Abigail Tarkana has a problem. Something strange has happened at the Academy, and her unusual blue magic might be the only way to fix it!

Your mission: Write an original adventure for Abigail. You get to decide what goes wrong, who helps her, what magical creatures or surprises she encounters, and how the story ends. Along the way, what might Abigail discover, and how could her choices make a difference?

Invent a new character or bring along someone Abigail already knows.

Start by introducing your students to the magical world of The Blue Witch through our FREE animated Readalong on YouTube. Then invite them to become the storytellers! Using the writing challenge as their inspiration, ask students to imagine a brand-new adventure for Abigail Tarkana. Encourage them to work in groups to brainstorm a magical problem, develop an exciting plot, introduce familiar or original characters, and decide how Abigail’s unusual blue magic might help save the day. These are imaginative “what if?” stories, separate from the novel’s official plot, so students are encouraged to explore any and all possibilities without spoilers.

Students can work through the writing process by planning their stories, creating a first draft, revising their ideas, and sharing their finished adventures with classmates. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice creative writing, character development, problem-solving, and narrative structure while giving students the freedom to explore their imaginations. The goal is to create an original adventure they’d love to see brought to life through animation! 🎬✨

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Educators may submit student’s responses through the official entry form. All submitted work must be uploaded in a PDF format. Multiple student submissions may be combined in one file provided each response has a header with the following information:

• First name and last initial of student
• Grade Level
• City and State of school

TIMELINE

• November 6, 2026: The writing prompt is available.
• December 1, 2026: Submission portal opens.
• December 18, 2026: Last day to submit a story for consideration.
• January 8, 2027: Finalists are announced.
• January 31, 2027 Winners are announced
• March-May 2027: Animations will be released

ELIGIBILITY

• Open to US public or private enrolled students in grades 3 through grade 8
• All work must be original work created by students
• Student stories should not exceed 1,500 words
• All responses MUST BE submitted by an educator or other school representative. Direct student or parent submissions will not be accepted.
• Selected stories will require parent’s signed permission for work to be used.