Call number
J 811 SIL
Collection
Genres
Publication
HarperCollins
Description
A collection of humorous poems and drawings.
Media reviews
Mr. Silverstein's work remains a must for lovers of good verse for children. Quite like nobody else, he is still a master of delectable outrage and the proprietor of a surprisingly finely tuned sensibility.
User reviews
LibraryThing member mrstreme
In honor of this year’s Banned Books Week, I selected A Light in the Attic - a collection of poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein. Published in 1981, this 167-page collection is typical Silverstein – a mixture of the silly and the serious written (and drawn) in a language that kids
A Light in the Attic is ranked number 51 of The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. Main objections include subject matters about disobeying parents, dying children and the presence of supernatural forces in the poetry.
As I read through this book today, I spotted some of these “questionable” poems. Here is a quick summary:
1) “Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony” – Abigail wants a pony that she sees for sale, and her parents tell her no. She said that she’d die if she doesn’t get this pony, and her parents protest that no one has ever died from not receiving a pony. Abigail gets sick and dies of a broken heart. But that’s not how the poem ends. Here are the final lines, written in parentheses: “This is a good story/To read to your folks/When they won’t buy/You something you want.”
2) “How Not To Have To Dry The Dishes” – In a nutshell, if you have to dry the dishes – “such an awful, boring chore” – then drop a dish on the floor and “maybe they won’t let you dry the dishes anymore.”
3) “Day After Halloween” – It’s a Halloween sale! For a nickel a pail, you can get all the skeletons, spirits and haunts you want. This poem has pictures of skulls and Halloween masks.
And now my opinion:
Overall, A Light in the Attic is book full of kid-speak poems and pictures that children can relate to. It is my belief that parents should review books (or TV shows or movies or video games, for that matter) prior to letting their child see it. If it’s objectionable, then you have the right – as the parent – to forbid your child from reading it. That’s our job as parents.
Would I forbid my child from reading A Light in the Attic? For my almost-nine-year old, I would not. For my seven year old, yes. Some of the material is more appropriate for older children.
What it comes down to is this: These kids are my responsibilities, and I should have the right to determine what they are exposed to. And if I denied my oldest son A Light in the Attic, then he would also be denied other parts of this book that are wonderful:
PECKIN’
The saddest thing I ever did see
Was a woodpecker peckin’ at a plastic tree.
He looks at me, and “Friend” says he,
“Things ain’t as sweet as they used to be.”
CHANNELS
Channel 1’s no fun.
Channel 2’s just news.
Channel 3’s hard to see.
Channel 4 is just a bore.
Channel 5 is all jive.
Channel 6 needs to be fixed.
Channel 7 and Channel 8 –
Just old movies, not so great.
Channel 9’s a waste of time.
Channel 10 is off, my child.
Would you like to talk awhile?
Or as Shel concluded: “But this bridge will only take you halfway there – The last few steps you’ll have to take alone.” Leading our children over that bridge - that’s what we do as parents every day, isn't it?
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understand.A Light in the Attic is ranked number 51 of The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000. Main objections include subject matters about disobeying parents, dying children and the presence of supernatural forces in the poetry.
As I read through this book today, I spotted some of these “questionable” poems. Here is a quick summary:
1) “Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony” – Abigail wants a pony that she sees for sale, and her parents tell her no. She said that she’d die if she doesn’t get this pony, and her parents protest that no one has ever died from not receiving a pony. Abigail gets sick and dies of a broken heart. But that’s not how the poem ends. Here are the final lines, written in parentheses: “This is a good story/To read to your folks/When they won’t buy/You something you want.”
2) “How Not To Have To Dry The Dishes” – In a nutshell, if you have to dry the dishes – “such an awful, boring chore” – then drop a dish on the floor and “maybe they won’t let you dry the dishes anymore.”
3) “Day After Halloween” – It’s a Halloween sale! For a nickel a pail, you can get all the skeletons, spirits and haunts you want. This poem has pictures of skulls and Halloween masks.
And now my opinion:
Overall, A Light in the Attic is book full of kid-speak poems and pictures that children can relate to. It is my belief that parents should review books (or TV shows or movies or video games, for that matter) prior to letting their child see it. If it’s objectionable, then you have the right – as the parent – to forbid your child from reading it. That’s our job as parents.
Would I forbid my child from reading A Light in the Attic? For my almost-nine-year old, I would not. For my seven year old, yes. Some of the material is more appropriate for older children.
What it comes down to is this: These kids are my responsibilities, and I should have the right to determine what they are exposed to. And if I denied my oldest son A Light in the Attic, then he would also be denied other parts of this book that are wonderful:
PECKIN’
The saddest thing I ever did see
Was a woodpecker peckin’ at a plastic tree.
He looks at me, and “Friend” says he,
“Things ain’t as sweet as they used to be.”
CHANNELS
Channel 1’s no fun.
Channel 2’s just news.
Channel 3’s hard to see.
Channel 4 is just a bore.
Channel 5 is all jive.
Channel 6 needs to be fixed.
Channel 7 and Channel 8 –
Just old movies, not so great.
Channel 9’s a waste of time.
Channel 10 is off, my child.
Would you like to talk awhile?
Or as Shel concluded: “But this bridge will only take you halfway there – The last few steps you’ll have to take alone.” Leading our children over that bridge - that’s what we do as parents every day, isn't it?
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LibraryThing member lep119
A Light in the Attic is a collection of poems that are funny, whimsical and sometimes downright sadistic. For example, “Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony” is about a young girl who dies because her parents wouldn't buy her a pony or even “The Skin Stealer” about how a coo-coo came and
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stole someone’s skin and went around doing things the real owner would never do . This collection of poems entices one to enter Shel Silverstein’s attic where you find all kinds of different characters and adventures. The illustrations are simple and childlike, black and white, yet contribute a lot to the poems and clever words. Some poems are the traditional rhyming that children usually prefer, some have no rhyming, while some poems and their picture(s) progress over a few pages. Some of the language used would be a great way to incorporate interest in vocabulary and learning new words. A Light in the Attic is a great classic to utilize to help children get interested in poetry. Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
A rolicking introduction to poetry for the middle schooler. The viewpoint Silverstein uses is that of a child - not a good, well-behaved child, but the kind most of us were, or are. These poems have been first choice for 4-H speech contests and speech class oral interps for decades, because they
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tickle the kids and the adults alike, Show Less
LibraryThing member akg118
Great compilation of poetry. Anything from funny to serious. A great way to introduce poetry to kids in a fun way. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone interested in poetry. However, even if you are not interested in poetry you can still enjoy this! (It may even turn you into a poetry reader)
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Great book and great author! Show Less
LibraryThing member imagrtdnlvr
This is a classic collection of poetry that many people have grown up with. This has various styles that are about things from bears to thumbs to a bridge. The poems and drawings were done by the author. This is poetry that all ages could enjoy and some even have a moral.
This was one of the first
I would use this as an extension for introducing poetry to young children. I would also start the day with a daily reading from this book. As a group I would read a poem and have the children draw a picture to go with it. Individually I would have the children do a rhyming letter book, for instance, for the letter C they would write a poem with words that start with that letter.
This was one of the first
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petry books that I read as a child. My teacher assigned this book for a class reading and I was hooked on this author. I own other books by Shel Silverstein; like The Giving Tree, Falling Up, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. One of my favorite poems in this book is Deaf Donald.I would use this as an extension for introducing poetry to young children. I would also start the day with a daily reading from this book. As a group I would read a poem and have the children draw a picture to go with it. Individually I would have the children do a rhyming letter book, for instance, for the letter C they would write a poem with words that start with that letter.
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LibraryThing member AwXomeMan
A collection of poems and short stories by Shel Silverstein.
Just as with "Where the Sidewalk Ends" I love Silverstein's work and this collection is no different.
I would use this book in a similar fashion to "Where the Sidewalk Ends," for teaching a unit on poetry and using it to further encourage
Just as with "Where the Sidewalk Ends" I love Silverstein's work and this collection is no different.
I would use this book in a similar fashion to "Where the Sidewalk Ends," for teaching a unit on poetry and using it to further encourage
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student to create their own silly poems and stories to show them that not just writing poetry but writing in general can be fun and engaging. Show Less
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
An absolutely essential book for pretty much any kid's library, and for most adults, as well.
LibraryThing member t1bclasslibrary
I love Shel Silverstein's poetry- I remember sitting around reading it as a kid. The poems are both funny and fun, and generally a delight to read. Silverstein is very crafty and, though a couple poems in this edition had me a little worried about school appropriateness, it's still a must-have for
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the classroom. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelbyweryavah
This is a book of poems which can be enjoyed by many readers. The children will relate to the subjects and find the poems funny and musical. The only style of poetry that isn’t used is haiku. My favorite poem is called “The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt”. It is a “knock knock” poem. Another
I loved how I could relate to a lot of the poems. I liked this book, but none of the poems really tied in with each other; there is no set theme. I enjoyed the poems that I read, but I think the book is too long for a child to read the whole thing without getting bored.
Extensions could be to have the students get into groups and create a short poem about something that relates to them. Rhyming words could also be discussed.
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one that I like is a young child praying. His prayer is if he dies before he wakes he wants all of his toys to be broken so no other kid can play with them. There is a poem on each page, so the illustrations tie in with each other and flow together. The illustrations are simple pencil drawings.I loved how I could relate to a lot of the poems. I liked this book, but none of the poems really tied in with each other; there is no set theme. I enjoyed the poems that I read, but I think the book is too long for a child to read the whole thing without getting bored.
Extensions could be to have the students get into groups and create a short poem about something that relates to them. Rhyming words could also be discussed.
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LibraryThing member Griff
A special gift to me during my third year of medical school from patients on R Wing at SMH. It sparks memories that are meaningless to others, but ones which evoke specific emotions of that time and about those individuals.
LibraryThing member MaggieLizz
Shel Silverstein's poems have been and always will be my all time favorite kind of poetry. They are so random and when you are trying to teach poetry to an elementary class, random is good because it keeps their attention. Some poems are long, some are short and some kind of have a tune going with
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them. He does not use haikus in this book. Agood extension for this book along with his other ones, would be getting the class into small little groups and each group can pick a short poem from the book and act it out in front of the class. Another one would be having each student pretend they are Shel Silverstein and write their own short little poem about anything they want. Show Less
LibraryThing member jh127876
“A Light in the Attic” is a collection of poems all by the author Shel Silverstein. Silverstein uses nearly all forms of poetry in “A Light in the Attic” however I do not believe there are any Haiku’s in this collection of poetry. I do admit that I could be mistaken because I have not
Silverstein paints beautiful stories with his illustrations and most of his poems children are sure to relate to and find very funny. Not a fan of children’s poetry but instead of poets like Robert Frost I found the entire collection as a whole a hard read, this is by no means saying there were not many poems I loved. Poetry is very personal and one will either love a poem or finding themselves skipping to a poem they do love. And if you are not a fan of Silverstein’s collections of poetry books you will find yourself skipping over some poems as well.
Some extensions for a classroom would be to have each child read there favorite poem and tell why it is there favorite poem. Also another idea could be to have one child start with a word and each child adds to it to make a collection of words that will end of being a poem.
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counted out all the syllables of his short poems. Most of his poems are whimsical that contain many rhymes.Silverstein paints beautiful stories with his illustrations and most of his poems children are sure to relate to and find very funny. Not a fan of children’s poetry but instead of poets like Robert Frost I found the entire collection as a whole a hard read, this is by no means saying there were not many poems I loved. Poetry is very personal and one will either love a poem or finding themselves skipping to a poem they do love. And if you are not a fan of Silverstein’s collections of poetry books you will find yourself skipping over some poems as well.
Some extensions for a classroom would be to have each child read there favorite poem and tell why it is there favorite poem. Also another idea could be to have one child start with a word and each child adds to it to make a collection of words that will end of being a poem.
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LibraryThing member smyers
A collection of approximately 60 poems by Shel Silverstein. Subject of poems range from theives, doing dishes, pirate, broiled face, frozen dream and many others that are sure to spark the interest of many. Scattered illustrations that look as if they were drawn with pencil enlighten the poetry by
Personally I enjoyed many of the poems in the book. I feel this is a book I will be adding to my personal collection soon. I think the art in this book helps to guide you through some of the "deeper" poems and adds a smile to your face.
As a classroom extension, the child could be asked to read their favorite and draw a picture to go with it. With the poems being so short, this could be a daily addition to the morning welcome, then at the end of the week a comprehension quiz could be given to see how the students enjoyed the particular poems that were read that week.
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giving the visual art.Personally I enjoyed many of the poems in the book. I feel this is a book I will be adding to my personal collection soon. I think the art in this book helps to guide you through some of the "deeper" poems and adds a smile to your face.
As a classroom extension, the child could be asked to read their favorite and draw a picture to go with it. With the poems being so short, this could be a daily addition to the morning welcome, then at the end of the week a comprehension quiz could be given to see how the students enjoyed the particular poems that were read that week.
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LibraryThing member gothydevil
Another great book by Shel Silverstien.
This book's poems can be funny,
tear dropping, or just plain old weird!
So I would advise you to read this book
or the monster under your bed will come out
and eat you!
This book's poems can be funny,
tear dropping, or just plain old weird!
So I would advise you to read this book
or the monster under your bed will come out
and eat you!
LibraryThing member russelllindsey
I loved Shel Silverstein as a child. His poetry is pure fun. Shel Silverstein was my introduction to poetry.
LibraryThing member aliptak
Genre: Poetry - This book is a good example of poetry because it is a book just made up of poems. Every poem written in it is a certain kind of poem, the author of this book is an expert and is know for writing poems. In all of the poems every word has some sort of significance, and there is always
There is not setting, plot, or characters because it is a book of poems.
Art Media: Pen drawing
Style: There is a lot of rhyming in this book because they are poems, although they are different kinds of poems there is a lot of rhyming which works really well. It makes the book more entertaining to read.
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some sort of figurative language used.There is not setting, plot, or characters because it is a book of poems.
Art Media: Pen drawing
Style: There is a lot of rhyming in this book because they are poems, although they are different kinds of poems there is a lot of rhyming which works really well. It makes the book more entertaining to read.
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LibraryThing member RamiroLongoria
This poetry book has various poems that are written and illustrated by one person. This book contains poems that are funny and will make the children laugh with its sense of humor. However, there also were some poems that had a serious note with a message that could be used behind it to teach the
I enjoyed most of the poems, but there were a few that were not interesting to me or that I considered boring. There were some that made me laugh and I thought that would be a nice to read to a class for some humor. The poem titled “Ladies First” had a humorous ending showing that it may not always be wise to want to be first.
I love poetry and would want to read at least one poem a day to my students. They do not all have to be funny. As I mentioned earlier, poetry can involve other feelings. I would read the poem, “Cloony the Clown”, to demonstrate to the students that it is not nice to laugh at other people's misfortunes. In the poem, the clown cried because of this and I would ask the students if they thought that was a good thing to do. I would open it up to discussion and see how the students felt if they could help the clown feel better about himself and what would they do differently.
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students a real life lesson. One of those poems with a serious note that could be used was “Cloony the Clown”. I enjoyed most of the poems, but there were a few that were not interesting to me or that I considered boring. There were some that made me laugh and I thought that would be a nice to read to a class for some humor. The poem titled “Ladies First” had a humorous ending showing that it may not always be wise to want to be first.
I love poetry and would want to read at least one poem a day to my students. They do not all have to be funny. As I mentioned earlier, poetry can involve other feelings. I would read the poem, “Cloony the Clown”, to demonstrate to the students that it is not nice to laugh at other people's misfortunes. In the poem, the clown cried because of this and I would ask the students if they thought that was a good thing to do. I would open it up to discussion and see how the students felt if they could help the clown feel better about himself and what would they do differently.
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LibraryThing member jfetting
Last night while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song...
I can still write down the rest, without consulting the book. Shel Silverstein was just brilliant and all children everywhere should have a copy of one
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song...
I can still write down the rest, without consulting the book. Shel Silverstein was just brilliant and all children everywhere should have a copy of one
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of his books. I prefer this one, but Where the Sidewalk Ends is also good. Show Less
LibraryThing member dylantanner
This version of Silverstein's classic comes with a CD of the creepy humorist himself reading the poems. This adds a new and creepier element to the project. The poems are classics and Silverstein is a beloved creep.
Poetry
Who doesn't love Shel Silverstein. Hula Eel is still my favorite poem. I
Of course this is a classroom fixture. It's Shel Silverstein! He's not just an American poet but he's an institution that's truely American - Like Mark Twain. Creepy.
Poetry
Who doesn't love Shel Silverstein. Hula Eel is still my favorite poem. I
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bought this edition in 2003 when my daughter was born and she's now pretty into it - not as much as Runny Babbit - but he creeps me out more and more the older I get.Of course this is a classroom fixture. It's Shel Silverstein! He's not just an American poet but he's an institution that's truely American - Like Mark Twain. Creepy.
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LibraryThing member mickmyster13
One of my all time favorites. I read this one when I was in elementary school and it got my friends and I to create our own poems. I would read some of Shel Silverstein's poems from this book and or his other books to a classroom during a poetry unit to give them some fun ideas and creative ways to
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think about and write poetry. Show Less
LibraryThing member gillis.sarah
Shel Silverstein is really funny...his books are probably among the first that ever got me interested in poetry. I remember sitting in the library in elementary school, paging through this book and just giggling hysterically.
LibraryThing member mcprice
This is a good book filled with funny poems. Some of the poems can be used on stressful day to give students something to laugh at. The poems are also a good example of what some poems sound like and rhyming.
LibraryThing member LDB2009
Silverstein is always so entertaining. I read this collection in response to the assignment on books that are frequently challenged or banned. While not understanding why this book would command that kind of attention, a Sliverstein poem does suggest kids break the dishes rather than wash and dry
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them. Another poem shows a plate of broiled face being served. A few other poems hint at underwear-type, bare-bottom kind of humor. While every page of this collection is funny and contains a poem kids will want to repeat, some will make an adult reader question the value or relevance. I have used Silverstein poems a number of times for my fourth-graders to memorize and work on the correct way to read a poem. Silverstein poems are perfect for that because reading them correctly can be the difference between "getting it" or not. Show Less
LibraryThing member RosesAreRed
This is one of my favorite books from childhood.
LibraryThing member mcrook
This is a collection of silly poetry. He writes on themes that make no sense or themes that are funny and interesting to children; ex: shapes, clothes, being tired, pirates, itches, etc.... His poetry has meter and rhyme to it which makes it fun to read aloud.
Awards
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 1988)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 4-8 — 1983)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 1984)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Winner — Grades 6-8 — 1985)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — 1984)