Tolkien, J.R.R.

An interesting example of Tolkien trying to interest primary school children in The Lord of the Rings (although evidently concerned about the length and expense of the work).

An English paperback edition was not published until 1968. In the United States Ace Books, Inc. decided that The Lord of the Rings had fallen into the public domain and published their own edition. To reclaim copyright Tolkien was forced to provide Ballantine Books with a new edition in 1965 (together with a published statement from the author about pirated copies). Even to school children, it appears, Tolkien was at pains to cite the name of the authorized publisher.