First hour: Author Ellen Hopkins on banned book movements

Second hour: Discussing banned books, representation in children’s literature, and the Rochester Children’s Book Festival

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 the banned book movement next week in Geneva, 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 Young, high school senior and student representative for the Clyde-Savannah Board of Education

Then in our second hour, we continue the conversation about book bans and young adult literature as we preview the Rochester Children’s Book Festival. This year’s event is set for November 4 at Monroe Community College and includes 55 authors and illustrators. Our guests this hour explore a number of themes related to free speech, literacy, representation in literature, and more. Our guests:

• Vicki Schultz, co-director of the Rochester Children’s Book Festival from 2017-2022
• Sarah Mead, president of the Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) and writer for (585) Magazine and (585) Kids
• Linda Sue Park, author of more than 30 books for young readers, including “A Long Walk to Water” and “Prairie Lotus”
• Leslie C. Youngblood, author of “Love Like Sky” and “Forever This Summer”