When first thinking about hysteria in literature Maurice Sendak comes to mind. As Hana mentioned Mr. Sendak found his way onto the banned book list often. But the banned book of his that comes to mind most often is "In the night kitchen". The reason so many parents freak out over this book was because the main character appears naked for several pages. This seems silly to me, as a child's nakedness to another child is meaningless, but many parents did not feel the same way.
Here is a 2 part interview Maurice Sendak gave to Steven Colbert just before he died. I enjoyed hearing him speck about writing his books and the background behind them. There is also a lot of silliness in the interview, very Steven Colbert.
Colbert Report: Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 1
Colbert Report: Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2
