ALAN Here I Come!

I’m super excited to be heading to the ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE) Workshop for the third year! 
My first year was in San Antonio and I met Rick Riordan, read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, and discovered e lockheart and her fabulous book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landeau-Banks.  My second year was in Philly and that’s where I got the amazing book Thirteen Reasons Why and an ARC of Linger and met and discovered my love of Maggie Stiefvater (she’s hilariously awesome to listen to). 


This year it’s in Orlando – and I can’t wait to see what new YA authors/book discoveries I’ll make. This workshop is always an invigorating and inspiring two days of listening to young adult authors talk about their books and the impact they have on adolescents in today’s society. It focuses on what the new trends are in young adult literature and the motivations, inspirations, and processes of the authors who write them. I also get a box full of new books from the wonderful publishers who help sponsor the workshop. It’s always fun to walk in the first morning and see a room full of adults (teachers, librarians, professors, etc.) tearing into boxes full of books and exclaiming over the contents. It’s like Oprah’s Favorite Things, but with YA books! I’ll be posting a list when I can (probably after Thanksgiving), but that’s where I’ll be for the next few days…immersed in celebrating young adult literature.