“Sick” by Shel Silverstein is inappropriate for young children because it tells them it is alright to miss school for pretending to be ill. During the novel the main character pretends to be sick in ridiculous ways, “my hip hurts when I move my chin, my belly button’s caving in” (15-16). Little Peggy Ann Mckay makes up absurd excuses on why she cannot go to school then says “You say today is--- Saturday? G’bye, I’m going out to play!” (31-32). So, the main character can skip school for being “sick” but is not sick on the weekends because she wants to play. In conclusion Shel Silverstein’s book Where the Sidewalk Ends, is inappropriate for children to read because of the negative lessons it
