25th September Shel Silverstein (1930 - 1999)

Shel Silverstein is an American poet who became one of the best-loved children's authors there is. If you are starting teaching make sure you have copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic and you will have enough poems to read everyday for the next year. You will see the children laugh, cry, discuss animatedly and argue about the message Silverstein wishes to impart. Add the picture book The Giving Tree and you will own three resources that you will use again and again and you will have children in your classes who love poetry and talking about it. My favourite of all? It's between 'No Difference'...here it is and 'Sick', both in Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Small as a peanut
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Red black or orange,
Yellow or white
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!