Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Cat in the Hat!
Happy Birthday to you!

On this day in 1957, Dr. Seuss published what would soon be the quintessential children's book, The Cat in the Hat.

At the time, schools across the country were using See Spot Run as their champion to engage early-readers. The problem was that See Spot Run was rather (ahem) boring.

In 1954, a journalist named John Hersey wrote an article for Life Magazine that stated that the reason children were such bad readers (in his opinion) was that they weren't reading anything very exciting or imaginative. In his article, he basically dared popular children's book authors of the time to come up with a book that would have kids reading on the edge of their seats. Dr. Seuss went for it.

Dr. Seuss (his real name was Theodor Geisel) took 2 and a half years to write his now classic book about a mischievous cat who comes to play with two children and their angry goldfish while their mother is away. He used a vocabulary list of words for early readers to write his story. He used only 236 words and many of them were only one syllable!

So The Cat in the Hat has been around for 50 years. What does that mean, really? Well, for starters, what does it mean to you? Do you remember growing up and having your parents read you this wonderful story? Or perhaps you remember reading it yourself? Write to us at word@weeklyreader.com. Tell us your thoughts. Or you can comment below.

Happy Birthday, you rascal!

Happy Birthday Henry Wadsworth Longfellow! You only turn 200 once!

I dare you to take a look at this picture and tell me you don't want to party with this dude. Come on! Help him blow out the candles before the roof catches fire.

Longfellow was most famous for poems like Paul Revere's Ride, and The Song of Hiawatha. Here at WORD, we like to rise above popularity contests. With that in mind, please enjoy Longfellow's lesser known poem, The Children's Hour.

The Children's Hour
-by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

According to a well-worn proverb, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the February/March 2007 issue of Writing, we published a photograph in our "1,000 Words" column and asked you to write a dialogue in which you give Oscar--the celebrated mascot of the annual Academy Awards--some good advice on what to wear and how to be an examplary host. Here's one of our favorites.

Oscar
A ten minute play by Doug Dyszlewski, Grade 8

Ten minutes before Oscar Awards start. Doug and Oscar are talking before the Awards Ceremony begins.

Producer: (Walks over to Oscar) You're on in ten minutes.

Doug: Are you almost ready?

Oscar: Yes, I have been ready for a while.

Doug: Okay, but just keep in mind that this year is going to be even bigger than last year so I hope you're prepared.

Oscar: You have said that every single year since I have done this, yet it's always the same.

Doug: I know, I know, I just don't want you to mess up or anything.

Oscar: Let me ask you this question: how could I possibly mess up if I just am standing there? I don't do anything, honestly it's really not that hard.

Doug: The reason we fired the guy before you was because he messed up. He fell on the an award winner and broke his leg. Would you want that to happen to you?

Oscar: No, but...

Doug: Don't forget we want you to look good, so if you move and scratch yourself or something like that when you're up on stage, you will be fired in a second.

Oscar: Okay then keep that blow dryer on me if you want me to look good.

Doug: This blow drying really doesn't do anything for you.  It just makes me look like I'm doing something in the hustle and bustle here. Everyone is always doing something right before the Awards and I'll get yelled at if I'm not working, so...

Oscar: Well fine then, make me look better in some other way. I don't want either of us to be fired.

Doug: Okay then, I'll go get another gold suit to make you look newer. The suit that you have on is a bit wrinkled.

Oscar: Yes, that's perfect, another suit.

(Doug runs over to get another suit and then puts it on Oscar.)

Oscar: How do I look? Good right?

Doug: Perfect.

Oscar: There's still something missing...

Doug: There really isn't anything else to do.

Oscar: Okay.

Producer: (Walks over again.) You're on in three minutes.

Oscar: Wow, seven minutes have gone by fast!

Doug: It's fine... don't get stressed.

Oscar: Well when you told me how I could mess up... I'm getting nervous.

Doug: Now come on... you've been doing this for four years.

Oscar: I know but I never really thought of what could go wrong.

Doug: Nah, you'll do fine.  I've made you look your best, as always.

Oscar: Okay, I think I...

Producer: (Walks over again.) One minute...

Doug: Okay, you're ready.  Just go out there and look your best. That's all you have to do and you'll shine like the stars.