Ali Arvizu Annotated Bibliography The focus of my research was to discover who Shel Silverstein was as a person and

as an artist. I wanted to find out some common themes in his books, and discover why he had such a lasting impact on the world. I also wanted to find out the different ways his poetry was used. Discovering the relevancy of his works are important today because they touched my life and many other kids lives. Collins, Harper. Shel Silverstein. Evil Eye, n.d. Web. 18 Nov 2013. <http://www.shelsilverstein.com/>. This source summarizes the life and history of Shel Silverstein. It gives a list of his books, updates about the author, and learning games for children. I t also has a learning resource tab to help parents, teachers, and librarians teach the works of Shel Silverstein to young students. It is a news based site, and it is a valid research source because it is written by the company that originally published Shel Silverstein. It also has excerpts from Shels books and comments from Shel himself. Since it is a source dedicated to bringing forth news in Shels career and has lesson plans to help teachers incorporate his works into the classroom, it was a very great source for me. This source is very important for my project because it provides valid information on the authors background and also offers ways to teach his material. It really taught me about Shels background and about all the books hes written. Overall, I grew to love Shel through reading this site and I learned how easily he can be brought into the classroom.

Lodge S. A Look Behind Shel Silverstein s Bew Nook. Publishers Weekly [serial online]. February 28, 2005;252(9):20. Available from: MasterFILE Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 2, 2013. This news article was about Shel Silversteins new book called Runny Babbit. It talks about Shels style of writing in the book and about his creative process. There are reviews and comments from some of his friends, editors, etc. as well. Its really centered around praising and respecting Shels legacy and writing. This source was written by Sally Lodge in the childrens book section of Publishers Weekly. Its a great source because there are comments and quotes from Shels editor and from other childrens book authors. For example, executive editor Toni Markiet from HarperCollins wrote that he was a very detailed and private person when it came to his work. Toni also said that Shel had his own unique style of writing that he had never seen before. This source is valid because Shels editor is reputable and Publishers Weekly is as well. Although there arent any critiques in this article, it brings to life Shels legacy and gave valuable information and insight into his life and career that I couldnt find an ywhere else. Overall, I learned a lot more about Shel when I read this article than I did anywhere else. It made me think about how much Shels writing has had on people all over the world. It also made me think about the importance of originality and sticking to what your gut tells you to do. Meister, Cari, and Shel Silverstein. Shel Silverstein. Edina, Minnesota: ABDO Publishing, 2001. 24. Print. This book simply summarized Shel Silversteins life and provided important information on the authors history. It talked about his beginnings in Chicago and about how he joined the military

and wrote for Playboy. It also talked about how his wife was the one who encouraged him to write for children. I learned a lot about Shel by reading this book. Although this book didnt provide any critiques on Shels work, it wasnt necessarily supposed to. It was written Cari Meister for Checkerboard Biography Library. This source was very reputable because its a line of books dedicated to writing honest biographies about childrens book authors. It was also great because it was written for children to read. It was important because it provided the necessary materials I needed in order to get to know the author better. Overall, the book was well written and gave enough information that I wasnt bored out of my mind. It also offered information I didnt know about Shel; including that he wanted to be a famous baseball player. It helped me get more acquainted with the author and grow closer to him as a human being and not a famous author. I felt like he was a friend after reading this book. Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic. New York, New York: Harper Collins, 1981. 169. Print. This was one of Shel Silversteins book of poems. It was also one of his most famous books. It was relevant and important because it helped me to discover and analyze the reoccurring themes in his literature. While reading this book, I discovered the themes of empathy and selfishness vs. selflessness. I noticed the reoccurrance of rhyming and illustrations on every page.The source was authoritative because it was written by Shel himself. The book added to my project because I was able to find themes and discover what Shel liked to write about. Overall, this book was meant to be a firsthand resource for my project. I was able to dive into it and search for reoccurring themes and how he wrote his poems. I loved revisiting my childhood

and discovering that these poems made me just as happy now as they did when I was younger. Shels poetry truly does touch people of all ages. Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends. 30th Anniversary Special Ed. New York, New York: Harper Collins, 2004. 183. Print. This was one of Shel Silversteins book of poems. It was also one of his most famous books. It was relevant and important because it helped me to discover and analyze the reoccurring themes in his literature. While reading this book, I discovered the themes of empathy and selfishness vs. selflessness. I noticed the reoccurrance of rhyming and illustrations on every page. The source was authoritative because it was written by Shel himself. The book added to my project because I was able to find themes and discover what Shel liked to write about. Overall, this book was meant to be a firsthand resource for my project. I was able to dive into it and search for reoccurring themes and how he wrote his poems. I loved revisiting my childhood and discovering that these poems made me just as happy now as they did when I was younger. Shels poetry truly does touch people of all ages. Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. New York, New York: Harper Collins, 1964. Print. This was one of Shel Silversteins books. I chose it as a source because its a prime example of what Shel is all about. It talks about the relationship between a tree and a boy. Its about how she always gives because she loves him and he always takes. It was relevant and important because it helped me to discover and analyze the reoccurring themes in his literature. I discovered the themes of empathy and selfishness vs. selflessness. I

noticed the reoccurance of rhyming and illustrations on every page. The source was authoritative because it was written by Shel himself. The book added to my project because I was able to find themes and discover what Shel liked to write about. Thomas Jr., Joseph T. "Reappraising Uncle Shelby." Horn Book Magazine 81.3 (2005): 283. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. This article was an opinion piece from another childrens poetry writer named, Joseph Thomas Jr. He discussed his point of view, as well as points of view from other authors. They analyzed Shels work and talked about why he was such a great writer. Some of them also talked about their personal experiences with Shel and there was even a question and answer section with Shel. This source was important because it provided views of Shel Silversteins work from other authors. The funny part about this article is that the only critiques that are said are positive critiques. For example, the author Jack Prelutsky says the only bad thing about Shel is that his books took up too much space on bookshelves. It was reputable because it It pointed out the necessity of Silversteins illustrations as well as his poetry to convey the intended message. It also compared Silversteins poetry to other authors poetry of the same genre and time period. It was a valid source because the author is a childrens poet himself, so he knows what it takes to write childrens poetry. After doing research about Shel Silverstein, I discovered he was a man of high esteem and his poetry is used in many areas of learning. Its already used in many classrooms to teach poetry, mathematics, and reading. I learned that the themes of his poetry were not necessarily in the words, but in the attitude, illustrations, and feel of each poem. I discovered that some of the most common themes in his writing were imagination, fun, whimsy, silliness and playfulness.

His works allowed his readers to forget about their current circumstances and to disappear into the mind of a child for awhile. He was a fascinating man who loved capturing a darker, but playful side of childhood fun and child-like creativity.