Dr. Seuss Book Banned From Elementary School Library

A Dr. Seuss book is at the center of controversy, with one getting banned — along with around 400 other titles — from a school district in Tennessee. According to Nashville Scene, around 400 books have been removed from school libraries in Wilson County following a state law that went into effect over the summer limiting which books public school students have access to. The Dr. Seuss book included on the banned list is the search-and-find book Wacky Wednesday.

Published by Random House Children’s Books in 1974 and renewed in 2002, the book is based around a world of progressively wackier occurrences where kids can point out wacky items on each page.

The new legislation states that “materials in a library collection must be suitable for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials and must be suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school.” The legislation prohibits materials containing nudity or describes or depicts sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse, according to state obscenity laws, reports The Tennessean.

Nashville Scene reports that the law requires schools to post public lists of library materials on their websites and create policies for continual reviews of library materials, including a process for parents, students, or school staff to challenge books. If school boards do not respond to challenges in 60 days, they can be taken to the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission.

In 2023, Wacky Wednesday was banned in Katy, Texas, after the school district ruled it to be inappropriate for children because of a new policy banning all nudity.

In recent years, many Dr. Seuss books have been banned or pulled from publishing due to the content despite being beloved by many. In 2021, libraries temporarily pulled six books from shelves after Dr. Seuss Enterprises said it would “stop publishing them over racist and insensitive imagery.” And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer were the ones pulled.

Despite some controversy surrounding the Dr. Seuss books, they still remain beloved, as do the many films that continue to be adapted. In 2023, it was revealed that The Cat in the Hat would be adapted into a podcast series, marking a whole new expansion for the book. Whether or not more books will be added to the long list is unknown, but Dr. Seuss books have been stirring controversy for a while now. This is just the latest book ban and it wouldn’t be surprising if Wacky Wednesday is added to more lists in the future as more laws are put in place.