Annotated Bibliography 

Haney, Johannah. Shel Silverstein, Cavendish Square Publishing LLC, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uneedu/detail.action?docID=5528652. 

• This source is an ebook that essentially profiles various aspects of Shel Silverstein’s life.  The author focuses on Silverstein’s early life, his progression toward fame, his different types of writings, and his legacy to create a complete overview of his life. The author attempts to reframe parts of Silverstein’s life by building upon the context of his past and legacy. This piece does not argue; however, it is important to understand the author behind their writing (to some extent).  Therefore, this context is significant for future interpretations.

Hines, Maude. “Drawing the Line: The Giving Tree’s “Adult” Lessons.” Children’s Literature, vol. 47, 2019, p. 120-148. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/chl.2019.0007. 

• This article talks about how readers interpret authors and how that interpretation influences the perception of an author’s writing. The author uses a personal story as evidence to prove that the way we interpret the author “revises” our views on the author’s writing. The author feels that this revision adds layers to how a reader interprets writing. The author intends to introduce an author-based interpretation of writing. Framing the story around the author creates a real-world context that the story alone cannot provide. Their argument is significant because it adds a layer of real-world interpretation, creating buildable context and meaning for stories. 

Norton, S. (2022), William Carlos Williams’ “The Young Housewife”: A Postcritical Reading vis-à-vis Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. J Adolesc Adult Liter, 66: 46-49. https://doi-org.une.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/jaal.1246    

• This piece claims that poetry should be read without initial criticism, allowing readers to experience the “power” of the writing. That is not to say poetry shouldn’t be criticized, just that readers should be post-critical. The author’s approach is post-critical analysis. Showing quotes that influence the reader’s emotions, then explaining why criticizing the quote would discourage the initial meaning. The author hopes that understanding the subliminal messages in writing will help readers criticize differently. (Criticizing how poetry makes you feel vs. more literal criticisms). This argument allows critical readers to take a step back and interpret readings differently. 

“Shel Silverstein.” Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2012. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1000091260/LitRC?u=bidd97564&sid=ebsco&xid=55d729f0. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

•  The author focuses on specific critiques of Silverstein’s most famous works, “The Giving Tree” and “Where The Sidewalk Ends.” They provide critical examples of sexism, downfalls, and struggles, along with highlights of Silverstein’s life. This source intends to give readers context into both the good and bad aspects of Silverstein’s life. They reframe the ideas of some of his most famous stories by providing others’ criticisms. This source is significant because it criticizes writings that are otherwise thought of as harmless children’s books. However, the source also does well, including some positive interpretations as well, building a two-sided argument.

Thomas, Joseph T., Jr. “A Speculative Account (with Notes) of the Development and Initial Deployments of Shel Silverstein’s Persona, Uncle Shelby, with Special Care to Articulate the Relationship of Said Persona to the Question of Shel’s Ambiguous Audience(s).” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 36 no. 1, 2011, p. 25-46. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/chq.2011.0000.

• This paper is about Shel Silverstein’s short stories that were published in Playboy and later reformed for children’s stories.  The author wants to understand the relationship and line between children and adult literature. The author focuses on Shel Silverstein’s persona, “Uncle Shelby,” and his stories, “Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book” and “Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back.” The author uses these sources to claim that the line between children and adult literature is not as strict as our society may want us to believe. The author intends to reframe how readers understand literature, specifically children’s literature. Attempting to prove that the line between children and adult literature is not as strict as society thinks it is and that it is not necessarily a bad thing. This argument is significant because it shows how development affects reading and that human nature is so innate that even adult stories can be reframed for children to enjoy.