Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974), poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein.
ISBN: 0-06-025668-0

This book is full of one charming, silly, descriptive, hysterical poem after another; each with a funny, expressive line drawing to add interest.

My personal favorite is "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" - ".....Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs, Globs of gooey bubble gum....."

Wonderful read for all ages; appropriate for 9 to 12 year olds.

On a side note, when I started working at an urban middle school about 10 years ago, a 7th grade Language Arts teacher used the song "A Boy Named Sue" as part of a lesson about students' names. The song was written by Shel Silverstein and sung by Johnny Cash. A new album has just been released that pays tribute to Shel Silverstein; more information at NPR.