LibGuides: Banned Books: Out-of-Print

Banned/Challenged VS Ceasing Publication

There has been a lot of heated debate in the news lately about different authors and certain works of theirs being 'cancelled,' but is that really the case? What is the difference between a book being challenged, being banned or the people responsible for the book ceasing publication?

Challenged - a formal attempt to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a person or group.
Banned - If a challenge is successful, the materials in question are removed from the curriculum, library, school, ect.
No Longer Published/Out of Print - when an author (or their estate) ceases the publication of certain books due to a number of reasons including problematic material, to create scarcity, changing viewpoints of the creator, among others. As opposed to a challenge, this is an act taken by the owners and/or creators of the books and not outside people or groups.

Examples of Books Pulled by Authors/Estates

Fast times at Ridgemont High by Cameron Crowe
ISBN: 067145790X

Publication Date: 1982-09-15

This is a true story. In the fall of 1979 Cameron Crowe at 22 years of age walked into the office of Principal William Gray's office and asked permission to attend classes for the full length of the school year to research a book he was to write of his experiences inside the walls of Ridgemont High and Redondo Beach, California. This is the day-by-day journal of horny and wasted semi-blank adults who don't know a thing about their future.

Reason: Crowe has stated that “likes that there’s one thing that’s not readily available … I like it too much as a kind of bootleg.”
Rage by Richard Bachman (Contribution by); Stephen King
ISBN: 0451076451

Publication Date: 1977-09-06

A disturbed high-school student with authority problems kills one of his teachers and takes the rest of his class hostage. Over the course of one long, tense and unbearable hot afternoon, Charlie Decker explains what led him to this drastic sequence of events, while at the same time deconstructing the personalities of his classmates, forcing each one to justify his or her existence.

Reasons: Stephen King decided to retire this book after copies of it were found in the belongings of several school shooters and the overall rise in school shootings in general.
Sex by Madonna
ISBN: 8440631170

Publication Date: 1992-10-01

From music videos to movie roles, sellout tours to Billboard chart-toppers, Madonna has become one of the most popular, most publicized, and most successful performers of all time. Now, Madonna's book takes a provocative look at sexual fantasies in photographs and words, with the erotic imaginings highlighted by a series of innovative special effects. Contains adult material of a controversial nature.

Reasons: Madonna always wanted this to be a limited-edition release.
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pilkey (Illustrator)
Call Number: JG PIL

ISBN: 0545175305

Publication Date: 2010-08-10

Meet Ook and Gluk, the stars of this sensationally silly graphic novel from the creators of Captain Underpants! It's 500,001 BC, and Ook and Gluk's hometown of Caveland, Ohio, is under attack by an evil corporation from the future. When Ook, Gluk, and their little dinosaur pal Lily are pulled through a time portal to 2222, they discover a future world that's even more devastated than their own. Luckily, they find a friend in Master Wong, a martial arts instructor who trains them in the ways of kung fu. Now all they have to do is travel back in time 502,223 years and save the day!

Reasons: Dav Pilkey retired this book due to insensitive stereotypes.
Promise Me Tomorrow by Nora Roberts
ISBN: 0671470191

Publication Date: 1984-02-01

Sarah had to build something major, in her work and in her life. And Byron's searing kiss stirred wild longings in her no other man had roused. her future as an architect was in his hands. But he would trap her in a desperate passion- one never fulfilled by love. She fled to a glamorous assignment in Paris- to the embrace of an elegant Frenchman whose sensuous caress hid a dangerous ambition. Then destiny brought Byron into her life again, tempting her with new dreams, drawing her into the flames of the one unforgettable love that promised to consume her- body, heart and soul.

Reasons: Nora Roberts is quoted as saying it was "full of cliches" and it features "an unhappy ending."
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Seuss (Illustrator)
Call Number: E SEU

ISBN: 0394944941

Publication Date: 1989-10-14

Dr. Seuss's very first book for children! From a mere horse and wagon, young Marco concocts a colorful cast of characters, making Mulberry Street the most interesting location in town. Dr. Seuss's signature rhythmic text, combined with his unmistakable illustrations, will appeal to fans of all ages, who will cheer when our hero proves that a little imagination can go a very long way. (Who wouldn't cheer when an elephant-pulled sleigh raced by?) Now over seventy-five years old, this story is as timeless as ever. And Marco's singular kind of optimism is also evident in McElligot's Pool.

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to insensitive and racist caricatures.
The Cat's Quizzer by Seuss
ISBN: 0001716123

Publication Date: 20-10-1990

Are you smarter than Ziggy and Zizzy Zozzfozzel? Get quizzed by the Cat in the Hat in this classic Beginner Book by Dr. Seuss! Do fish sleep with one eye open? What do they call one-eyed eyeglasses? Are snails faster than turtles? How many will you get right? (The Zozzfozzels got them ALL wrong!) Featuring a mixture of picture puzzles, logic tricks, and silly questions, The Cat's Quizzer will keep readers fascinated with a wide array of facts and fun!

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to insensitive and racist caricatures.
If I Ran the Zoo by Seuss
Call Number: E SEU

ISBN: 0394800818

Publication Date: 1950-10-12

Animals abound in Dr. Seuss's Caldecott Honor-winning picture book" If I Ran the Zoo. "Gerald McGrew imagines the myriad of animals he'd have in his very own zoo, and the adventures he'll have to go on in order to gather them all. Featuring everything from a lion with ten feet to a Fizza-ma-Wizza-ma-Dill, this is a classic Seussian crowd-pleaser. In fact, one of Gerald's creatures has even become a part of the language: the Nerd!

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to racist and insensitive caricatures.
McElligot's Pool by Seuss
Call Number: E SEU

ISBN: 0394800834

Publication Date: 1947-09-12

Who knows what fantastic fish might swim in McElligot's Pool!

In this colorful picture book, a boy named Marco goes fishing in a small pond called McElligot's Pool. As he sits waiting for a bite, a farmer calls him a fool and says "You'll never catch fish in McElligot's Pool!" Marco, however, refuses to be discouraged and spends the rest of the story describing all the fish that could be coming to McElligot's Pool from the ocean. The story ends with Marco still fishing and the farmer scratching his beard and looking confused.

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to racist and insensitive caricatures.
On Beyond Zebra! by Seuss
Call Number: E SEU

ISBN: 0394800842

Publication Date: 1955-09-12

If you think the alphabet stops with Z, you are wrong. So wrong. Leave it to Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell (with a little help from Dr. Seuss) to create an entirely new alphabet beginning with Z! This rhyming picture book introduces twenty new letters and the creatures that one can spell with them. Discover (and spell) such wonderfully Seussian creations as the Yuzz-a-ma-Tuzz and the High Gargel-orum. Readers young and old will be giggling from beginning to end . . . or should we say, from Yuzz to Hi!

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to insensitive and racist caricatures.
Scrambled Eggs Super! by Seuss (Illustrator)
Call Number: E SEU

ISBN: 0394800850

Publication Date: 1953-03-12

An eggs-cellent way to start the day! Breakfast will never be the same, thanks to Dr. Seuss's classic rhyming picture book Scrambled Eggs Super! When Peter T. Hooper tires of traditional scrambled eggs, he sets out on a quest to find the rarest and most exciting eggs so he can make the amazing breakfast he craves. Featuring zany egg-layers such as the Sala-ma-goox, the Tizzle-Topped Grouse, and the Bombastic Aghast, Scrambled Eggs Super! will hit the spot and leave readers wanting seconds.

Reasons: The Seuss Estate retired this title due to insensitive and racist caricatures.