{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpage-one.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fep-41-ellen-hopkins-sync-8NCGH_uF","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Ep. 41: Ellen Hopkins - Sync","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/8583da00-42e9-4897-ab16-2a2d61be8a44/a260d6f6-0ecb-49ef-a5f1-3975c7c7df05/page-one-podcast-ep-41-2.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"In Episode 41, we have the honor of talking with the most banned author in the world and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins, about her latest book, SYNC—a riveting story about two teenage twins separated in the foster care system. After co-founding the youth program Sierra Ventana in Reno, Nevada with her daughter to help get kids off the street, Hopkins was driven to share what she learned and observed about the challenges foster kids face once they ‘age out’ of the system. As her fifteenth book written in verse, SYNC represents Ellen’s hallmark style, blending her love of poetry and crisp prose that makes her work accessible to teen readers. “ I wanted to reach readers who weren't readers and verse hits reluctant readers right where they need to be because nothing's overwhelming on the page.” Her debut CRANK put her on the map of literary greatness and cultivated a groundswell of teen fans who often see Ellen Hopkins as the kind of mother they never had.\n\nI can’t think of another writer with a more humanitarian and literary mission—serving young people with the truth they need to navigate an ever changing world that too often terrifies them. Ellen’s deep compassion for young people and her commitment to social issues keeps her focused on her writing, despite the decades-long controversies surrounding her books. Perhaps even more inspiring is her commitment to telling the truth. I hope you enjoy this intimate conversation with a very grounded, big hearted and courageous storyteller. With more than five million books in print, there is no stopping this literary force."}