandra Bennett takes you there in her newest tale, Frazzled Freya, about the titular frill-neck lizard who wants to play with other desert creatures but is afraid of leaving the safety of her bush home. 

About the Book
Title: Frazzled Freya |  Author Sandra Bennett |  Illustrator Dianna Budd | Publication Date: 2016 | Publisher: Inspiring Publishers | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3-8

 * Amazon *
​

​What Kids Will Like
​With her exotic looks, children will adore gentle Freya, who darts about in search of playmates. However, everywhere she goes, Freya sees the shadow of a huge dinosaur that relentlessly stalks her.  Despite animal friends who  offer comfort, Freya remains frazzled.
 
Illustrator Dianna Budd’s vibrant drawings transport children to the Australian desert.   Budd includes delightful details of this habitat, down to the amazing animals and blazing yellow-orange sun bursting on nearly every page. 
 
Bennett's catchy rhyming couplets move the action along as Freya struggles to escape the ‘monster.’ 

​What Parents, Educators Will Like
The fixed layout of the downloadable pdf book I read on my i-Pad is easy for small hands to navigate.  The book’s illustrations jump off the screen, and young artists may be inspired to draw their own Outback-themed art.  Adults will appreciate the gentle lesson of friendship, as Freya’s buddies support her.  With their help, Freya finally learns to demonstrate bravery and resourcefulness.  
 
Though the story appeals to all young readers, its unique setting and characters will especially hook any child interested in nature and animals.   As a bonus, the author includes an appendix with photographs and facts about frill-neck lizards and other animals found in the story, so children from around the globe can learn more about nature in the Australian desert. 
​

Recommendation
I recommend Frazzled Freya for preschool through second-grade children.  Its catchy rhymes, charming characters, and dazzling illustrations transport them around the world to learn about nature while experiencing important life lessons.

Disclosure: I was given a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cat Michaels, M.S.,Ed.

​Meet the Author
Sandra Bennett, mother of three boys and retired Primary School teacher, started writing stories to encourage her students to develop a love of reading.  At first, she wrote familiar stories about her students, so they could relate to them.  These evolved into more-complex, humorous tales that often involve the natural world in her native Australia. 

Website/blog  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads 

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Driving Down to Dillon:
A Tale of Love and New Beginnings.

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