Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	6.03

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		comical, maiden, legacy, lifetime, lifelong, editor, assignment, insecticide, army, environment, wacky, zany, soldier, concept, film, inspiration
	content words:		Theodor Seuss Geisel, Seuss Geisel, Dartmouth College, Oxford University, World War II, Hitler Lives, Private Snafu, Think That, Saw It, Mulberry Street

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Dr. Seuss
By Sharon Fabian

¹     Name the person who had a collection of silly hats and a collection of doctorate degrees from seven colleges. If you said Theodor Seuss Geisel, you are right.

²     Dr. Seuss, whose full name is really Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born March 2, 1904 in Massachusetts. After high school, he went on to two famous colleges, Dartmouth College and Oxford University, and was on his way to becoming a professor. However, at Dartmouth he was editor of their humor magazine. This was the beginning of his lifelong interest in humor. After college he worked in advertising, where he created funny characters for an insecticide called "Flit." He also worked for a humor magazine called Judge and drew cartoons for Life magazine.

³     During World War II, Theodor joined the army, and was given an unusual assignment for a soldier. He was sent to Hollywood to produce training films and documentaries about the war. One of his documentaries, Hitler Lives, won an Oscar. He tried out one of his funny titles on a training film, Private Snafu.

⁴     Mr. Geisel was married twice, but had no kids. It was at dinner parties with his second wife, Audrey, that he would wear his collection of zany hats.

⁵     When he began writing children's books, Mr. Geisel disguised his name by using his mother's maiden name "Seuss." He added the "Doctor” to give himself a pen name that sounded just right! Dr. Seuss's first book for children was called And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, and he had to take it to 27 publishers before he found one who would print it. Thank goodness he didn't give up!

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