By Joanne Linden
Illustrated by Cindy Chan
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Well, I'm not," said Nora. Nora could see that Jason didn't believe her.
On Monday morning Michael and Jason hurried down the street to Nora's house. Two more medium sized pumpkins were sitting on the porch. One had the letter "N" on it-the other had a "B".
"What do you guys think?" asked Nora.
"'N' is for nuts. Nutty Nora!" said Michael.
"'B' is for bonkers," added Jason. "You are really bonkers, Nora!"
"No I'm not-I'm just plain Nora!"
Tuesday was the day before Halloween. Down at Nora's house, covered with frost, was a new pumpkin with a "V" on it.
At the bus stop Jason piped up, "'V' is for very stupid! I'm sick of your stupid pumpkin game, Nora, and so is everyone else."
Wednesday was Halloween Day. Everyone stared in shock as they walked by Nora's house on the way to the bus stop. Nora's pumpkins were gone! Nobody spoke a word.
Mike broke the silence. "Well, I guess Nora was telling the truth."
At the bus stop Megan said, "Nora, are you going to the Halloween party tonight?"
"Sure am," said Nora.
That night Nora dressed for the pumpkin party. Nora felt her clown costume was perfect, for she had pulled off the perfect joke.
When Nora walked in the door of the Green Village Hall, Mike yelled out, "Hey Nora, did you bring that invisible family to the party?" Everyone laughed.
"Nope," said Nora, her eyes twinkling, "They're all back on my porch, waiting for you to visit them."
The children ran outside to look at Nora's house. "Wow," said Megan, her eyes opened wide in surprise.
"Cool!" said Mike.
Lined up on Nora's porch was the pumpkin family, their carved letters spelling out INVISIBLE. Their shining lights flickered in the darkness.
"I guess you're the winner for the best pumpkin family ever," said Jason.
Nora grinned so big she looked like a happy jack-o-lantern herself.
I am a former elementary school teacher who grew up in an immigrant family from Croatia. I have worked with Literacy Volunteers of America for a number of years, helping others with language and reading. I have had poetry accepted with June Cotner Books and Juniper Creek Press. My articles/stories have been with Crinkles Magazine and PCTO.
I live in Eau Claire, WI, with my husband and Harvey, our Scottish Terrier. They are my biggest fans!
Halloween Activities from NASA
http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/events/Halloween.asp
Halloween Safety from Fact Sheet Library
http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/haloween.htm
Halloween and Day of the Dead: History and Facts
http://www.waterborolibrary.org/hallo.htm
Pumpkins
http://www.u46.k12.il.us/co/klein/pump.html
Pumpkins and More
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/
The Pumpkin Patch
http://www.harlan.k12.ia.us/mrsc/the_pumpkin_patch.htm
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