Growing up, there were two key writers that had a great influence on motivating me to read, Dr. Seuss and She Silverstein. As a “youngin’”, I (with some parental help) read Seuss over and over again, building the drive and desire to read more. Once I got a bit older and was able to tackle books by myself, I migrated to Silverstein. Silverstein’s stories and poems were great fun to read. He was a master of using language in such a way that his writings didn’t feel “dumbed down” for kids but were still fun to read, for the imagery and worlds they created. At the same time the stories had elements that might be missed by younger readers that really engaged the adults (he had stories about children disobeying parents, death, etc.) I would have a hard time finding someone who has read “The Giving Tree” not get emotional while reading it. I also find it particular amusing, during the late 1950’s he was Playboy magazine’s top cartoonist. Who knows where the roads we take will lead us… perhaps to the end of the sidewalk.
Wikipedia
Shel Silverstein Homepage
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