The Giving Tree (Shel Silverstein)

 

I don't know why I read this book to my class. It isn't because it's heart warming or a wonderful lesson. Mostly, I'm curious about what my students think about the dysfunction and I enjoy the discussions about what they notice. There are always a few kids who really get it but they're not always the ones who speak up first. Most kids have read it before and feel smart because they already know a book I'm reading for story but the great discussions come when someone says, "I think that story is kind of weird."

Goodreads says:

Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy."

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.