Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Author: Shel Silverstein

Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Genre: Poetry

Awards: 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009, Ages 5+), VDL Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Nominee, Wisconsin Golden Archer Award (Intermediate, 1996), William Allen White Children's Book Award Nominee (1976-1977), Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award Nominee

Grade(s): K-5

Summary: Where the Sidewalk Ends is one of the first collections of poems that Shel Silverstein put out. This book was published in 1974 and it contains 166 pages of hilarious, serious, short, long, weird, and imaginative poems that leave you craving more. This book starts off with a poem called Invitation. It is a simple poem that Shel Silverstein uses to invite his readers to explore the "flax-golden tales" within his pages. To showcase the profound weirdness of Silverstein is a poem called Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too. This poem is a fun rhyming poem that talks about three brothers taking a ride in a flying shoe. It seems that it is only a synopsis of their adventure in the flying shoe and ends by saying, "And nobody knows what's happened to dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too." Also included in this collection is a poem called For Sale. This poem perfectly describes how an older sibling may feel about their younger sibling. It is about an older brother who is trying to sell his "crying and spying young sister." Although younger grades may not be able to relate to this poem as much as 4th, 5th or any older grades, it is a hilarious explanation that many older siblings feel sometime in their life. 

My Thoughts: I have been a long time lover of Shel Silverstein's poetry and books. At the age of 5, I was given this book by my father and I remember taking it with me everywhere. I love how obscure and wild Shel Silverstein writes. His collection will most definitely be in my classroom library. They are a wonderful collection of poems that showcases that poems can be about literally anything and can be any length. I hope that Shel Silverstein's works inspire my students as much as they inspired me.