Nora's Pumpkins

By Joanne Linden

Illustrated by Cindy Chan



Nora was new to 345 Spring Street. She was new to Green Village. She was so new that no one spoke to her. That's when she decided to get ready for Halloween. Early.

Each year, Green Village had a pumpkin party. Everyone was welcome. Nora decided she would win first prize for the best pumpkin ever.

At the bus stop the next morning, everyone gathered in a circle, laughing and talking about Halloween.

Nora spoke up, "I have an invisible pumpkin family living at my house."

"That's dumb!" said Jason. "All I see is one small pumpkin out on your porch. It has the letter "L" carved into it. It's not invisible."

"You'll see," said a grinning Nora.

The next morning before breakfast, Nora set out a medium sized pumpkin on her porch. This one had the letter "S" carved into it. Crisp, autumn air blew the leaves, swirling them into small piles around Nora's pumpkins.

At the bus stop, Mike said, "Nora, what's up with that new pumpkin on your front porch? What have you got against pumpkin faces?"

"Nothing," said Nora, "They're just invisible."

The next morning Megan ran out onto her porch in her bathrobe to look at Nora's porch. There sat a huge pumpkin with the letter "E" looking back at her.

Megan walked along the street to the bus stop with her new neighbor. "What's happening at your house, Nora?" she asked. "I can see your pumpkins plain as day!"

"I think my invisible family is growing," said Nora. It was fun to keep everyone guessing.

Every morning the neighborhood children ran down the street to Nora's house to see Nora's pumpkins. No one could guess what would happen next. On Saturday morning no one walked to the bus stop. No one saw Nora put out three "I" pumpkins on her porch. Later that day, Jason zipped by on his bicycle, as Nora was playing Frisbee with her dog.

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