GENRE: Humor, Character Driven, Lyrical
WORDS: 438
Query:
Dear Judges, Agents, and Editors,
In PEST PROBLEM (438-word PB) when a human pest wreaks havoc on Vole’s garden, Vole learns that he doesn’t have to like everyone, but sometimes they are worth tolerating–and might even be beneficial.
Vole relishes routine, sipping compost tea and nibbling seeds before bustling about his garden. One night, Vole’s routine is shattered when a pest blocks his burrows. Vole and Pest clash for control, but when the Pest excludes Vole from his garden, Vole has had enough and he retaliates. Vole’s plan backfires and discovers he may have to let go in order to find true peace. For fans of A Visitor For Bear, Vole must consider a new viewpoint as in Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein, and turns the tables similar to The Cat Way by Sara Lundberg.
As a gardener, I was perturbed when voles invaded my garden. But the biologist in me asked: who was the real pest, and what is the real impact of voles? I write KidLit to spark curiosity, create understanding, and inspire science literacy. I am an active member of SCBWI, 12×12 Gold, and Writing Barn Courage to Create. I attended writing courses through UW, Stanford, and Write For Kids. Recently, my manuscript UMAMI MAMA won first place in the 2024 PNWA for an unpublished children’s manuscript and was a 2024 PB Party honorable mention. In 2019-2020, I was an SCBWI-WWA mentee. I have additional manuscripts available upon request.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Excerpt:
Every night,
Vole sipped compost tea,
Grabbed his trusty rake and trowel,
And bustled about in his garden.
Vole nipped and clipped leaves.
He pooped and scooped fertilizer.
He churned and turned compost.
The sweet-scented soil soothed his soul.
He worked dusk ’til dawn,
Trampling grooves in the ground.
But one night, he scuttled out and…
[Pest plants bulbs in burrow]
BUMP!
Vole’s back prickled.
Vole had a Pest Problem!
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
One spring, Voles moved into my garden, digging burrows, nipping plants, nibbling bulbs, and trampling runways. Peeving Pests! I plotted how to discourage, exclude, and ultimately trap and remove the critters from my garden.
But the biologist in me wondered: Did the voles think I was the real pest invading their garden? Does the garden benefit from their presence?
Yes! I was being pestiferous. And yes! The voles aerate soil, poop fertilizer, thin plants, and turn compost.
Perhaps there was space for both of us … and the owls could handle the rest.
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