So I just want to talk for a minute about a little thing called the ALAN Workshop. ALAN stands for the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English). Their motto? Connecting the Young Adult Literature Community…One Book at a Time.
It’s an organization I’ve been a member of since I started teaching eight years ago. In two weeks I will in the final moments of attendance at my 5th ALAN Workshop. It is one of my most anticipated events of every year, and it is the one that energizes and reinvigorates me heading into the gray of winter. Why? Because I’m surround by my kind of people – bookish people! I get to sit with librarians and teachers and educators from around the country while listening to authors and editors talk about what we all love: books and connecting them with adolescents.
Thanks to the amazing support of the publishers, this year ALAN Workshop attendees will be seeing these authors: Shannon Hale, Maggie Stiefvater, Rae Carson, Kristin Cashore, Charlie Price, Paul Griffin, Todd Strasser, Robin Wasserman, David Lubar, Seth Rudetsky, Joe Schreiber, Joan Bauer, Xavier Garza, Amy Gordon, Stacey Kade, Sharon G. Flake, Emily M. Danforth, Ilike Merey, Julie Anne Peters, Leslea Newman, Sonya Sones, Patricia McCormick, Deborah Ellis, Eric Walters, Beth Ann Bauman, Deborah Cooner, Deborah Blumenthal, Gabrielle Zevin, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Barry Lyga, Dan Wells, Derf Backderf, Faith Erin Hicks, Mark Siegel, Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier, Gaby Rodriguez, Anita Silvey, Eric Greitens, Nell Beram, Marissa Meyer, Malinda Po, Beth Revis, Scott Westerfeld, Lois Lowry, Mike Mullin, Kat Falls, Isamu Fukui, Marie Lu, Jessi Kirby, Corrine Jackson, E.M. Kokie, Trish Dollar, Kate Ellison, Jo Knowles, Blue Balliett, and Susan Vaught
And breakout sessions will be offered from these authors: Ann Angel, Varian Johnson, Peter Marion, J.L. Powers, David Macinnis Gill, Robin Wasserman, Alan Gratz, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Isamu Fukui, Mary Pearson, Kat Falls, JJ Johnson, Stephen Messner, John Claude Bemis, Jennifer Harrod, Kate Messner, Blue Balliett, Jody Feldman, Rebecca Stead, Jo Knowles, Francisco X. Stork, Donna Freitas, Deborah Heiligman, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Steve Brezenoff, Sharon G. Flake, David Levithan, Frank Portman, and E. Lockhart
I hope to always have the opportunity to be able to attend the ALAN
Workshop. It’s become so important to my professional development life
as a language arts and reading teacher. The information and words I’m
able to bring back to my students, right from the authors’ mouths, is
invaluable. And the box of books sure ups the excitement for them as
well. The number of authors I’ve been able to see and hear speak, and
the strong memories I have from this yearly event provide so much
inspiration and motivation. I distinctly remember the 2011 ALAN Workshop
when David Levithan challenged us all to become an Army of Empathy and
when Laurie Halse Anderson, after getting light-headed on stage,
proceeded to give her speech while lying on the ground, among many other
moments.
I, for one, can’t wait! And, hey, if you’re part of the young adult literature community, why don’t you join us? Becoming a member of ALAN is not very expensive, and you can be a part of a wonderful organization supporting books, authors, teachers, librarians, and readers.
