Post Your 60 Word Chapter Book Pitch for Our Pitch Critique Fest Before the 10th

2/3/2016

Hullo Creatives,

Please post your 60 word chapter book pitch right here before February 10th for our live pitch critique fest on Saturday the 13th at 12PM Pacific/3PM Eastern (URL coming soon). I will randomly choosing 5-7 each for Scholastic Senior Editor Katie Carella (she's young but incredibly smart), Hillary Homzie (not so young but also incredibly smart) and myself (I don't even want to go there) to critique so you have a good shot at getting a mini critique. And even if you don't, you'll learn a lot from hearing others. Then in mid March you'll rewrite/resubmit your pitch and Katie will choose two that she'd like to hear more from. Easy peasy, lots of fun. Remember to use wonderful language choices and a sense of intrigue or mystery to hook the reader in so that they want to know more about your story. Fingers crossed for you.

38 Comments

Primwatee Groover

2/5/2016 06:32:37 am

Donkey’s favorite food is watermelon and he’s is caught trying to eat one by his mistress. She threatens to sell him to the factor, unless he catches the lion who is destroying her crops. With the help of forest friends, Donkey must find a way to capture the lion; otherwise, he’d lose his home forever.

Quintyn Hobbs

2/5/2016 08:43:46 am

Trixie Mayweather is every teacher’s pet at the mysterious St. Genesius’s School for Geniuses until a new student named Truman Rex Noggs takes her place. He is a brilliant oddball prodigy who is half her age and happens to be the beastly pest named “T. Rex” that she had to babysit all summer. Will they become enemies or best friends?

Chris Shumate link

2/5/2016 09:28:40 am

Charlie is tired of sitting at home while his dad goes on hiking adventures without him, so he confronts his dad about him missing out, only to discover that some trails are exciting, but others are better left untraveled.

Nell Cross Beckerman

2/9/2016 01:18:52 pm

Hi! What a thrill to pitch to you all! My 8 year-old has allergies, which has inspired my idea for a series called:
SOPHIE'S SECRET SUPERPOWERS AND AMAZING ALLERGY ADVENTURES

Sophie’s allergies can be a drag. But besides the normal allergic reactions, Sophie’s allergies give her magical superpowers! When Ruby brings her guinea pig to visit the class, Sophie feels allergic. She goes to get medicine, and the guinea pig escapes! She is headed for the dodgeball tournament in the gym where she will get squashed! Suddenly, Sophie realizes she can talk with animals. Will she be able to save her pal’s pet before the medicine works and takes away her superpower?

Tara Tanner

2/9/2016 01:46:24 pm

A swirling whirlwind blows Grammy away, leaving Dovie Bloom with a riddle and an old wooden spoon.To save her Grandma, Dovie must join her spoon with a dented copper ladle and a rusty tin bread pan, un-ravel the riddle and learn the secret of kitchen magic.

Houman link

11/9/2017 10:57:41 pm

I liki ur idea. I love to show Grandma A Dented, Rusty wood, can be cleaned up real nice in the kitchen by them both ,in the right hands and special friend everyday, can bring them both many Huge sweet Loads of sweet seeds of suckcesd ,to fill their tummys ,and the eggs they keep warm deep inside be filled full of life ,. The secret cumms to life in the kitchen by them both az i master cheff Houman cumm up with fresh new ways for them to put my sweet love in their dishes for nureshment,vitomins, protine,great healings benefits to injoys. I know i Grandma and Dove Bloom will never go hungry ,and feel 21 again
Let me me ir Cream in ur Coffee every morning,evenings, and Night😊

Allison Donohue

2/9/2016 04:02:07 pm

Ellie has prima ballerina dreams, but her parents’ decision to leave the city for an organic farm in Maine has her in a tizzy. Now she’s wearing work boots instead of ballet shoes, and managing a flock of misbehaving chickens. With a new friend, a cranky pig, and a resident ghost, Ellie learns that farm life is never dull!

Wendy Kitts link

2/10/2016 06:12:50 pm

Love this! Can see Ella in her muddy boots surrounded by chickens!

Jill Siegel (pen name Jill Dana) link

2/9/2016 07:03:09 pm

BRUCE & THE WILDFLOWER is a story about Billy, a wildflower, who finds unexpected friends and rises above his narrow-minded floral neighbors. A grandmother, a show dog, and a garden set the scene for an uninvited visitor who shakes up their scheduled, structured lives. How will Billy survive Gardening Day, the day when Grandma pulls the weeds? Will Bruce help?

Jessica Miller-Nims

2/9/2016 07:24:38 pm

Mikey wakes up to discover that he is invisible, and there is a furry winged creature bouncing on his bed. While exploring a world of “Invisible Things” he stumbles upon Trotter’s evil plot to enslave all humans. Mikey gathers his new invisible friends in a race against the clock to stop Trotter and save the human race.

Karen Dean link

2/9/2016 08:39:12 pm

Jessa Jean's clumsy klutzyness causes much teasing at school. She is secretly, painfully jealous of brother Caid's and best friend Torie's athletic abilities. Defeated by a skateboard, then horribly embarrassed at the roller skating party, she wonders if there's any hope for gaining respect rather than ridicule. Surely she'll discover something to help her feel important too.

Erin diStefano

2/9/2016 08:50:34 pm

Twins Willa and Jake were always told, "Appalachia is full of mystery and magic." But when they are sent there to live with their grandmother, all they can see is a boring summer ahead. Then, folk tales they were told as bedtime stories start coming to life and the twins must face that magic is real and for better or worse they are stuck in the middle of it.

Wendy Kitts link

2/10/2016 06:15:10 pm

Intriguing...

Leah Leonard

2/9/2016 10:17:03 pm

Cade, Nacho, and Arizona discover that Killler Zombies from Mars have invaded their quiet town of Happy Valley. Can they save the world using just their extensive knowledge of aliens and zombies, a huge stack of comic books, and everyday household items, and still get their homework done in time for their test tomorrow?

Wendy Kitts link

2/10/2016 06:17:36 pm

Haaaa...imagining mini-MacGyers...the stack of comic books is intriguing...

LiNn

2/9/2016 11:30:03 pm

Eight-year old Abby dreams of being an Artist ever since she holds her first crayon and bangs on her toy piano. Her quirky ideas drive her tiger mom up the wall and exasperates her school teachers. Will Abby’s latest idea — making up and performing her own songs —improve her school grades, win her teachers’ favour and get her into the school’s prestigious music club?

Myrna Foster

2/9/2016 11:40:47 pm

Anna’s brothers leave her behind to go treasure hunting again, but this time, she refuses to be left out. Anna borrows a few of their maps and packs her wagon with the essentials: her robots, marshmallows, camping gear—basically everything she’ll need to charm guardians of treasure, guardians that might be a teensy bit dangerous.

Rena Traxel link

2/9/2016 11:52:12 pm

For fans of Junie B. Jones and Judy Moody comes seven-year-old Gracie Lou. Determine to keep all her things, Gracie starts a backyard museum. The perfect plan until words spreads and the artifacts pile up. Now Gracie must find a solution without alienating all her friends, and before Mom finds out what really happened to be donated pile.

Alice Faye Duncan link

2/10/2016 04:37:00 am

MOLLY PEPPER AND THE CRUMB SNATCHERS--A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR KIDS WHO LIVE WITH BABY TWINS

Molly Pepper lives in Memphis. She can see GRACELAND from her back porch. Molly was an only child for 7 years. But now, her Mama and Daddy are also proud parents to baby twins. How does she learn to live with busy intrusive twins? Molly cannot find helpful books on this subject. So, she writes her own survival guide.

Heather Linford

2/10/2016 04:57:44 am

When the Insect Rescue Team rejects Adaline based on her flea-size, she feels her heart might break. New opportunity arises, however, when a trapped Princess, a greedy spider, and a narrow-minded beetle threaten the entire Insect Kingdom. It just might be that a flea has all the skills necessary to rescue the Princess and save the Kingdom.

Kim MacPherson link

2/10/2016 07:07:12 am

Jubilee is a witch, but doesn’t know it. Her three older sisters want to keep it that way. When Jubilee discovers a love of ballet, her sisters know where her “magical” talent comes from. They ALSO know that danger looms if Jubilee continues to perform, so they cast long-forgotten spells to quash Bella’s passion. But will that be enough?

Kim MacPherson link

2/10/2016 07:09:07 am

Marianne Gage link

2/10/2016 07:53:34 am

In the Kingdom of Killdary by the Sea, something goes terribly wrong for young scientist-in-training, Clarisse: she unwittingly wins the princess-and-bride-to-be contest of the new heir. Not abandoning science for a life of royal leisure, Clarisse uncovers an impending environmental disaster, saving not only the kindgom, but the true heir to the throne.

Lisa Ruggiero

2/10/2016 08:02:33 am

In my book, Huckle Bear Goes to Paris, Lucy always brings her stuffed Bear, Huckle Bear, with her when she travels to new places. But when Huckle Bear is accidentally left at the top of the Eiffel Tower, how will he ever find his way back to Lucy in a big city like Paris?

Wendy Kitts link

2/10/2016 06:22:39 pm

Love the title and tugged at my heart that poor little Huckle Bear was left behind - and can see him searching for Lucy...

June Smalls

2/10/2016 08:39:00 am

Andy lives at the zoo run by his father and he’s excited that other kids are moving in with their veterinarian mother, until he realizes they are girls. But there’s no time to worry about crushed dreams of skater buddies. Andy and the new girls must work together to help save a baby marmoset that refuses to eat.

Thank you for the opportunity!

Annie Bailey

2/10/2016 10:03:17 am

There’s a school at the end of the world. A place the imaginary, the magical, the solitary creatures that lurk in the shadows call home. Where the weather changes on a dime, the curriculum is stranger than fiction, and it’s best to avoid the lunchroom. Principal John Smith runs the show.

On Tuesdays.

Because, really, what could go wrong here?

Donna Maloy link

2/10/2016 10:12:20 am

The Tiniest Things: introducing a few of the very smallest animals, vehicles, portraits, bugs, dolls, and other surprises (like a flea circus)—plus super microscopes that can see even the tiniest bits of our world. Each chapter will include photos and/or comparison graphics.

Beth Russell

2/10/2016 11:20:56 am

Best Friend Cousins (BFC): Cousins Unite!

In many families cousins are a child’s first friends, and in this case, next door neighbors. What happens when four best friend cousins get together? Mischief and a whole lot of mishaps, that’s what.

Joseph Gordon

2/10/2016 01:29:28 pm

Bejoya and Gianni are 15 year-old-dance buddies who were born to dance. Both are steeped in the proud dance traditions of their immigrant families. Bee is Indian, and Gi was born in Jamaica. They were five when they first danced together in a hilly neighborhood park up in the Bronx. Encouraged by their parents, they head downtown to try out for a special dance program for gifted teens. But the one time prima ballerina leading the audition gives them a really hard time. She's vain, snobbish and brutal. Running to the subway, they twist their ankles, but the real injury is to their trust in the adult world. Soon their will to dance goes missing, and they can't seem to find it, at least until an older neighbor comes to their aid. She's Emma Carrell, a retired dancer who lives in the great, pink Tunisian-styled house that sits on the edge of the park where they still come to dance. Its walls are cracking, but not its spirit. She invites them into the magnificent home and studio which opened in 1927 to house the world-renowned Denishawn dance troupe. Amazingly, Emma began her career there. Exploring the path of Emma's long dance life -- which still runs happily through the beautiful old pink house -- Bee and Gi discover a brighter, pinker way to move towards their own future as dancers.

Barbara Messinger

2/10/2016 04:03:07 pm

When Angel friends Whisper and Gabby attend EARTH ANGEL PREP, they join a five member team to help a third grader on Earth. Learning they pass or fail as a team adds to the pressure when nothing goes as planned on Earth and thing go from bad to worse when Whisper displays traits to human for comfort.

Karlene Kay Ryan link

2/10/2016 04:22:01 pm

Ancestry.com should meet Katie. Katie loves spending times and adventures with her 96 yr old Great -Grandma Darlene and her Grandma K. The stories that Katie asks for when she visits each Grandma definitely place leaves on the family tree--not just names.
Laughter, amazement, astonishment, wonder, surprise, a few tears and a lot of love. What's a Sixth grader supposed to do but go back for more. And Katie does in each chapter.

Houman link

11/9/2017 11:37:17 pm

It all Com,' s to life for Katie, as she finds out both her Grandmothers have a young handsome Stud that stops by at months end , with a movie in one hand ,and a bad of new toys for them to play with. As Rob sitts on the coutch between them, he reches down and pulls out something that is trubbing realy hard , and would love to show them 4th of July going off in their faces, as the Both Grandmothers eat,drink, and clean all the mess as it comms to life before their eyers in amazement. HIS 6 SHOOTER IS FULLY LOADED,

Barbara Cairns link

2/10/2016 05:45:46 pm

Set in the 1960s, ten-year-old Abby has horrible penmanship, so she plans to buy a typewriter from the Sears catalog so she can win the school writing contest. But first, she must figure out a way to get a job and to earn some money at the local wildlife attraction where her mother works in the gift shop.

Yvette Pompa

2/10/2016 06:01:35 pm

Magic, the ocean, and items washed ashore take orphans Cornelia and Benito on a swashbuckling adventure aboard a pirate ship. Daggers, walking the plank, and a famous girl Captain set sail to returning the treasure. Accompanying their adventure is a golden retriever who wears a shiny, gold key around his collar - The key that may get them back home.

Wendy Kitts link

2/10/2016 06:09:00 pm

Morph Boy

When his science project goes awry, eight-year-old Mortimer Murphy becomes a mouse scurrying between the walls of his home with Twenty-two, a mouse on the lam from his father’s lab.

Can they outsmart the family cat and Mortimer’s ex-military mom whose single-minded pursuit is to rid the house of mice? Can Mortimer become human again before he becomes cat-food…or worse?

Bryan Patrick Avery

2/10/2016 06:11:44 pm

The Marvelous Maxwells - The Disappearing Book

When two young magicians, Micah and Mariah Maxwell of the world-famous Marvelous Maxwells, discover that their family’s 150 year old book of tricks and illusions has been stolen, they set out to identify the thief and reclaim the priceless book.

Suma Subramaniam

2/11/2016 02:19:46 am

On the day of Diwali, eight-year-old Kanya is excited about getting a new dress from her landlady and also eating her most favorite dessert- laddoo.

However, a monkey steals the dessert tray and runs away. Kanya must find a way to get the tray of laddoos back so she won’t go hungry on the day of the festival of lights.

Post Your 60 Word Chapter Book Pitch for Our Pitch Critique Fest Before the 10th

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