Ellen Hopkins is My Hero

Here's why-
I felt a physical reaction-like I had actually had the wind knocked out of me after reading Crank by Ellen Hopkins. I'm not really sure I have ever had such an emotional shock to the system while reading a book. Which is why I had to include a book by her for Banned Book Week in my giveaway. If you google Ellen Hopkins inevitably her name pops up with the words challenged and censorship. In this article found on her livejournal.com she talks about an instance in which she was uninvited to a Teen Lit Fest in 2011.
You will not find person more passionate about censorship and books for young adults. In this article she shares her thoughts about censorship and a powerful poem she wrote called Manifesto. Her books are raw, honest and sadly realistic. She writes about the dark topics of drugs, cutting and suicide. These are things that our kids see and hear about in the halls of school every day.
Small town America is now armed with drug dogs while hydrocodone is being bought and sold in school parking lots during recess. These topics are not shocking revelations to the teens living it every day.
I shake my head in frustration when I read that adults or libraries try to keep these books out of the hands of teens.
Crank does not glamorize the use of drugs. It shows the slow, dark, descent of a girl that tries a drug and then becomes addicted to the "monster". Crank doesn't have a happy ending and that's why it's so powerful. It's exactly why we need to make sure that it's accessible to teens and we use this book as a teaching tool. If it helps even one child to think twice before going down that road it's worth the fight.
Thank you Ellen Hopkins for fighting the good fight. I've got your back.
For the chance to win a copy of Crank by Ellen Hopkins click on sidebar to right or just scroll down.

WINNER Of Banned Books Giveaway

And the winner of a copy of the book Fallout by Ellen Hopkins is:

BJ
beejee77@comcast.net

She has 48 hours to respond to the email I sent her to claim her prize.

Thank you to all who participated in the hop. Who took the time to leave comments and opinions.

70 people entered this giveaway!

I loved participating in this hop because it gave me the opportunity to read other bloggers thoughts and experiences. I didn't get to visit as many blogs as I wanted because I would get caught up in the stories  

 posted at every site.

I think that we are all in agreement that the choice to read a book should be a freedom not tampered with. I believe that parents should be aware of what their children are reading, watching and playing. It's the responsibility of a parent to be involved-books can open the door to communication and education. If my daughter brings home a book that is too mature to read as a parent I have the right to take that book away from her-BUT I do not have the right to take that book out of the hands of YOUR child. That is your job. 

I LOVE Banned Book Week and I love that we have a place to celebrate our freedom to read.

A big thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and I Read Banned Books who hosted this event. I look forward to the next one.

BANNED BOOK WEEK HOP

IT'S FINALLY HERE!
BANNED BOOK WEEK
AND TO CELEBRATE
WE ARE GOING TO HOP!
A GIANT thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and I Read Banned Books for hosting this AWESOME Giveaway and Hop. Take this opportunity to visit the other blogs participating. Everyone has something very interesting to say about Banned Books Week.
Mug of Moxie is giving away a copy of Fallout by Ellen Hopkins. She is an author that I admire and support. Her books have been banned in school and public libraries across America.  The subjects she writes about: drug abuse, prostitution and incest are not easy topics. Her stories are honest, raw and emotional. I believe that her stories can educate, inspire and have the power to change someone's life.
Do I want my 8 year old daughter to read this book? No, not yet. But in a few years-YES! I would encourage her to read it and then we can talk about it. This is what books are meant to do-educate so we can communicate.
If this book will help her see the ugly reality of drugs and the effect that it has on lives....if it stops her from experimenting with meth...if it keeps her safe... I will personally put it on her night stand and NO ONE better mess with our choice to make that decision. I support and celebrate the freedom to read.
To enter this giveaway simply leave your name and email address in the comment section. You are not required to follow-but would be happy if you decided to. This giveaway is open to US residents only.  A name will be drawn on October 2. You must be 13 years or older to enter. Good Luck!



A TRAGIC TALE

CRANK

By Ellen Hopkins
2004
537 Pages

From the Back Cover:
Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle for her mind, her soul-her life.

My Thoughts:
Intense, Dark and Disturbing.

This is the story of a girl(based on the author's daughter) that once had everything in the world going for her. She was smart, talented and beautiful. During a summer visit to her dad she tries crank-which is referred to as the monster-what a fitting title. The monster takes over her life. Kristina develops an alter ego named Bree who justifies all the wrongs Kristina starts to do in her need to feed the monster.
Excerpt from page 381
She forgot to mention
a couple of
rather important things:
Like how, if you exercised
(riding my bike for instance),
your lungs fought to hold air.
I huffed and puffed
all the way home.
Like how, when you came down
(I had to eventually),
your head screamed with pain
and your body broke out
in panicky sweat.
Like how your little brother's teasing
(irritating at the best of time),
would set you way off,
make you jump
off the deep end.
What we witness page after page is Kristina's decent into addiction. We watch her descent into hell. This is the first book that I have read by Ellen Hopkins. It is written in prose which was so perfect for Kristina's story. It's raw honesty grabbed me from the start and wouldn't let go.
It won't be the last Ellen Hopkins book that I read.
I borrowed this book for my public library's Inter Library Loan system. I hope that our library will consider purchasing a copy in the future. It's an important tale that teens and adults should read. I would recommend this book for readers 14 and up for language, violence and sex.