If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries Poems for Children and Their Parents

by Viorst, Judith; Cherry, Lynne

• ISBN13: 9780689707704
• ISBN10: 0689707703
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1984-10-01
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary

If you've ever had trouble apologizing or keeping a secret, had a crush or a broken heart, there's a poem here for you! Written with humor and understanding, Judith Viorst's poems are certain to delight children and adults alike -- and be read again and again.

Author Biography

Judith Viorst says that she has been writing always -- "or at least since I was seven or eight, when I composed an ode to my dead parents, both of whom were alive and well and, when they read my poem, extremely annoyed." She has written many books for children, including the acclaimed Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, If I Were in Charge of the World...and Other Worries, and I'll Fix Anthony as well as several books of poetry and prose for adults. She is also a contributing editor to Redbook magazine. Mrs. Viorst lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Milton, a political writer. They have three sons -- Anthony, Nicholas, and Alexander.

Table of Contents

WISHES AND WORRIES
If I Were in Charge of the World	2	(2)
Bertha's Wish	4	(1)
I Wouldn't Be Afraid	5	(1)
Fifteen, Maybe Sixteen, Things to Worry About	6	(2)
Some Things Don't Make Any Sense at All	8	(2)
CATS AND OTHER PEOPLE
My Cat	10	(1)
Stanley the Fierce	11	(1)
Harvey	12	(1)
The Lizzie Pitofsky Poem	13	(1)
Who's Who	14	(2)
NIGHTS
Night Scare	16	(1)
Nightmare	16	(1)
Night Fun	17	(1)
Thoughts on Getting out of a Nice Warm Bed in an Ice-Cold House to Go to the Bathroom at Three O'Clock in the Morning	18	(2)
SPRING FEVER
Just Before Springtime	20	(2)
Weird!	22	(2)
FACTS OF LIFE
Short Love Poem	24	(1)
Learning	24	(1)
I'm Not	25	(1)
Mending	26	(2)
FAIRY TALES
... And the Princess was Astonished to See the Ugly Frog Turn into a Handsome Prince	28	(1)
... And Then the Prince Knelt Down and Tried to Put the Glass Slipper on Cinderella's Foot	29	(1)
... And Although the Little Mermaid Sacrificed Everything to Win the Love of the Prince, the Prince (Alas) Decided to Wed Another	30	(2)
... And After Many Years, a Brave Prince Came at Last to Rescue the Princess	32	(2)
WORDS
Secrets	34	(1)
Talking	35	(1)
Sometimes Poems	36	(2)
Apology	38	(2)
THANKS AND NO THANKS
No	40	(2)
Thank-You Note	42	(1)
What Price Glory?	43	(1)
Mother Doesn't Want a Dog	44	(2)
WICKED THOUGHTS
Wicked Thoughts	46	(1)
More Wicked Thoughts	47	(1)
And Some More Wicked Thoughts	48	(2)
GOOD-BYES
Summer's End	50	(1)
Good-Bye, Six---Hello, Seven	51	(1)
Teddy Bear Poem	52	(1)
Remember Me?	53	(1)
Since Hanna Moved Away	54	(1)
My---Oh Wow!---Book	55
Index

Excerpts

FIFTEEN, MAYBE SIXTEEN, THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT

My pants could maybe fall down when I dive off the diving board.

My nose could maybe keep growing and never quit.

Miss Brearly could ask me to spell words likestomachandspecial.

   (Stumickandspeshul?)

I could play tag all day and always be "it."

Jay Spievack, who's fourteen feet tall, could want to fight me.

My mom and my dad -- like Ted's -- could want a divorce.

Miss Brearly could ask me a question about Afghanistan.

   (Who's Afghanistan?)

My mother could maybe decide that I needed more liver.

My dad could decide that I needed less TV.

Miss Brearly could say that I have to write in script and stop printing.

Chris could stop being best friends with me.

The world could maybe come to an end on next Tuesday.

The ceiling could maybe come crashing on my head.

I maybe could run out of things for me to worry about.

And then I'd have to do my homework instead.

Copyright © 1981 by Judith Viorst

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Excerpted from If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries: Poems for Children and Their Parents by Judith Viorst
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.