Susanna Hill’s Valentiny Writing Contest 2023

The  8^th annual Valentiny Writing Contest for children’s writers.

Write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels skeptical! 

Post your story in the comment section of my Sunday February 12th Post between 12:01 AM Eastern Friday February 12th and Tuesday February 14th by 11:59 PM Eastern.

If you don’t enter the contest, you can still read all the entries and leave a comment.

There are amazing authors out there. For more information, click here.

Here’s my entry.

Title. Goojeepers and Mistdoo by Eleanor A. Peterson WC 214

Mistdoo always walked by the swamp on her way home from school.

Her parents had warned her,” Steer away. A mean ogre lives there. If  he sees you, he’ll eat you.”

“Oh, really?” Mistdoo said. “Did you see him?”

“Everyone in town knows the legend about the ogre.”

Mistdoo didn’t believe them.

The next time she walked by the swamp, her ears perked up.

A voice came from behind the bulrushes.

She pushed them aside.

A boy with long ears stood talking to a frog while picking weeds.

Mistdoo was curious. She dipped a foot in the water.

The boy must have heard her. He swiftly hid behind a bush.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. I’m Mistdoo, and you.”

The boy slipped out from under the bush. “Goojeepers.”

“I haven’t seen you at school?”

Goojeeper’s lowered his head. “ No school for Goojeepers. No friends.”

Mistdoo’s heart sank. “Have you seen any ogres?”

“Nope. Just Goojeepers.”

She knew it! “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Goojeeper shrugged and went back to picking his weeds.

On Valentine’s day, Mistdoo prepared a gift for Goojeepers and rushed back to the swamp.

“Goojeepers!”

Huge eyes stared at her through the bulrushes.

“For you,” Mistdoo said.

Goojeepers eyes swelled with tears as he handed her his gift.

“Ahhh… Goojeepers!”

P.S. I’ll attend the Bologna Children’s Book Fair from March 6th to 9th. I hope to meet up with a few fellow writers.

Titolo: Goojeepers e Mistdoo

Mistdoo passava sempre vicino alla palude mentre tornava a casa da scuola.

I suoi genitori l’avevano avvertita. “Un orco cattivo vive lì. Se ti vede, ti mangerà.”

“Oh veramente?” disse Mistdoo. “L’avete visto?”

“Tutti conoscono la leggenda dell’orco.”

Mistdoo non ci credeva.

La volta successiva che passò accanto alla palude, le sue orecchie si rizzarono.

Una voce proveniva da dietro i giunchi.

Li spinse da parte e sbirciò.

Un ragazzone con le orecchie lunghe stava parlando con una rana mentre raccoglieva le erbacce.

Mistdoo era curiosa. Immerse un piede nell’acqua.

Il ragazzo deve averla sentita. Si nascose rapidamente dietro un cespuglio.

“Non preoccuparti. Non ti farò del male. Io sono Mistdoo e tu.

Il ragazzo usci da sotto il cespuglio. “Goojeepers.”

“Perché non ti ho mai visto a scuola?”

Goojeeper abbassò la testa. “Nessuna scuola per Goojeepers. No amici.”

Il cuore di Mistdoo sprofondò. “Hai visto qualche orco?”

“No. Solo Goojeepers.

Lo sapeva! «Tornerò domani.»

Goojeepers si strinse nelle spalle e tornò a raccogliere le erbacce.

Il giorno di San Valentino, Mistdoo preparò un regalo per Goojeepers ed tornò di corsa nella palude.

“Goojeepers!”

Due grandi occhi la fissavano attraverso i giunchi.

“Per te,” disse Mistdoo.

Gli occhi di Goojeepers si gonfiarono di lacrime mentre le porgeva il suo regalo.

“Ahhh… Goojeepers.”

P.S. Sarò alla Fiera del libro a Bologna dal 6 marzo al 9. Spero di incontrare alcuni dei miei colleghi.