A Light in the Attic (original 1981; edition 1981)

Wit seems to be rare these days. I can only seem to find it occasionally in the infrequent fight people have with each other. But you never seem to find many people anymore that just have wit, and use it often as such. But I believe Shel Silverstein is one of those people. Most people have probably read his books- he writes many poems for young children but I've discovered that now as I read them when I'm older I see so much more in them and appreciate them even more than I did. His poems are highly respected and show kids that poems can make sense and be fun- not so confusing and deep all the time.

I for one am not an expert poet but I have written a few poems and I do realize that it is difficult to write a true, quality poem. Shel Silverstein writes amazing poems that are silly, but deep at the same time and are truly of quality. His poems are like the other side of the moon. They show a completely different way of thinking of things and looking at life. You read a poem and you sit back and think to yourself, "huh... that is truly brilliant," and so it is. On the surface, they are silly and funny, but underneath they are brimming with meaning and thought. How rare and ingenious that is.

I want to read many more of his books, they are truly inspiring to me. They are all a reminder not to look through life in the same lens you always do, which I think is a good reminder for all of us.
http://sarahsanford.blogspot.com/

CD with book

A good kids books of poems ( )

A Lght in the Attic was one of my favorite books as I was growing up. Silverstein has fun and silly poems that children just enjoy.

1. Hug O War- This is a cute poem about hugs, cuddling, and giggline. Mostly love, and how being afffectionate is ok.
2. Gardner- This is a perfect example of silly poems in this book. It is about watering the garden, but at the end they say " we didn't mean that way, now zip up your pants"
3. Hinges- This poem can be a bit deeper if you choose to look at it that way. MAny people make mistakes and want to remove them from thier life. Well, this poem talks about if we had hinges on our heads to open and close them to take the bad stuff out and leave the good stuff.
4. Invitation- This is a poem that welcomes anyone- a dreamer, wisher, liar, doesn't matter. This can be translated to to speak about judging people.

While I only read selections of this collection of Shel Silverstein's poetry this semester, I have to say that his is one of the brilliant children's writers of all time. Some poems are funny, others are deep, and many are both. These beloved poems will absolutely make it into my classroom, be it as posters or lessons. Silverstein's poems are a wonderful way to teach children that in literature, and especially in poetry, stories can have more than one level of meaning.

(this review also applies to another collection of his, Where the Sidewalk Ends) ( )