Where the Sidewalk Ends

 When I was looking at all the books on my bookshelf I happened to pass by this book. When I saw the worn book all of the memories flooded back to me. The book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, brought me back to my childhood. I remember my mother reading this book to me every single night. When looking at my copy of the book you would laugh at loud. The protective cover over the hardcover book is gone and in its place is years of use. The words on the binding are fading and there are even drops of coffee on the back. On the front, there is even a shoe print of where I accidentally stepped on it, but when you open the book you are captured by the poems and pictures.
     Some of the poems are so crazy that I had to laugh out loud! There is one called the "Hat" and it goes like this, “Teddy said it was a hat, So I put it on. Now Dad is saying, ‘Where the heck’s the toilet plunger gone?’” (Silverstein 74). When I was reading, I noticed that some of the poems have some kind of life lesson. One poem called "Warning" is about not picking your nose or a snail might bite you! I like the way the author made the lessons in a way that a child could understand. Silverstein made the poems funny yet make you remember it. When reading the stories they will get stuck inside your head.  I still remember some of the stories I have read from years ago.
     When I came across a poem called "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take The Garbage Out" my mind went back to my mom. This has always been her favorite poem in the book! She would always read it to me when I didn’t want to take the trash out. When I asked her yesterday if she remembered she actually told me the poem word for word. She had it memorized! This just shows how much of an impact books have on a reader. Let me tell you from experience, I never forgot to take out the garbage!