by Shel Silverstein
Though technically a children's book more than a YA title, this 1981 collection of poems remains popular with teens. Of course, it's not just A Light in the Attic that they're after...they also love the poem collections in Where the Sidewalk Ends and Falling Up. Kids love these books because they are silly poems written just for a young audience. Silverstein plays with words and makes us laugh, while focusing on topics that kids understand. There are poems about wanting a pony, dinosaurs, homework, messy rooms, annoying siblings, and funny creatures. For our students at the middle school level, this is literature that they feel comfortable with. Even if the poems are "technically" for an elementary school audience, anyone can find enjoyment in the stories and drawings found on each page.
Our media center copy of A Light in the Attic is so tattered and torn that I'm not sure it has much life left in it. But, alas, do not fear! I have ordered library-bound copies of both A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends with our most recent book order. In fact, we've ordered lots of modern, teen-friendly poetry books for our poetry section. So come check out A Light in the Attic @your library!
[Retro Book of the Week celebrates the oldies-but-goodies in our media center. Books with faded covers can still have modern appeal! Sometimes I just want to celebrate the books that have influenced YA literature and my literary past, and sometimes I want to give new life to timeless classics. These features will be heavy on books from the 80's and 90's.]
