Author: alansocialmediateam

The 2026 ALAN Workshop: Closing Keynote with A.S. King

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Monday, November 23rd from 4:35pm to 5:00pm

We are so excited to share that A.S. King will close the 2026 ALAN Workshop as our final keynote speaker. Her books have received numerous awards including two Michael L. Printz Awards, one for Dig in 2020 and The Collectors in 2024. She also won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. She was the recipient of ALA’s Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2022 and the ALAN Award in 2023.

Middle grade educators may be more familiar with these titles, Attack of the Black Rectangles, The Year We Fell from Space, and Me and Marvin Gardens under her name Amy Sarig King. Look for her newest middle grade novel, It Came from the Creek, coming out on October 6th. If you are lucky, it could be in your book box so register today! https://convention.ncte.org/registration/

ALAN Writing Seminar: Craft & Creativity with Daniel Nayeri

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Saturday, November 21st from 5:45pm to 7:00pm

Join us for an evening with Daniel Nayeri. He is the author of Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) and winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, the Christopher Medal, and the Middle Eastern Book Award. He also wrote The Many Assassination’s of Samie, The Seller of Dreams, winner of the Newberry Honor, and The Teacher of the Nomad Land, winner of the Newbery Honor and the National Book Award. He will be our featured author at the annual ALAN Writing Seminar at the 2026 NCTE Convention. His session is titled “Craft & Creativity.” Look for his next book, This Is a Door, coming out October 27th and join us at the 2026 ALAN Workshop in Philadelphia. Register here: https://convention.ncte.org/registration/

Readers Needed!

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Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Committee Applications Open Until Friday, June 26th!

Are you a voracious reader? Are you a current ALAN member? Does discussing the literary excellence, widespread appeal, and a positive approach to life in current YAL titles sound exciting to you? Then apply for the AEWA committee.

All committee applicants are asked to review the Walden Policies & Procedures document, to become more familiar with the role and responsibilities of a committee member.

Preferred consideration will be given to qualified applicants, who have not previously served on the Walden committee.

If selected for the 2026-2027 Walden committee, you will be required to attend a virtual orientation session(s), prior to the beginning of Round 1 reading. You will be reading approximately one hundred books in Round 1, forty books in Round 2, and rereads in Round 3.

More information: http://www.alan-ya.org/awards/walden-award/

Join or renew membership: https://alan1.wildapricot.org/Join-ALAN/

Apply by Friday, June 26th: tinyurl.com/ALAN26AEWA
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Call for Presenters!

Call for Presenters!

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The  ALAN Mentorship Webinar Planning sub-committee is planning an awesome Back-to-School event, and they are looking for ALAN members who would be interested in presenting at the webinar. 

Are you pairing classic texts with YAL? Graphic texts with “traditional” texts? Similar themed texts? Opposing themed texts? YAL nonfiction with fiction?

TELL US ABOUT IT! We are looking for classroom teachers passionate about pairing texts to share their approaches in 15-20 minute Breakout Learning Sessions during our next ALAN webinar — Texts Talking Together: Book Pairings in YAL.

SAVE THE DATE! The webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, 2026 (4PT/5MT/6CT/7ET). 


If purposely pairing YAL texts with canonical/required texts is a passion of yours, and you are interested in sharing with the ALAN community, please consider submitting a proposal via this form. Proposals are due no later than June 23rd. You’ll hear back from us by July 1st.

Call for Manuscripts Reminder: Due on or before July 1st, 2026

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Winter 2027: Challenging & Expanding Traditional Notions of the Hero’s Journey

Picture of Typewriter and the following text: Call for Manuscripts Winter 2027: Challenging & Expanding Traditional Notions of the Hero’s Journey Submissions due on or before July 1, 2026

For this themed issue, to subvert, nuance, or counter the negative effects of literary heroism often left behind by characterizations of cis-het white boy and man heroes, we invite pieces that (1) explore teaching literary heroism with diverse protagonists from YA and middle grades literature, who exist outside of historical narratives of oppression, and (2) pieces where educators are teaching in ways that present heroism in critical, more pluralistic, and/or diverse ways.

Some questions we are interested in:

  • How do the different conceptualizations of Hero Journeys (Campbell’s, Murdock’s and Floyd’s) impact diverse character’s journeys?
  • How can white characters’ journeys be unread/made fuller through Murdock’s and Floyd’s journeys?
  • What other journeys exist that provide generative readings of young adult literature?
  • Rick Roridan’s Presents imprint has helped to introduce diverse heroic series into the world. How have these new diverse portrayals transformed how literacy heroism can be defined or engaged?
  • How can more diversified journeys be utilized to engage in conversations around access, domination, and transformation of literary spaces?
  • How can literary heroism be conceptualized to make space for all cultural, historical and diverse perspectives?
  • How is literary heroism demonstrated or understood in literature outside of a U.S. or Western perspective?
  • What conflicts or themes appear in the iterations of the hero’s journeys that undergird the essence of what it means to be a hero?

Submissions due on or before July 1, 2026

Dr. Doricka L. Menefee will be a guest editor.

The ALAN Review (TAR) has now released a new call for manuscripts. Click here to learn more.