M. E. Kerr has written books under many different pseudonyms (in fact, M. E. Kerr is a pseudonym based on the author's real name, Marijane Meaker), however, since she discovered writing for young adults, her fictional aim has been true--she has become known as an award-winning "problem" novelist for adolescents. With her seminal Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack, which detailed the life of the daughter of a do-gooder who must do something outrageous to get her mother's attention, Kerr captured the imagination of teens from all over. With equal aplomb, she has tackled such varied topics as Nazis and homosexuality, proving herself to be versatile as well as popular. In 1993, she was awarded the fifth Margaret A. Edwards Award by the American Library Association, which put her in the company of S. E. Hinton, Richard Peck, and Lois Duncan.

Kerr was born in Auburn, an upstate New York town...