FROM NCTE (from http://www.ncte.org/action/anti-censorship):

“NCTE offers advice, helpful documents, and other support at no cost to teachers faced with challenges to literary works, films and videos, drama productions, or teaching methods. NCTE’s Anti-Censorship efforts are currently only funded to provide a public service to members and nonmembers when they are facing challenges to literary works, films, and videos.

Facing a challenge? Report A Censorship Incident - to report an incident, or call Millie Davis, NCTE Senior Developer, Affiliated Groups and Public Outreach, directly at 800-369-6283, ext. 3634.

Five Most Helpful Resources: The materials below have been identified by teachers as most useful in preventing and combating censorship.

• Students’ Right to Read–Gives model procedures for responding to challenges, including “Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of a Work.”
• Guidelines for Selection of Materials in English Language Arts Programs–Presents criteria and procedures that ensure thoughtful teacher selection of novels and other materials.
• Rationales for Teaching Challenged Books–Rich resource section included table of contents of NCTE’s Rationales for Commonly Challenged Books CD-ROM, an alphabetical list of other rationales on file, the SLATE Starter Sheet on “How to Write a Rationale,” and sample rationales for Bridge to Terabithia and The Color Purple.
• Guidelines for Dealing with Censorship of Nonprint Materials–Offers principles and practices regarding nonprint materials.
• Defining and Defending Instructional Methods–Gives rationales for various English language arts teaching methods and other defenses against common challenges to them.

FROM ALA (http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/ifissues/censorshipchallenges.cfm):

“A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

• First Amendment Basics
• International Intellectual Freedom Basics
• American Library Basics
• International Library Basics
• News Sources for Information about Censorship, Intellectual Freedom, and the First Amendment
• Contacting Elected Officials about Issues/Legislation Related to Intellectual Freedom
• Coalitions Against Censorship
• First Amendment Advocates
• First Amendment Resources

ALA Policies and Statements on the Freedom to Read

• Library Bill of Rights
• Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights
• Libraries: An American Value
• Other ALA Policies, Procedures, Resolutions, and Guidelines Protecting the Freedom to Read
• ALA Intellectual Freedom Policies and the First Amendment
• The Freedom to Read Statement
• Protecting the Freedom to Read 

FROM NCAC (http://www.ncac.org/resources):

“NCAC works to empower individuals facing censorship as well as individuals wanting to know more about censorship issues. These resources will give you a deeper look into the legal structure of protected expression.

• Book Censorship Toolkit–A great packet with information for parents, teachers, and school officials for fighting book censorship in schools.
• The Kids’ Right to Read Project Report–In the past couple of years the KRRP has confronted challenges and bans involving over 250 book tites in 28 states. This report details challenges and bans and how the KRRP responded to each.
• The First Amendment in Schools–A collection of materials on the topic of censorship in schools for students, educators, and parents.
• Graphic Novels: Suggestions for Librarians–A resource for librarians interested in creating a graphic novels section, adding graphic novels, and addressing concerns with graphic novels in libraries.
• Issues Facing Libraries in the High-Tech Era–An in-depth look into the rights of minors, parents, and the role of the library as a public space in the age of the internet.
• Online Resources–A collection of links to government resources, free expression organizations, listserves and usenet newsgroups.”

ALAN is made up of people who read and promote books written for teenagers— young adult literature. Among those of us who are addicted to and promote YA Lit, three groups carry the message: college/university professors, school and public librarians, and middle school/junior high/high school teachers. Though college/university professors have been a driving force in this organization since its founding in 1973, and school/public librarians have become active along the way, it is M/J/H teachers who carry these books into their classrooms and into the hands of teens five days a week, 180 days a year. Proudly I was one of those high school YA book pushers for 30 years.

When I first attended an ALAN workshop many years ago—I thought I had found the pot of gold. Here were people dedicated to making my job easier by giving me a box load of books, and creating a time and space where I could see and listen to authors who wrote books for the young people I spent most of my time with—the students in my classes. Flat-out, I was astounded. How could I not have known about ALAN before? How could I not have known that this incredible resource existed?

This morning I sit in my home office surrounded by books, with thousands more in our library downstairs. There aren’t any corners in my office–the walls of books flow into each other and over the floor like fog filling every available inch. They have taken over my office as they have my life. I am an ALAN addict, teen book junkie, supporter of YAL, and a pretty poor housekeeper.

After that first ALAN workshop, I took my book-booty back to my classroom and shared my amazement and newfound wealth with my students. Starting with my first class we would pull the books out of the box and pass them around, and at the end of the period I would put them back in the box for the next class to discover. We were all stunned—and very happy! Hundreds of other ALAN workshop participants have no doubt done the same thing over the years.

Each year as I sat in the audience, I wanted to do more to involve other teachers in ALAN, so I started brain-storming. To anyone willing to spread the word about

ALAN and young adult books, here are some ideas.

In your classroom:

1. Start a teen reading book club/group focusing on teen books as an after school activity and involve your school or public librarian. As other colleagues get interested, ask them to join, or start one for staff.
2. Create a reading workshop section in your course adapted from Nancie Atwell’s In the Middle.
3. Carry around the teen book you are presently reading and talk about it with whomever notices it.
4. Publish a class newsletter that reviews great books and post it outside your classroom and in the school library.
5. Convince the school newspaper that creating a column that reviews great teen books is a must.
6. Put your name in several places in each of your books and loan them to interested kids.
7. Ask your students to recommend titles.
8. Give an assignment that involves current YA titles and send a copy to your librarian.
9. Send a copy of the YA bib you use for your Reading Workshop to your school library or public library to encourage them to order these titles.
10. Invite the librarian into your classroom to give book talks.
11. Offer extra credit to anyone with a public library card.
12. Take a field trip to the school library or the public library.
13. Let students know they can write to authors of their favorite books, but do not make it an assignment.
14. As a class, check out authors through websites or blogs. Explore them like treasures maps because that is exactly what they are.

Get involved in ALAN:

1. Of course, attend the ALAN workshop whenever you/your school system can get you there.
2. Once there, introduce yourself to as many people as you can: people at the registration desk, people standing in line with you, people sitting beside you in the audience, the people walking on and off the stage, and the authors who are wandering around the hall and who will autograph your books.
3. Attend the ALAN author party on Sunday night and introduce yourself to EVERYONE. Make connections with other members in other states. Ask questions about books, ALAN, authors, publishers.
4. Read The ALAN Review and send a note to the author of any article that inspires you.
5. Share The ALAN Review book reviews with your students (and your school librarian).
6. Find out about the ALAN Research grants.
7. Find out about the Gallo Grants for a beginning colleague.
8. Send in a proposal for an ALAN breakout session.
9. Offer to introduce an author.
10. Join a committee.
11. Find out about the Amelia Elizabeth Edwards Award that ALAN presents each year.
12. Run for the Board.
13. Educate yourself about censorship challenges against teen books.
14. Write an article for The ALAN Review. If you don’t want to do it alone, get another teacher or a student to co-author it. We love to hear what students think!
15. Find out about TAR, ALAN Picks, SIGNAL and VOYA.
16. Review books for TAR, ALAN Picks, SIGNAL and VOYA.
17. VOTE! —Don’t throw out the ballot because you do not know anyone. Read the paragraphs; maybe someone on the ballot sounds like you.

Work the exhibit floor during NCTE. Go up to publishers whose books you use and talk to them about your classroom successes with those books. Ask if there is any way you can do anything for them or how you can get ARC’s (advanced reader copies).

I know what you are thinking–I am way too busy and the state isn’t making life any easier! That is what I thought. Let me ask you a question, how do the grading, the meetings, conferences, weekly reports to the support staff, midterm progress reports, finals, state testing prep and state testing make you feel about teaching? So . . . ?

If you want to feel good about your teaching and your connection with your students, get active in ALAN. That step will make a difference in your teaching life that you never would have guessed possible. It did for me.

Email me. Let’s talk. bottcj [at] aol [dot] com

I wrote this article during September 2010, since then I have been elected vice-president of ALAN, a thrilling professional opportunity that became official at the ALAN workshop in Orlando where for two days we listened to authors who write for teens. Everyone in the audience had received a large box filled with these authors’ books given by generous publishers. Since then, some ALAN members have emailed me their thoughts about how the ALAN workshop impacts their lives.

Paul W. Hankins who teaches at Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg, Indiana, sent me these comments. The box of books I took back to the classroom from ALAN was like being re-affirmed as the “teacher who has all of the ‘good’ books.” If one really wants to know what it takes to be a hero in the Language Arts classroom, it’s simple: be the one that provides avenues to stories and connections to writers. It was so much fun to go through the contents of the box with the students. Of course, I prattled on about how I got to hear this author or that author as we looked at the cover art and the inside flaps of our new books. Participation in the ALAN workshop this year afforded us the ability to add some of the titles we had been missing at the beginning of the new school year. It’s like ALAN is a silent benefactor, helping to do what I have had to do so many years on my own: providing books for my readers in Room 210.

This came from Ricki Berg who teaches at Rockville High School in Vernon, CT. The ALAN Workshop is my favorite time of the year. I always look forward to being surrounded by people who love and appreciate Young Adult literature as much as I do. I feed off the energy of the Workshop participants for the 363 non-ALAN days of the year.

From the university perspective, James Bucky Carter, an Assistant Professor of English Education who teaches at University of Texas at El Paso, added this: ALAN helps me keep up with the best of YA literature and helps me refine and add to the reading lists for my YA courses. ALAN also helps me situate my thinking regarding trends and issues in young adult literature and literacy in the larger discourses surrounding those issues.

Jennifer Buehler, Assistant Professor of English Education in the College of Education and Public Service at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri sent me this and the link to her blog.  And to my great surprise, I found that my YA lit blog entry about NCTE/ALAN was included in a link (along with many others) in the NCTE Inbox this morning!  How do you like that?

http://lessdustyshelves.blogspot.com/2010/12/ncte-annual-conventionalan-workshop.html

Jeff Harr, a high school teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School, in Kent, Ohio, shared this. My participation in ALAN has done a few things. It’s broadened my reading by introducing me to more authors in one sixteen-hour period than I met in the first forty years of my life. Because of it, my students are reading many of those authors. I have become the young adult expert in my high school, which has resulted in several other teachers who see my kids reading so much asking me for suggestions for good books. I kind of feel the same way as Jack Gantos who, at the ALAN breakfast this year, said that if there were some sort of disaster and the world was in mortal danger, the people in the room–the ALANers–would be the ones he’d want to see whisked away to a safe location; what they’re doing is that important. People who love books, love kids, and love literacy.

I want to start a collection of all these wonderful comments and ideas from ALAN members by asking you to share how ALAN has affected your teaching, your classroom, your professional involvement, and your thoughts about teaching . . . because these responses can encourage others to get more involved in ALAN.

Dear ALAN Members:

As the new Executive Secretary of ALAN, one of my goals is to serve you, the members, in the best possible way I can.  To that end, ALAN is conducting a  survey of its  members and soliciting their advice about how best to meet their needs and interests.  The first survey has been posted to Survey Monkey.  It is short (10 questions) and should take no more than 5 or 10 minutes of your time.  If you click on the link below, you will be taken directly to the survey.  Let me assure you that the survey is anonymous.  I have also set the survey up so that it does not log your IP address.  Would you please take a few minutes to answer these questions?  In the months to come, there will be other short surveys asking about other aspects of ALAN and its outreach to members and its programs and publications.  I want to hear from you.  How can ALAN continue to support the important work you do to keep YA literature a vibrant part of classrooms and libraries?

Thanks in advance for your participation.  Click here to take the survey.

Teri Lesesne, new Executive Director of ALAN

Are you facing a challenge to a piece of literature in your community?  NCTE can help.  For more information about the resources  available through the National Council of Teachers of English, direct your web browser to:

http://www.ncte.org/action/anti-censorship

Questions can be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Michael Cart at mrmcart [at] sbcglobal [dot] net .

President-Elect David Gill has announced the theme for the 2008 ALAN Workshop.  The theme will be Negotiations & Love Songs: The Literature of Young Adults.  Mark your calendars for the 2008 ALAN Workshop, Nov. 24-25, 2008 in San Antonio, TX.

Gill has also released the PROPOSAL FOR AN ALAN BREAKOUT SESSION: Click Here to download the 2008 Proposal Form.

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE 2006 Annual Report

The purposes of this assembly are to promote communication and cooperation among all individuals who have a special interest in adolescent literature; to present programs and conferences on this subject; to promote and increase the number of articles and publications devoted to it; and to integrate the efforts of all those with an interest in this literature. Members receive three issues annually of The ALAN Review, a journal emphasizing new books, research, and methods of teaching adolescent literature.

The annual ALAN Breakfast was held on Saturday morning, November 19, 2005 during the NCTE Conference in Pittsburgh. The keynote speaker was the popular author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel. The following Assembly business was also conducted during the Breakfast: The 2005 ALAN Award for distinguished contribution to the field of young adult literature was presented to Jerry Spinelli; the 2005 Ted Hipple Service Award was presented to Bill Subick; an ALAN Foundation grant for research in the field was awarded to Marge Erickson Freeburn of Westminster, CO; and two Don Gallo Grants to help new teachers attend the ALAN Workshop were given to Sarah Duncan of Oxford, MS and Amy Alexandra Wilson of Riverton, UT.

On Sunday evening of the Conference members and guests enjoyed the annual ALAN Reception, which was sponsored by 20 participating publishers and coordinated by Michelle Fadlalla of Simon & Schuster and Adrienne Waintraub of Random House.

The annual ALAN Workshop took place on Monday and Tuesday, November 21 and 22, immediately following the NCTE Convention. ALAN President Patty Campbell chaired the Workshop. The theme was “Bearers of Light: The Caring Community of Young Adult Literature.” Keynote speaker was Don Gallo. Over 40 authors made presentations to the 400 attendees, and leading teachers and librarians led a selection of 12 small group breakout sessions on trends in the field.

In other action during the year, we received a request for someone to represent ALAN for the Green Earth Book Award, sponsored by the Newton Marasco Foundation and Salisbury University to honor books "that inspire a child to grow a deeper appreciation, respect and responsibility for his or her natural environment." ALAN Board Member David Gill was selected at the 2005 Board meeting to serve on the award committee. The winner for the YA category was Flush by Carl Hiaasen.

Under the co-editorship of James Blasingame and Lori Atkins Goodson, three issues of The ALAN Review were published.

Declining membership in ALAN was a concern three years ago. From 2003 to 2004, membership decreased from 1,846 to 1,558. At that point, Joan Kaywell was appointed Membership Secretary. From 2004 to 2005, membership increased from 1,558 to 1,780 due to her rejuvenated committee of ALAN State Representatives. Membership is nearing the 2000 mark now, and is anticipated to be well over that mark by the end of 2006.

From 2004 to 2005, there were 63 ALAN State Representatives. Thirteen states had no representatives: Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming. By 2006, Joan Kaywell was able to increase the roster of ALAN State Representative to 121. Only three states now have no representatives: New Mexico, North Dakota, and Vermont. To support membership and encourage others to join, stylish ALAN lapel pins are available at $5.00 each.

The 2006 ALAN Award Committee chose Virginia Monseau and Marc Aronson for the ALAN Award. Monseau is the author of Reading Their World: The Young Adult Novel in the Classroom, a former editor of English Journal, and Professor Emeritus at Youngstown State University. Aronson is an author, editor, and publisher whose historical non-fiction has won many awards, including the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. Committee members included David Gill, chair, Ed Sullivan, Teri Lesesne, Margaret Ford, and Bonnie Kunzel.

The 2006 Ted Hipple Award Committee selected Allen Pace Nilsen, English Education Department Chair at Arizona State University and a longtime proponent of ALAN. ALAN President-Elect, Kathryn Kelly, served as chair, with committee members Diane Tuccillo, Patty Campbell, and Gary Salvner.

The 2006 Election Committee consisted of Jim Blasingame, Catherine Balkin, Sissi Carroll, Joan Kaywell, and CJ Bott as chair. Several excellent names were considered. The following slate has been presented on the ballot; President: David Gill and Ed Sullivan; Board seats: Holly Atkins, Jean Boreen, Marge Freeburn, Bonnie Kunzel, Richie Partington, and Susan Steffel.

The officers and directors of ALAN for 2005-2006 are: Diane Tuccillo, President: Patty Campbell, Past-President; Kathryn Kelly, President-Elect; Gary Salvner, Executive Secretary, Joan Kaywell, Membership Secretary; David Gill, ALAN Webmaster; MaryAnn Wedde, Treasurer, and Directors Pamela Sissi Carroll, Christie Jo “CJ” Bott, Edward T. Sullivan, Mary Arnold, Catherine Balkin, David Gill, Margaret J. Ford, Angus Killick, and Wendy Glenn.  

Diane Tuccillo, Chair

AUTHORS AND ARTISTS AVAILABLE FOR APPEARANCES
Section One – Author Appearance Coordinators who handle numerous authors and artists:

Catherine Balkin
209 Lincoln Place, Suite 2C
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Telephone 718 857 7605
Email BalkinBuddies [at] aol [dot] com
http://www.BalkinBuddies.com
This site features 70-100 authors, providing author photos, author bios, honorariums, information on their presentations, equipment needs, references, information about their books including awards, details about how to order their books, and comments from teachers where the authors have visited. Information on author tours is provided for schools or libraries who wish to arrange tie-in visits and thus cut down on expenses. Authors are also organized by states of residence and grade levels of their books. Tips for organizing a successful author event, and details about the cost involved in arranging an author appearance are included. On every author’s book ordering page, there is a link showing which publisher owns which publisher to help with the book ordering process.

AUTHORS AND ARTISTS AVAILABLE FOR APPEARANCES
Section Three – Authors and Artists’ Websites:

TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS AVAILABLE AS GUEST SPEAKERS
Section Four

SHEILA B. ANDERSON
201 Millcreek Drive
Dover, DE 19904
Title and Library address: Director, Dover Public Library, 45 South State St., Dover, DE 19901
Phone: 302 736 7032
E-mail: sanderso [at] lib [dot] de [dot] us
Web site: www.sheilabanderson.com
Honorarium: $500 plus expenses; negotiable depending upon location and length/day of event

ALMA ALEXANDER
506 Sudden Valley
Bellingham, WA 98229
tel. & fax 360 752 1927 (call before faxing)
www.AlmaAlexander.com
www.WorldWeaversWeb.com
Honorarium: Assembly address/talk/lecture: $160.00 + exp. Workshop: $375.00 + exp. Full Day (assembly talk and two workshops: $925.00 + exp. Programs: Assembly: 30-50 min. talk based on writing in general and fantasy writing in particular. Or 2 hour fantasy writing workshop for teens. Books: The YA Worldweavers series.

A former high school English teacher and wrestling coach, he earned his Master of Fine Arts) Degree at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and has been a college teacher of narrative writing and theory for thirty years. His novels include Vision Quest (an ALA Best Book and a feature film); If Rock and Roll Were a Machine (an ALA Best Book).

Kelly Easton
18 Baldwin Court
Jamestown, RI 02835
(401) 560-0227
eastonka [at] hotmail [dot] com
www.kellyeaston.com
School Visits: Honorarium: $1,000 per day.  $650 for half day, plus travel expenses. Speeches:  $600
The author of several award winning novels for children and young adults, most recently:  WHITE MAGIC; HIROSHIMA DREAMS; AFTERSHOCK; and TROUBLE AT BETTS PETS.  Awards include a Golden Kite Honor Award, and a Julia Ward Howe Honor.  She teaches at the University of Rhode Island, and running Creative Writing Programs for kids. Talks about writing, Buddhism, growing up with mental illness, parenting, inspirational, using theater and writing in therapy, literature, children’s literature, and teaching.

KATHRYN ERSKINE
1016 Blackburn Bluff, Charlottesville, VA 22901
Phone: 434-973-9817
Email: kathy [at] quakinglion [dot] com
www.KathrynErskine.comHonorarium: $100 for 1 presentation / speech; up to $300 for the day
No. of Presentations: up to 4 per day (no more than 5 hours straight)
Audience: YA, adult, or both
Subjects: anything about writing. Her novel, QUAKING, is a “Top Ten” on the ALA’s 2008 List of “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers.”
Travel: Up to 400 miles from Charlottesville but could be anywhere if she happens to be there on a trip.

HELEN FROST
6108 Old Brook Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46835
(260) 485-1785 (phone and fax; call prior to sending a fax)

info [at] helenfrost [dot] net

http://www.helenfrost.net/

Books include Keesha’s House (YA), The Braid (YA), Diamond Willow (gr 4-8), Spinning through the Universe (gr 4-8).
Honorarium: This is negotiable depending on circumstances, location, and other factors.
Programs: Has separate presentation for each book, which is most effective if students have read the book prior to the visit. Can also do a general presentation about writing, drawing on all her books. Either program works well with a large audience. For a single class, she talks about writing and/or leads a writing exercise. Also has a presentation for teachers, related to her book, When I Whisper, Nobody Listens:  Helping Young People Write about Difficult Issues.