Ellen Hopkins

As the current "most banned author in the US," Ellen Hopkins has been fighting book removals at an exhausting pace. Her first YA novel, CRANK, sits near the top of book banning hitlists. The book was inspired by the quite personal story of her daughter's addiction, and illustrates how quickly a teen with everything going for her can lose her dreams to substance abuse. Subsequent Hopkins novels tackle issues young adults face every day. Hopkins's motives are often questioned, but she says she wants to arm kids with knowledge to help them make better choices and develop understanding and empathy. You'll hear how she has accomplished those goals and why she's determined to help keep controversial books on library bookshelves.