Novelist Ellen Hopkins is the “most banned author” in the country. That’s according to PEN America, which reports Hopkins’ books were at the center of 89 bans in 20 districts over the course of this year and last. One of the most recent bans was in the Clyde-Savannah Central School District in Wayne County, where a local pastor and a conservative political group demanded Hopkins’ novel, “People Kill People,” be removed from the junior-senior high school’s library. That book and four others were taken off shelves, but after protests from other groups, they were restored.
Hopkins will give a talk about her work the banned book movement next week at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, but first, she joins us on Connections. We also hear from members of the Clyde-Savannah community. Our guests:
- Ellen Hopkins, author of “People Kill People” and many other young adult novels
- JoAnn Salerno, Clyde resident and member of “A Call to Action”
- Leah Yonge, high school senior and student representative for the Clyde-Savannah Board of Education
