Rosco the Rascal Trick-or-Treats: a new short story

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Hi readers,

My favorite season is here–fall! And Halloween is right around the corner. And because my young readers have been asking me for a few years to write a Halloween story, I finally did! And guess what? I published it, in full, as a short story on Wattpad! That means it’s entirely free to read. You just have to sign up for a Wattpad membership to get it.

One day, the story will be expanded into either a full Halloween-themed Rosco the Rascal book, or will become just one of many stories in a Rosco the Rascal short story collection. For now, your kids can read it for free! Please feel free to share with friends, family, and teachers for a fun-to-read-aloud, just slightly spooky tale. Here’s the summary:

Rosco has never experienced Halloween before, and tonight, he’ll be trick-or-treating with ten-year-old James, seven-year-old Mandy, and a group of their friends. He’s never seen so many kid-sized creatures and characters out on the sidewalks, and marvels at the many sights and sounds. 

In addition, like so many kids, second-grader Mandy is torn between her love of trick-or-treating and her dislike of the scarier aspects of Halloween, so when things get spooky in a neighborhood haunted house, will Rosco step up and protect her?

Wholesome, lighthearted, and adventurous, this contemporary short story fits right in with the rest of the Rosco the Rascal series for kids and is only available on Wattpad.

A seven-chapter standalone story, not too scary for ages 5-8 but spooky enough for an 8-10 year-old reader who loves trick-or-treating!

Chapter 1

Trick-or-What?

Mrs. McKendrick tore open a bag of candy and poured the little packets into a big, orange bowl. Emptying the second bag, she set the bowl on a small table near the front door.

Rosco padded over to investigate. Who’s going to eat all that? Can I have some? he thought, moving closer to smell the fruity scents escaping the colorful wrappers.

“Not for you, boy,” said Mom, smiling at the large German shepherd. “Off you go.”

Rosco wandered over to the front window. Orange lights had begun to glow from some of the houses nearby, and it looked as though a few neighbors were out, bustling about on the sidewalks. How odd, he thought. It’s dark already. What are they doing? He watched for a moment, considering the possibilities.

Mr. McKendrick came into the living room, matches and candles in hand. He opened the front door. “Time to light ‘em up!” he said, and he stepped outside. On the porch, Dad bent down next to the giant jack-o-lantern he’d carved the night before and lifted the lid, setting it on the ground. He lit a small candle and placed it inside. At once, a spooky grin glowed from the darkness. Mr. McKendrick smiled. “There we are! Perfect!” He lit more candles and placed them inside the pumpkins that the kids had carved.

Rosco sat down and scratched his ear with his foot. What was Dad doing and why all the fuss? He wandered out onto the porch. When he saw the jack-o-lanterns from the front, Rosco’s eyes went wide. Ah ha! I wondered why they were cutting into those pumpkins last night. Candle holders—now that makes sense! Rosco sat down to think about it. Doesn’t it?

Photo courtesy Pixabay

Click over to read the whole story here!

I hope you enjoy it. Please vote and comment on the story at the end of one of the pages if you like! It helps the story’s rank on Wattpad, which helps me find new readers for it. Thanks so much and Happy Halloween!

2 comments

  1. Nice! Do you like Wattpad? Do you get much response from it? I’m not on there but just wondered if I should try it.

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