A Light in the Attic Special Edition with 12 New Poems

I did buy the new special edition of Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic last year. You can never have too much Silverstein. He's the only poet that kids regularly ask for (I know Prelutsky is supposed to be popular, but the kids at my library aren't interested). The extra twelve poems in this anniversary edition are classic Silverstein; funny, irreverent, and they stick in your head like old cold oatmeal.

A light in the attic by Shel Silverstein (Special Edition)
ISBN: 978-0061905858; Published September 2009 by HarperCollins; Review copy provided by publisher

This was my favorite poetry book as a child and for good reason! No poem is longer than about a page and is accompanied with a small picture. The book has pen illustrations of the different poems but most of the imagination is developed between the beautiful words of the page and the mind. The language is very easy to read for students at many reading levels as well as interesting and fun! The writing is engaging and easy to visualize. In the Crowded Tub poem, uses humor to make these visualizations. He writes that the tub is so crowded with people that the narrator does not know whose bum he is cleaning. Even an adult cannot help but smile at the silly picture that this develops. The humor in many of the poems interests a lot of show more students to read further into the book. Poems can sound daunting to anyone especially children. They often have many underlying meanings or they are hard to read. Shel Silverstein proves that poetry can be easy to read and humorous but still talk about more difficult themes and issues. Re-reading this book reminded me why it is still so popular. show less

An absolutely delightful set of poems that conjure up images of childhood and whimsical fancy. This is my first Silverstein book and I guarantee that it won't be my last. There's so much to like here and the sheer, almost musical, comedy plays itself out like a tour de force on the page. The drawings are great too. This is not a book to be missed and I feel all the better for reading it.

4.5 stars!

OK, I'm going to come clean. I didn't like A Light in the Attic. At all.

Is everyone over their collective gasp of disbelief? Good. Let me explain.

I don't think I remember ever reading Shel Silverstein as a kid. I mean, I must have, right? Every kid has. But beyond The Giving Tree, I have absolutely no recollection of ever having picked up another book by Silverstein. My sister, on the other hand, loved him as a kid. Somehow, I just skipped over that bit of growing up, I guess. My sister loved him as a kid, and still loves him today as an adult. In fact, she has all of her copies of his books from when she was a kid. So, when I heard they were coming out with this anniversary edition of A Light in the Attic that included several new show more poems, my first thought was that I needed to get a copy for her for her birthday, and it was being released close to that date. My second thought was that I should also buy a copy for myself. I felt I should have a copy in my library, since everyone just goes on and on about him. For future reference, I'm going to simply read what my sister has, that way I won't feel like I wasted my money.

Now, don't get me wrong. I own The Giving Tree and love it. I reread itperiodically. I's a great little book. I cannot say the same of A Light in the Attic. I know the poems are geared towards kids, and that they are to be taken completely tongue in cheek, but that still hasn't stopped me from wishing I hadn't bought the book. I was actually shocked by the poems that dealt with kids dying (not that I'm so easily shocked by anything, really, but it really did come as a surprise to me) and thought some of them completely distasteful. Of course, to a kid, that sort of thing can be hysterical. I thought the illustrations were amusing, but not much more than that.

So, I think I missed my formative, Shel Silverstein-liking years. I guess to the right kid, these are great, but for my 34-year-old self who has never read them before and hadn't appreciated them as a kid... well, I won't be picking up another sampling any time soon. show less

"A Light in the Attic" is an anthology of poems by Shel Silverstein, which covers a number of topics that are explained to children, from death to chores to the supernatural. Several of the poems have been targeted by parents groups as inappropriate for schools, but the book has eluded banning.

Though the book is 32 years old, the poems seemingly have lasting powers as this book is still bought time and time again for the next generation; my daughter owns this particular book, as well two other Silverstein publications. The way his words and humor relate to children have, and continue to stand the test of time.

I would have my class pick their favorite poem and tell me why-- is it the content? The message? The rhyming scheme? I would show more also have them pick a poem and re-illustrate it. What comes to mind when they read it? Drawing their interpretation of the poem will help them connect to the writing even more. show less

This is a book of silly poetry with themes that kids can relate to. It also has themes laced in that are fun for older kids and adults to read. It is a great poetry book for all ages, little kids will like the rhyming and illustrations and older kids will get the sarcasm and irony.

Shel Silverstein is a poetry god. He makes his poetry so fun for children to read. I remember when I was a kid, I would have these poems memorized so I could say them with my friends. It was so fun to me, and I hope that whatever children read these poetry books it stays with them forever!