Author Spotlight: Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein never planned to write for children, and yet, that is the writing for which he is best known.  He was a man who wore many hats in his lifetime: writer, poet, cartoonist, songwriter, playwright, musician, composer, folksinger, screenwriter. 

He was born in Chicago, IL in 1930.  His writing career began when he was a GI in Japan and Korea in the 1950's, writing and cartooning for adults.  Later, he learned to play the guitar, and wrote songs for himself as well as others to perform.  Some of those "others" include: "A Boy Named Sue" sung by Johnny Cash, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" sung by Dr. Hook, and "The Unicorn" sung by the Irish Rovers.  Amongst all of that, he wrote plays and films.   

It was not until he was brought to Ursula Nordstrom, legendary editor at HarperCollins Children's division, that Shel considered writing for kids.  His first children's book, Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back, was published in 1963.  In 1964, his fourth children's title, Uncle Shelby's Zoo: Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies, was published.  It was his first poetry collection, and his first and only children's book done in full color.  When A Light in the Attic came out in 1981, it was the first children's book to break onto the New York Times Bestseller List.  It stayed there for a record-shattering 182 weeks.  

Shel Silverstein continued to write many other treasures for young readers before his death in May 1999.  Today, his books are published in 30+ different languages, and his work is loved by both children and adults alike.

Sources:

Shel Silverstein Official Site

Wikipedia: Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein Teacher Resource File
* (Sadly, the above link no longer works as of 4/19/2013.)

Famous Poems and Poets: Shel Silverstein

Poets.org: Shel Silverstein

Book Review: Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

And so begins the very first poem, "Invitation," from Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein's second collection of poems and drawings for children.  When it came out in 1974, it was hailed as an "instant classic," and received the Michigan Young Readers Award.  

Overview:

This book has 176 pages filled with all lengths of poems, from short and to-the-point, to three-page narratives, and everything in between.  The poems are, by turns: funny, poignant, irreverent, imaginative, naughty, silly, sad, enchanting, quirky, witty, giddy, and zany.  Nearly every one is accompanied by a drawing that sometimes gives the reader a bit more clarification, and sometimes simply illustrates what's already there in the printed words.

It is a collection that has something for everyone, from the littlest of kids to the oldest of adults.  There are poems that bring back memories, poke fun at life, and give advice - admittedly somewhat twisted advice, like why you should not pick your nose, or whether or not to believe that the world is indeed round - but the message is there... subtle, but there.  

Some of the poems tell tales, revel in silliness, make light of small anxieties, and give voice to outrageous things a kid would never, ever do - like bathe an armadillo, for instance, or make a hippopotamus sandwich, or spit from the twenty-sixth floor - but always wondered what would happen if they did.

Still other rhymes play with words, or make you think: Are we really all so different? Do I really want to grow up so fast?  Maybe some risks are good to take.

There are poems that describe quintessential childhood pranks (see "Hat" on page 74), and reassure kids that they're not the only ones to go through something - like bad days, thumb-sucking, older siblings picking on them, younger siblings bugging them, or learning how hard it is to try and be good.

Of course, no Shel Silverstein poetry collection would be complete without the uproariously funny poems that make you laugh out loud as you read about things like pants that dance, double-tailed dogs, eating with your toes, and the infamous Dirty Dan.

For Teachers and Librarians:

This book will grab even the most reluctant reader's attention.  It's great for introducing poetry to the younger students, and for including in poetry units for the older ones.  The poems are a perfect way to provide some welcome comic relief after a stressful day in the classroom - for you and for them!  With so many topics covered, it is easy to find poems to enhance a teaching unit of any type.  Many of the poems included can often give voice to a child's unspoken anxieties or feelings - things they just haven't found a way to express or understand on their own.  And, of course, there are plenty of poems to give your students something to think about, as well.

For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:

This collection is the ideal choice for reading together when you only have short snippets of time, and is the ultimate luxury to read together when you have oodles of time.  Your kids can pick and choose and skip around the book as much or as little as they want - a safe and fun way to have no rules, even if it's only for a little while.  And, there is never a dull moment reading it.  It's the perfect opportunity to have one, big, prolonged gigglefest with the kiddos!

For the kids:

It's fun to read if you know how to read, and it's fun to listen to if you don't know how to read, or if you just need a little help when you read.  There are all kinds of poems all in one book - some are long and some are short and some are in-between.  You don't have to read the whole thing in order, either.  Plus, the pictures are sooooo funny!  You can read all about the king who only loved one single thing, what it's like to write poems from inside a lion, how to make a stew out of you, what it is that Captain Hook must remember never to do, and a whole lot more.  If you like to laugh, then this is the book for you!

For Everyone Else:

This book will give you a glimpse into the minds of kids.  If you have ever asked yourself, "What are they thinking?" then these poems just might shed a bit of light on that subject.  Many of the topics may remind you of your younger self, as well. Or, perhaps the poems will make you think.  They might even cause you to re-evaluate what's really important in life.  But most of all, this book will make you laugh.  Out loud.  And who doesn't need a little of that every now and again?

Wrapping up:

Where the Sidewalk Ends gives the reader so many ways to connect, on so many levels, with so many poems to choose from, that it's difficult not to enjoy it.

Title: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Pages: 176

Reading Level: ages 4-8

Publisher and Date: HarperCollins, 1974

Edition: 1st

Language: English

Published In: United States

Price: $18.99

ISBN-10: 0060256672

ISBN-13: 978-0060256678

*To add to the fun, there is also Where the Sidewalk Ends, an album (CD) of poems from the book "recited, sung and shouted" by the author, which won a Grammy Award in 1984 for Best Children's Album.  If you've never heard it, go find it, buy it, or borrow it, and listen to the whole thing.  It is a treat that you simply cannot miss.

Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series 2014 – Installment #17

Today marks the second of four posts this month in the Fifth Annual Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series.

Wondering what this is all about? Click on the link up there in that first sentence, and you'll be caught up nicely. Then come back here to continue the festivities.

* * *

Back now? Great! Let's get to it, shall we?

You'll recall (if you've been here before) or you now know (if you're new but clicked that link up there) that for our Fifth Anniversary of the Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series, we've focused our weird-detecting magnifying glass on picture books and poetry anthologies.

Last week's post had all picture books, with the Variation on the Overall Weirdo Theme of Weirdly True.

Well, fans of verse, rejoice! Because today is the day we're:

Waxing Poetic 

That's right! Today is all about the rhymes. The weirder and the funnier, the better – and one collection is even set to music:

A Light in the Attic

Poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein

Ages 6 - 8

Readers of this collection of Shel Silverstein's poems and drawings will have lots to ponder, lots to smile about, and lots to laugh through.

With poems about stars needing a polish, and a bee who may want to consider a career in tattoo artistry, and a camel wearing a quite unusual piece of clothing, kids will have lots to giggle over.

With poems about a bridge that will only take you halfway there, and a difference in perspective between two friends: a tree and a rose, and someone who shoots an arrow into the sky, kids will have plenty to think about.

And with illustrations like the boy with the hot dog for a pet, and the anteater (or rather, aunt-eater), and the polar bear in the refrigerator, kids will have that little bit of extra fun to go with the poems they're enjoying.

It is a collection not to be missed.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

Rhymes by Jack Pretutsky

Pictures by Petra Mathers

Ages 4 - 8

Here is a beautifully illustrated collection of children's verse by Jack Prelutsky. Readers will chortle through poems about a disastrous shopping trip, and a partying group of farm animals in Tuscaloosa, and pigs and frogs performing onstage for a swooning audience of chickens and ducks. They'll smile through rhymes about a gardener's unconventional crops, and a little brown toad's chronicle of his carefree life, and a description of a smiley, giggly baby. They'll take time to let their eyes and hearts explore the rich, full-page illustrations. 

An afternoon spent with the verse and pictures in this book is an afternoon well-spent.

A Bad Case of the Giggles: Kids' Favorite Funny Poems

Selected by Bruce Lansky

Illustrated by Stephen Carpenter

Ages 6 - 12

This is a collection of funny poems written for kids, and chosen for inclusion by editor Bruce Lansky – with the help of a panel of 800 elementary school kids!

Readers will laugh over poems about the joy (or not) of having a baby sibling, the indignities of being a boy who must wear hand-me-downs...from his family full of sisters, a girl with questionable hygiene habits, the olfactory downside of living in a shoe, the classic about the old man from Peru, and many, many more.

Written by an ecclectic mix of poets both well-known (like Judith Viorst) and well-known-but-kind-of-not (like Anonymous), the poems in this collection are the laugh-out-loud type that kids just love to read, and read, and read. Often out loud. Expect guffaws.

Frog Trouble and Eleven Other Pretty Serious Songs

Songs and Illustrations by Sandra Boynton

For Ages One to Older Than Dirt

Fans of Ms Boynton's previous musical collaborations (Philadelphia Chickens, Blue Moo, Dog Train, Rhinoceros Tap, and GRUNT Pigorian Chant) will revel in this newest venture. Frog Trouble is a CD and songbook full of country songs written by Ms Boynton, produced by Ms Boynton and Michael Ford, and sung by some of the biggest names in country music today.

Listeners will enjoy reading along in Part One as they enjoy songs with lines like, "It's a beautiful thing – When Pigs Fly," and "I really don't like it when you Copycat," and "...I don't need shoes 'cause I've got alligator feet," and of course, "I've got two words to say: Frog Trouble."

Part Two is a Sing and Play Along complete with melodies and lyrics for each song from Part One. Part Three introduces readers to the performers, and there's even a cut-and-fold activity sheet at the end to make a puppet. (But we won't tell you what the puppet is. You'll have to guess...)

* * *

And that's that for this time. Be sure to come back next Friday, September 19th, for Installment #18 of the Fifth Annual Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series. It should be a monstrously good time.

Until then, we'll leave you with this:

"Creativity is more than just being different. Anybody can plan weird; that's easy. What's hard is to be as simple as Bach. Making the simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity."

                                              – Charles Mingus

  

The First Annual Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series

I hope you enjoyed Wonderful Weirdos Day yesterday. If you missed it, I don't think anyone would mind if you celebrated today. In fact, I think you could probably celebrate it anytime you wanted, Official Day or not. A true Weirdo doesn't give a fig for official-ness, or expected-ness, or usual-ness. A true Weirdo laughs in the face of Convention, thumbs her (or his) nose at Normal, and dares to be Different.

Two of my favorite Weirdos. They're different. And they're proud of it.

But, it is a process. Weirdos don't attain the joy and freedom of self-acceptance without trials, tribulations, spiritual journeys...and finally, laughter. Lots and lots of laughter - the happy kind, the silly kind, the oh-I'm-so-relieved-you-get-me kind. It feels good to find yourself; to realize that all those things about you that you thought were odd, or stupid, or dumb, or weird? Aren't. They may be different, those things. They may be a little out there. But they're You. And you have friends and family who love you because of your quirks - not in spite of them.

Remember Merriam-Webster's definition of weirdo? "A person who is extraordinarily strange or eccentric." There is a wide range of Weird in this world. Some of us are more so than others. We Weirdos may be different, but always remember: we are extraordinarily so.

- - -

And now, in honor of all the Wonderful Weirdos among us, I am pleased to announce the First Annual Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series.

Every Friday in September, I'll be posting a round-up of kids' books that I just love, with characters who are, well, characters. You know: the misunderstood, the eccentric, the quirky, the unique, the weird, the wacky.

Today's books are all ones which I've reviewed before here at Bugs and Bunnies (listed in no particular order). Clicking on the book title takes you to the full review, and clicking on the author's name takes you to to a brief bio of that author:

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

Reynie's life was about to change, all because of these nine words: "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITES?" Before he knew it, Reynie was standing in a very long line of children all waiting to take that test, which led to another test, and then another, each more mysterious and puzzling than the last. But only four very special children succeed: Reynie, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. They soon discover they've been selected to complete a secret mission that requires the intelligence and resourcefulness that they alone possess. It's a mission filled with mystery, excitement...and danger. Will they accept it? And more importantly, can they succeed if they do?

A Whole Nother Story, as told by (The One and Only) Dr. Cuthbert Soup

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

This is the story of Dr. Ethan Cheeseman, his three "smart, polite, and relatively odor-free children," a snarky sock puppet named Steve, and a psychic, hairless dog named Pinky, as told by Dr. Cuthbert Soup, president of the National Center for Unsolicited Advice. The Cheesemans are on the run from no less than three villainous groups, all bent on swiping Dr. Cheeseman's newest invention: the Luminal Velocity Regulator. But the device is still unfinished. And the person who holds the final key to its operation is co-inventor Olivia, Dr. Cheeseman's lovely wife, and mother to their three children, who met an untimely (and suspicious) end.

For the past two years, the Cheeseman family has kept one step ahead of the bad guys, hastily packing up the family station wagon and moving on whenever said villains get too close: changing towns, changing their names, and meeting a host of interesting, helpful people (some of whom are rather unusual), all while struggling to find the missing piece for the LVR's completion. With its ability to control the speed of light, the LVR has the potential for time travel, which could at last bring back Mrs. Cheeseman. If only they could get it working.

Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen

Reading Level: Ages 10 and up

Roy Eberhardt is used to being the new kid, due to his dad's frequent transfers for work. He is also used to facing bullies, and so he has learned to deal. But being the new kid at Trace Middle School has him dealing with more than just Dana Matherson, school bully. He's also tangled up with a host of other odd characters: Beatrice the Bear - a fierce girl who plays on the girls' soccer team, Garrett - the king of fake farts, a bald foreman named Curly, a runaway boy who sometimes goes by the name Mullet Fingers, a corporate big-wig named Chuck Muckle, and a pretty young starlet with a startling voice. And all of them are tangled up with endangered owls, a vacant lot, Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House, the police, politicians, and parents with questionable behavior.

Geronimo Stilton chapter book series, by Geronimo Stilton

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

"Author" Geronimo Stilton, a newspaper-running, book-writing, self-proclaimed 'fraidy-mouse, talks directly to the reader, chronicling his adventures in each book, as well as being sure to point out that adventure is precisely not his cup of tea. Still, he gets dragged into one fantastic romp after another. Usually, these (in his view) disastrous encounters involve his sister Thea, cousin Trapp, and nephew Benjamin, but other family members and friends and enemies also make appearances from time to time.

How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

Hiccup is the son of the Hairy Hooligans' Viking chief, and destined to take over that leadership from his father. But first, he - along with all the other boys his age in the tribe - must successfully complete an important rite of initiation: climb up into the dragon cave, locate the dragon nursery, bag a sleeping juvenile dragon for his lifelong companion, and get out. All without waking up the rest of the hundreds of dragons slumbering there, who will surely pursue the boys and ensure a rather grisly end to their quest. And then, he has to prove his mastery over this dangerous creature by training it. The problem is that Hiccup is not very much like his mighty Viking father, and not very much like a typical Viking, for that matter. In fact, the other boys have dubbed him Hiccup the Useless - all except his loyal friend Fishlegs. Can he complete this quest, fulfill his destiny, and earn the respect of the tribe? Or will he end up a charbroiled dragon snack?

A Long Way from Chicago, by Richard Peck

Reading Level: Ages 8-12

Joey Dowdel and his sister Mary Alice are first shipped off to visit their Grandma Dowdel in the summer of 1929. Being city kids from Chicago, they are none too pleased to be packed off to the boonies for a visit with a grandmother they hadn't seen since they were "tykes."

But Grandma Dowdel is no ordinary Grandma, and these two kids learn to always expect the unexpected. This town they first saw as sleepy and dull transformed in their eyes all through helping Grandma carry out her plans. She squeezes off a couple of rounds from her shotgun - right in her own living room. She teaches a family of bullies a lesson they won't soon forget. She strong-arms a banker into returning something rightfully belonging to someone else - and demands a few bucks for the grandkids for good measure.

Over the years, and beneath that steely exterior, Joey and Mary Alice start to see a whole new and surprising side to Grandma Dowdel. And they begin to look forward to each summer adventure, always wondering: what will she be up to next?

Surviving the Applewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan

Reading Level: Ages 9 and up

Jake Semple curses, smokes, and has various piercings, with hair dyed scarlet red and styled into points all over his head. He also has quite a rep for a thirteen-year-old: he's been kicked out of every public school in Rhode Island, and only lasted three weeks before Traybridge Middle School - in North Carolina - kicked him out, too. Which is how he ends up slouching on the front porch of almost-thirteen-year-old order-and-structure-loving E.D Applewhite, in the middle of September, blowing smoke in her face.

Jake is about to join Creative Academy - the Applewhite's homeschool, which is the only place left that will take him. E.D. and Jake soon find themselves "cooperatively grouped," an experimental first for the family's independent-learning-focused beliefs, and a situation that neither is pleased with. As they each try in their own way to navigate through the creative chaos that is the Applewhite family, not one person's life is left untouched...or unchanged.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

Reading Level: Ages 4-8

This book is a collection of poems that are, by turns: funny, poignant, irreverent, imaginative, naughty, silly, sad, enchanting, quirky, witty, giddy, and zany. Nearly every one is accompanied by a drawing that sometimes gives the reader a bit more clarification, and sometimes simply illustrates what's already there in the printed words.

It has something for everyone, from the littlest of kids to the oldest of adults. There are poems that bring back memories, poke fun at life, and give advice - admittedly somewhat twisted advice, like why you should not pick your nose, or whether or not to believe that the world is indeed round - but the message is there... subtle, but there.

Some of the poems tell tales, revel in silliness, make light of small anxieties, and give voice to outrageous things a kid would never, ever do - like bathe an armadillo, for instance, or make a hippopotamus sandwich, or spit from the twenty-sixth floor - but always wondered what would happen if they did.

Still other rhymes play with words, or make you think: Are we really all so different? Do I really want to grow up so fast? Maybe some risks are good to take.

There are poems that describe quintessential childhood pranks (see "Hat" on page 74), and reassure kids that they're not the only ones to go through something - like bad days, thumb-sucking, older siblings picking on them, younger siblings bugging them, or learning how hard it is to try and be good.

Of course, no Shel Silverstein poetry collection would be complete without the uproariously funny poems that make you laugh out loud as you read about things like pants that dance, double-tailed dogs, eating with your toes, and the infamous Dirty Dan.

- - -

Thank you for joining me on this inaugural journey through Literary Weirdness. Please come back next Friday, so you can peruse the the second installment of books for the Bugs and Bunnies Wonderful Weirdos of Literature Series.

I leave you now with a Word to the Weird from a most beloved author who shared all manner of weirdness in his books, and made us believe that every bit of it was the most normal thing in the world:

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

— Dr. Seuss

*Note: Calvin and Hobbes picture via This Too Will Pass

Fifty Fave Books - In No Particular Order

Have you heard about The Big Read? Well, let me fill you in if you haven't. (If you have, then bear with me...)

In 2003, the BBC conducted a survey of the British public in order to find the "Nation's Best-Loved Book." It was a controversial show, as some praised it for raising public awareness of literary reading, while others saw it as a sensationalist approach to literature. Similar contests were held in other countries, including: Australia, Germany, Hungary, and various cities in the United States.

Here in the States, that original premise has morphed into The Big Read, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Its purpose? "...to restore reading to the center of American culture." How are they doing that? Click on the links at then end of this post for more information.

Now, this post was inspired by reading a meme I've seen on blogs lately. It lists 100 Books - supposedly from The Big Read (but actually not, as blogger The Rabid Paladin found out after some digging) - where you're supposed to mark the ones you've read, the ones you plan to read, and the ones you've loved.

Well. I'm not about to type in a list of 100 books that someone else made up, then only mark about 30 or so of them! (Yes, I checked...) So instead, here is a list of fifty fave books I've read and loved - in no particular order:

1. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

2. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

3. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

4. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

5. The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

6. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D.

Schmidt

7. To Catch a Mermaid by Suzanne Selfors

8. Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

9. The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

10. Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott

11. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

12. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

14. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

15. Sons by Pearl S. Buck

16. Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck

17. A Painted House by John Grisham

18. Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy

19. All of the Harry Potter Books, by JK Rowling

20. All of the Robert Ludlum novels, by, well, Robert

Ludlum

21. Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary Wolf

22. The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly

23. The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise

Primavera

24. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

25. Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

26. Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis

27. All of the Narnia books by CS Lewis

28. The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco

29. All of the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

30. All of Shel Silverstein's poetry collections

31. Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo

32. Coyote Summer by W. Michael Gear

33. Centennial by James Michener

34. Charleston by John Jakes

35. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

36. Roots by Alex Haley

37. Queen by Alex Haley and David Stevens

38. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

39. The Touch by Colleen McCullough

40. Good Families Don't by Robert Munsch

41. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

42. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

43. Tuesday by David Weisner

44. Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nolen

45. Black Beauty by Anna Sewel

46. The Giver by Lois Lowry

47. King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

48. Heidi by Johanna Spyri

49. Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter

50. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

I could go on...

How about you? What are some of your favorite books? Drop me a comment (or several) and let me know...

Sources on The Big Read:

The Big Read - Wikipedia

The Big Read - BBC

The Big Read - National Endowment for the Arts