Borders bans book, refuses to tell author why

Author Aury Wallington wrote a teen novel called Pop!, which was well-received by reviewers. Pop! tells the story of a 17-year-old girl who decides to give up her virginity, and what the emotional consequences are of her choice. You can find it at Barnes & Noble, and you can even find it on Borders' website, but not on the shelves. And Borders refuses to say why it will not stock the book.

Wallington thinks it may because of a quotation on the book jacket: "Marit has made up her mind. Being a virgin is getting in the way of holding on to a boyfriend she really likes." This quotation, of course, has nothing to do with the overall context of the book; it is merely a plot teaser.

Borders should be ashamed for not stocking Pop!, and it should be even more ashamed of not telling the author why the book is unavailable. Wallington says that, despite extraordinary--and very creative--efforts on her part, Borders' action has caused her to have extremely low sales.