A Light in the Attic

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A Light in the Attic is a book by the American poet and children's writer Shel Silverstein, published by HarperCollins in 1981. It is a collection of poems for children, accompanied by illustrations also created by Silverstein.

The book has been banned from some libraries for its attitude towards child behavior (at times encouraging messiness and disobedience). People claim that it "encourages" children to break dishes in order to get out of having to dry them. One of the reasons this book was banned was its mention of pirates[citation needed]. Also, one of the verses describes the death of a girl after her parents refused to buy her a pony. She became so sad that she withered away and died, causing her parents to regret not buying her the pony—some people thought that it was considering or recommending children to commit suicide. It is number 51 on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.[1]

[edit] Merits and awards

  • American Association: Best Graphic Illustrations
  • Notable Children's Books of 1981 (ALA)
  • Best Books of 1981 (SLJ)
  • Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)
  • 1981 Children's Books (New York Public Library)
  • 1981 USA Children's Books of International Interest
  • Winner, 1983–84 William Allen White Award (Kansas)
  • Winner, 1983 Garden State Children's Book Award (New Jersey Library Association)
  • 1984 Garden State Children's Book Award Center for Children's Books (Claremont, CA) "Recognition of Merit" Award


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