ALAN Online

The ALAN News of Note is a monthly email newsletter compiled by Joan Kaywell, Professor of English Education at the University of South Florida.  ALAN Online posts sections of the newsletter each month.  Would you like to receive the News of Note each month in your email inbox?  Consider joining ALAN.  For only $20.00 per year, you will also receive three issues of The ALAN Review, ALAN’s journal that discusses YA literature and its teaching, interviews with authors, reports on publishing trends, current research on YA literature, a section of reviews of new books, and ALAN membership news.

Read this month’s news after the break.

KUDOS TO LORI & JIM FOR THEIR 6 YEARS OF SERVICE AS TAR CO-EDITORS

From Dr. Lisa Scherff, Associate Professor of English Education, The University of Alabama:

“One wonderful aspect of their tenure as editors was how they promoted pre- and in-service teachers’ voices. My students, some of them just juniors, were so proud to see their hard work in press. While writing articles is, for us, part of the job, for teachers it is all about empowerment and leadership. Lori and Jim really encouraged a range of voices in TAR.”

From Jack Gantos, YA author:

“Jim and Lori have done a brilliant job of ever raising the bar for TAR. I’m always impressed with the results of their effort and insight. Cheers to them both!”

From Dr. Jeffrey S. Kaplan, Associate Professor, University of Central Florida:

“Jim Blasingame and Lori Goodson continued in the great tradition of making The ALAN Review – informative, accessible, and entertaining. This is one of the few journals that is appropriate for everyone – teachers, researchers, authors, book lovers, and, yes, adolescents. How could you not like a journal that includes interviews, book talks, scholarship, and personal essays? As the Research Connections columnist, I was especially pleased to have a forum to share the good work that is being done across the country (and the world) to explore, define, and reveal what is good and real and honest in the study of young adult literature. Jim and Lori continued the grand tradition of ALAN editors (Pamela “Sissi” Carroll, Patricia Kelly, Robert Small, Leila Christenbury, Arthea “Charlie” Reed) who made The ALAN Review what it is today – one great journal, indeed!”

From Dr. Shelbie Witte, Assistant Professor, Florida State University

“Lori made the journal accessible to so many people who might have never thought that their ideas or writing would make a difference.  By asking for classroom teachers and preservice teachers to review the newest young adult titles for the journal, interview an author, or write about their best practices in the use of YAL in the classroom, she opened the window to publishing for so many of us.”

From Vicki Sherbert, Classroom Teacher, Wakefield, KS

“Lori, my most sincere thanks for your support of YA literature and for your efforts bring the best books and authors to teachers and students.  By sharing your passion with me and all the folks at the Flint Hills Writing Project, you inspired us to be not only consumers of, but also contributors to, the ALAN Review.  Your work has opened many doors for many folks.”

From Jen Bryant, YA author:

“My sincere thanks to Jim and Lori for their dedication, hard work and good humor during their years as editors for TAR. Even when discretionary reading time dwindled,
I always made sure I took TAR with me to the library or to the Indy bookstore so I could read the articles and reviews and help myself immediately to whatever they recommended.  We’ll miss you both –and thanks again for all you’ve done to make TAR a first-rate review and resource.”

From Dr. Chris Goering, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas

“When I think of The ALAN Review and ALAN in general, I will always think of Lori Goodson. She is responsible for introducing the organization and journal to me before she was co-editor with Jim. Just a few days ago in my own young adult literature course, I shared her dissertation research with my students and loved watching their eyes light up considering the possibilities out there in the field of young adult literature. She remains a beacon for her own students and for many of her ’sons’ and ‘daughters’ out there across the country; I’m proud to be one of them.”

From Dr. Kay Smith, Utah Valley University:

“Thank you so much for bringing an abundance of joy, enthusiasm, and energy to your work as editors of The Alan Review.  Each issue was diverse and beautifully designed, and I have one request: please stick around.  We continue to need your leadership and love of YAL.  Job well done!”

From Dr. Matt Skillen, Assistant Professor, Elizabethtown College

“Lori, you are the best.  From book reviews to podcasts, I have truly enjoyed working with you on all things related to ALAN.  Thank you for providing so many valuable resources to students and teachers in search of great books.”

From Janette Rallison, YA author:

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with Jim on several author panels.  I’ve always been impressed with his love for young adult books, his unfailing optimism about literature and his diplomacy.  He always makes each author feel like they are important.  It must be from all of those years as a teacher where he made each student feel like they are important. I wish Jim the best in every goal and every sphere of his career!”

From Pam Munoz Ryan, YA author:

I’ll never forget being on that 1^st cover.  It was such an honor.  I have it up in my office!

ALAN MEMBERSHIP REQUEST

Please recruit an ALAN member—we’re only as strong as our membership and our number is down!!! With this being the beginning of a new school year, why not treat yourself and a friend to another year as an ALAN member.  And as a reminder, BULK MAIL IS NOT FORWARDED SO PLEASE SEND ME YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD YOU MOVE. Current e-mail addresses are welcome too!  You can find more information on ALAN Membership by clicking here.

2009 ALAN WORKSHOP IN PHILADELPHIA

You do not have to be a member of NCTE or pay for NCTE Conference to attend our Workshop on Monday and Tuesday.  Remember seating is limited so sign up sooner than later!  By paying for and attending the workshop, you get a complimentary year’s membership to ALAN, a box of books that practically pays for (and sometimes exceeds) your registration cost, and you learn from some fabulous YA authors and top educators who use YA literature in their classrooms.

President-elect Pamela “Sissi”Carrol has done an outstanding job putting together an extraordinary workshop!  Our Keynote Speaker on Monday morning will be Gregory Macguire best known as the author of WICKED (and a great speaker, word has it), and our keynote speaker (that’s right, we’re having two this year!) on Tuesday morning is Louanne Johnson, best known as the author of the made-into-a feature film, DANGEROUS MINDS, who has a new YA book out in the fall 09!  If that isn’t enough to get you there, wouldn’t you love to hear from Edward Bloor, Jen Bryant, Steven Chbosky, Matt de la Pena, Sharon Draper, Adrian Fogelin, Paula Jolin, Sheba Karim, E. Lockhart, Patty McCormick, Shenaaz Nanji, Mary Pearson, Jeanette Walls, Carol Lynch Williams, Laurence Yep, Sara Zarr among many others?

SOME INTERESTING NEWS

YA author and ALAN member Adrian Fogelin has created a “Front Porch Library” to give kids access to books who otherwise would not have a chance to borrow any.  This neighborhood library is amazing and can be replicated.  Just visit  http://thefrontporchlibrary.wordpress.com/ for information how you can get one started in your community.  Adrian comments, “I have gotten to know our neighborhood kids and even their parents on an intimate basis.  Surprisingly, the library has been as much about conversation, singing, making puzzles, dancing, and general silliness as it has been about books.  Although it has taken up some time, it’s been well worth it.  Yesterday, during our regular library hours, I had just one child.  Toni is a good reader, but a struggling pronouncer.  Together we are working on consonants.  But yesterday, we decided to sing the books rather than read them.  We turned “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” into a two-part round.  When I open the library door, I never know who will come or what will happen when they get there.  I just know that something will happen and that what it will surprise me and make me smile.”

ABOUT NCTE PRESIDENT KYLENE BEERS:

Kylene is taking a poll on how teachers MOST OFTEN teach a novel in their class.  Please go to the survey site at  http://twtpoll.com/psqefe if you’d like to participate; it’ll take less than a minute. This poll closes on Sep 10, 2009.

Kylene is also using Twitter to update ELA teachers with important info on NCTE and ELA news.  You can follow her at http://twitter.com/KyleneBeers.