Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book never attained enough commercial success to make any “most hated by parents” lists. Some found the material offensive, citing poems that “glorified Satan, suicide, cannibalism, and also encouraged children to be disobedient.” A Light in the Attic, his 1981 collection of children’s poetry, ranks 51 out of 100 on the American Library Association’s list of most-challenged materials from 1990-1999 (it was also the first children’s book on the New York Times bestseller list). Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book is not the only work of Silverstein’s that was met with consternation from overzealous would-be book-banners. SHEL SILVERSTEIN/SIMON & SCHUSTERĪs a result of such misunderstandings, the current print edition, dating back to 1985, includes a stamp on the front that reads, “A Primer For Adults Only.” The cover of Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book.
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