A Light in the Attic

"Light In The Attic" redirects here. For the record label, see Light in the Attic Records.

A Light in the Attic
Author(s)	Shel Silverstein
Illustrator	Shel Silverstein
Cover artist	Larry Moyer
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Children's poetry
Publisher	Harper & Row
Publication date	1981
Pages	169
ISBN	0-06-025673-7
OCLC Number	7574216

A Light in the Attic is a collection of poems by the American poet, writer, and children's author Shel Silverstein. It was first published by Harper & Row in 1981. The poems for children are accompanied by illustrations also created by Shel Silverstein.

Controversy

Attempts have been made to ban the book from some libraries, parents claiming that the poem "How Not To Have To Dry The Dishes" encourages messiness and disobedience. The poem "Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony" led to more criticism for describing the death of a girl after her parents refuse to buy her a pony. This led the book to be banned by the Fruitland Park Elementary School in Lake County, Florida. The decision, however, was later reversed by an advisory committee of parents and teachers. Other complaints included the mention of supernatural themes, including demons, devils, and ghosts.

Poems

1. A Light in the Attic
2. How Many, How Much
3. Moon-Catchin' Net
4. Hammock
5. How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes
6. Stop Thief! – What happens when someone steals a man's knees.
7. The Sitter
8. Prayer of the Selfish Child
9. What Did? – What some objects say to other objects.
10. Shaking – A girl tries to make a milkshake by shaking a cow.
11. Signals
12. Picture Puzzle Piece
13. Put Something In
14. Monsters I've Met
15. Rock 'n' Roll Band – A few children wonder what it would be like to be a rock band.
16. Something Missing – A man gets dressed, not realizing he forgot his pants.
17. Memorizin' Mo
18. Somebody Has to
19. Reflection
20. Fancy Dive
21. Here Comes
22. The Dragon of Grindly Grun
23. Blame
24. Messy Room
25. Never
26. Day After Halloween – Someone tries to sell monster heads the day right after Halloween.
27. Wavy Hair – A man tries to shave his wavy hair, until he accidentally shaves his whole body instead.
28. Longmobile
29. Backward Bill – A story about a cowboy who does everything backwards.
30. Mr. Smeds and Mr. Spats
31. Snake Problem
32. Bear in There
33. Superstitious
34. The Pirate
35. Hurk
36. Anchored
37. Unscratchable Itch
38. Squishy Touch – A girl has a problem: Whatever she touches turns to raspberry Jell-O.
39. Importnt?
40. Thumb Face – A man suffers having a face on his thumb that thinks everything the man does is funny.
41. Homework Machine – A girl tries to use a machine to do her homework, but the answers come out wrong.
42. Eight Balloons
43. Ations
44. Musical Career – A girl has trouble when trying to play the piano.
45. Anteater – Someone buys an anteater who eats their aunt.
46. Buckin' Bronco
47. Snap! – A girl gets caught in an umbrella.
48. Overdues
49. Wild Strawberries
50. How to Make a Swing With No Rope or Board or Nails
51. Gumeye Ball
52. Hot Dog
53. Adventures of a Frisbee
54. Come Skating
55. The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt – Two creatures approach someone's door.
56. Cloony the Clown – A clown tries to be funny, bu he isn't funny enough.
57. Tryin' On Clothes – A child struggles to put on other people's clothes.
58. Shapes
59. Tired
60. Prehistoric
61. My Guitar
62. Spelling Bee
63. Always Sprinkle Pepper – A child puts pepper in their hair to be safe from an evil witch.
64. Peckin'
65. It's Hot!
66. Turtle
67. Crowded Tub
68. Channels
69. Hippo's Hope
70. Whatif – A child worries about what might happen to them.
71. Sour Face Ann – A girl gets a fur coat, but then it attracts fleas.
72. The Climbers
73. Rockabye
74. The Little Boy and the Old Man
75. Surprise!
76. Ticklish Tom – A boy rolls around when someone or something tickles him.
77. The Nailbiter
78. The Fly Is In
79. Strange Wind
80. One Two
81. Tusk, Tusk
82. Captain Blackbeard Did What?
83. Magic Carpet
84. Outside or Underneath?
85. It's All the Same to the Clam
86. Hula Eel
87. Bored
88. Standing Is Stupid
89. Who Ordered the Broiled Face?
90. The Man in the Iron Pail Mask
91. Gooloo
92. Headache
93. Quick Trip
94. Little Abigail and the Beautiful Pony – A girl dies when her parents wouldn't buy her a pony.
95. Hiccup Cure
96. The Painter
97. Nobody
98. Zebra Question
99. The Sword-Swallower
100. Arrows
101. The Toad and the Kangaroo
102. Play Ball
103. Friendship
104. Poemsicle
105. Senses
106. Hinges
107. Fear – A story about a boy with a fear of drowning.
108. Batty
109. Union for Children's Rights
110. Hitting
111. Deaf Donald
112. Have Fun – A girl swims in a lake with no sharks, not realizing there's an octopus in there.
113. Dog's Day
114. Skin Stealer
115. Ladies First – A girl keeps yelling "Ladies first", even though she's acting selfish and means "Me first".
116. Frozen Dream
117. The Lost Cat
118. God's Wheel
119. Shadow Race
120. Clarence – A boy buys things from commercials.
121. Rhino Pen
122. Push Button
123. Kidnapped! – A child makes up a story about being kidnapped as an excuse for being late to school.
124. Suspense
125. Dinner Guest
126. In Search of Cinderella
127. Almost Perfect
128. Pie Problem
129. The Oak and the Rose
130. They've Put a Brassiere on the Camel
131. This Bridge

References

Awards
Preceded by Peppermints in the Parlor	Winner of the William Allen White Children's Book Award 1984	Succeeded by The Land I Lost