Author Study:

Shel Silverstein

About Shel Silverstein:

• He was born September 25, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois

• Started career as a cartoonist • He was also a songwriter A Boy named Sue- Johnny CashThe Unicorn Song- Irish RoversPostcards from the EdgeThelma and Louise

Silverstein about writing

• “I would hope that people, no matter what age, would find something to identify with in my books, pick one up and experience a personal sense of discover. That’s great.”

• He really invites you to read his poetry and stories

Invitation• 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 . . .If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire,For we have some flax golden tales to spin.Come in!Come in!

Listen to the mustn't child, listen to the don'ts, listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts, listen to the never haves, then listen close to me, anything can happen, child. Anything can be.

• - Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

Poetry in the classroom

Poetry is a great way to:

• Introduce new topics

• Motivate students to read

• Build listening skills

• Build reading fluency

• Teach writing

Literary devices

• Humor Silverstein has a strong imagination. He

exaggerates and develops everyday situations into something hilarious.

• Figurative Language Silverstein crafts stories using personification

and challenges readers of all ages to examine the non literal meaning.

• Use of repetitive language The language in his poetry is repeated for effect.

Examples of Humor

• Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout

• Sick

• Clarence

• The humorous poems can be used to motivate students to read, for read alouds, and modeling the use of language.

Figurative Language

• Used to create imagery in the mind of the reader. Figurative language can add power and insight to a story or poem, a non literal meaning.

• Silverstein crafts his stories by using personification. He gives human like qualities to animals, ideas, and things.

• By writing with this device he creates a parable, fable- like story, that teaches a philosophical idea or moral.

• These type of stories can help build comprehension skills, meaning making

Examples of personification

• Lafcadio The Lion Who Shot Back

• The Missing Piece

• The Giving Tree

Repetitive Language: repeated text for purpose or effect

• Lazy Jane

• Whatif

• Dread

• Silverstein is very clever with this device.

• This is a creative way to help students with writing.

Considerations:

• A Light in The Attic held New York Times record for the longest time on the best seller list: 186 WEEKS

• The worst selling department in book stores is adult poetry; it sells so poorly that many stores no longer even stock it!

What to do now?• If we wish children to believe poetry is

important the WORST way to teach it is to develop a two week poetry block, teach it, and then forget it, because that’s what children will do. The BEST way is to incorporate meaningful poetry throughout the day. (Jim Trelease, 2001)

• Children’s interest in poetry all depends on how you present it as a teacher.

• HAVE FUN!!!!