Ellen Wittlinger (October 21, 1948 – November 17, 2022) was an American author of young adults novels, including the Michael L. Printz Honor book Hard Love.
"[2] One of her plays won the author's prize at the annual Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters competition.
[citation needed] Wittlinger later worked as a librarian part-time with the Swampscott Public Library, which inspired her to focus her writing on children's and young adult literature.
[1][4] Upon her death, Justin Chanda, the senior vice president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, stated, To say that Ellen Wittlinger was a trailblazer is beyond an understatement.
For decades she wrote engaging, searing books that never shied away from showing all facets of love, identity, and sense of self.