Dear Shel Silverstein (somewhere up in heaven),

I really enjoyed your book entitled Where the Sidewalk Ends, and my favorite poem in the book is Band-Aids. I think your poems are really funny and I like how none of them are the same. I have no idea how you come up with [so] many different ideas. When I read your poems, it inspires me to write a book of poems someday, but I know they will never be as good as yours.

The reason Band-Aids is my favorite poem is because it is exactly how I am with band-aids. For example, I always have a spare band-aid or two in my pocket in case I need one, and as my family knows, I need one quite often. I use band-aids to cover scratches, cuts, slices, blisters, bruises, shaving accidents, hang nails, and to repair my ski poles when needed. I have had band-aids with soccer balls, footballs, Elmo, tigers, planets, Barney, Barbie, Pirates, and Tigger on them. I have also had band-aids that are clear, tan, liquid, glow-in-the-dark, and fluorescent. When I lived in England, they had band-aids that are called “plasters” and they come in a box that contains one long sheet of band-aid material that you custom cut to the width you need for your specific injury.

I LOVE BAND-AIDS!

Sometimes my parents get mad that I am always using up all the band-aids in the house for no good reason and I always leave the peel strips in the drawer or on the counter. This drives my mom nuts. But for me, there is ALWAYS a reason to put on a band-aid! I like the way the band-aids look and feel. They remind me that I am hurt in some way and my parents need to treat me like I am actually hurt. Sometimes I am lucky and I get hurt on my left hand and I get out of violin practice for a week or so. This is a good thing for me, but not for my parents. Sometimes I put on a band-aid just because I feel special when I have one on.

I hope you keep being creative in heaven, and if you write a book just drop it down on me because your books are my favorite kind of book to read!

Sincerely,

Hannah Boyer

8th Grade
Randy Smith Middle School, Fairbanks, Alaska
Teacher:  Chris Pastro