November 28th is just around the corner! That means I gotta get out there and plug my book!
This is it!
SARAH GIVES THANKS is a picture book biography about Sarah Josepha Hale, the celebrated magazine editress who, in the mid-19th century, led a grassroots movement to turn Thanksgiving into a national holiday. You can learn a bit more about my book and read the reviews here.
Wanna win a free copy? You DO? Awesome!
But you’re in the wrong place.
Head on over to Vanessa Chapman’s blog. She interviewed me last week (and, as you’ll see, took a few liberties with Photoshop). Leave a comment on or before November 6, and you will be entered in a random drawing to win your very own copy of SARAH!
Can I hear a WOO?
By the way, while there, you might want to follow Vanessa’s blog. Vanessa is one of the best bloggers I know.
GOOD LUCK!
Oh, and if you’re one of those people who never wins any contests, you can always just buy a copy of SARAH GIVES THANKS. By doing so, you can put some loose change into a writer’s pocket. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to do?
Here are the rules: The story cannot be more than 100 words. It has to be Halloween themed. And it must contain the words “black cat,” “spooky” and “cackle.”
Below is my (very) humble submission. Enjoy!
***
SPOOKY PIGGY
“Boo!” Cuddles shouted. “Boooo! Did I scare you? Am I scary?”
“No,” Claude said, his eyes shut tight.
“Spooky, then? Wooooo! Boooo! Boo woo!”
“Guinea pigs are not scary.”
“Yes we are! Maybe not black cat scary like you, but we are.”
“I am not scary, just sleepy. And you are just noisy. Go.”
With a sad sigh, Cuddles went. Claude closed his eyes.
But then he heard something.
A terrible something.
BATHWATER!
Claude scurried under the daybed.
“Now, that’s scary,” Cuddles said, leaning against the faucet.
The charming Susanna Leonard Hill is holding a blog contest, and I’m giving it a go.
The rules, in Susanna’s own words: “Write a children’s story, in poetry or prose, maximum 400 words about the Fourth of July in which a secret is revealed or a mystery is solved!”
Fourth of July? Mystery? My first idea was The Mystery of the Missing Fingers.
But better judgment prevailed.
Enjoy!
UPDATE: I am delighted to report that Harold’s Hat was the winner of the 2014 Highlights for Children Fiction Contest!
Please be aware, however, that the winning story is quite different from the one posted below. If you want to read the winning story, you’re gonna have to get a copy of Highlights. (You should do this, by the way. That mag is awesome.)
AN UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: It’s official: Harold’s Hat will appear in the July 2015 issue of Highlights for Children. Feel free to camp out next to your newsstand now!
***
HAROLD’S HAT
By Mike Allegra
The day was here! Finally!
Parades!
Hot dogs!
Swimming!
Fireworks!
Oh, and there was also The Hat.
Harold could hardly think of The Hat without saying, “Mwah-ha-ha!”
He’ll show that Betsy Lominzer, that’s for sure.
Last year Betsy wore a special Fourth of July hat to the town parade – a nice one that had flashing lights and a cup holder for her lemonade.
Harold asked if he could try it on and she said no. Not even for one teeny, tiny little milisecond.
“Fine,” thought Harold. “I’ll show you next year.”
And, well…Mwah-ha-ha!
The Hat took Harold six months to build. He kept it out of harm’s way in his closet.
At least he thought he did.
It must be out of harm’s way in his toy box.
Hm.
Out of harm’s way in his dresser?
Um…
Under the bed? Behind the hamper? In the closet again, just to make sure?
“MOOOOOOOM!”
“Whaaaat?” Mom was trying to light the barbecue.
“Have you seen My Hat? The one with the red, white and blue glitter, and the flashing lights, and the siren, and the cup holder?”
“No,” she replied. “Where on earth did you get…? ”
“DAAAAAAAD!”
“Too loud!” Dad was pouring chlorine in the pool.
“Have you seen My Hat? The one with the battery powered waving flag action and the cannons that shoot sparks?”
“You have a hat that shoots sparks?” Dad asked. “That could be a fire haz–”
“BIIIIIIILLY!”
“Ba!” Billy was sucking on his foot.
“Have you seen My Hat? The one with the megaphone and the solar powered jukebox that plays a medley of Sinatra songs when you push a red button on the brim?”
“Do-be-do-be-do,” Billy said.
Wait. That wasn’t Billy.
Harold followed the do-bes to Sparky’s doghouse and found him swooning to Sinatra’s crooning.
The hat was safe and sound.
“Good boy.”
Off to the parade! Off to find Betsy Lominzer! Mwah-ha-ha!
But…well…Betsy’s hat had improved a bit since last year.
It had improved quite a lot, actually.
“Wow! Can I try on your hat for just one teeny, tiny, little millisecond?” Harold asked.
“No,” Betsy Lominzer replied.
“Fine!” thought Harold. “I’ll show you next year.”
In an instant, Harold’s mind filled with new and exciting ideas. A bigger hat. A better hat. The Best Hat Ever.
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 