ALAN Volume 35, Number 1 - Grant Opportunities and Call for Manuscripts

Call for Manuscripts

2008 Summer theme: Life at My House: Depictions of Family in Young Adult Literature

This theme is intended to solicit articles about young adult literature, authors, and instructional approaches that deal with family relationships. One possibility is a discussion of how the concept of family in young adult literature has evolved to reflect a different reality from what might have been considered a traditional family at one time. Other possibilities might include discussion of books that celebrate family relationships, illuminate the problems inherent in a dysfunctional family, or address any aspect of groups that function as a family. This theme is meant to be open to interpretation and support a broad range of subtopics. General submissions are welcome, as well. February 15 submission deadline.

2008 Fall theme: How Will Life Be in 2053? Visions of the Future in Young Adult Literature

This theme is intended to solicit articles about young adult literature, authors, and instructional approaches that speculate on the nature of life in the future. This need not be limited to science fiction or fantasy by any means, but could center on any books that deal with trends that may impact life in the future. This theme is meant to be open to interpretation and support a broad range of subtopics. General submissions are welcome, as well. May 15 submission deadline.

ALAN Foundation Research Grants

Members of ALAN may apply to the ALAN Foundation for funding (up to $1,500) for research in young adult literature. Proposals are reviewed by the five most recent presidents of ALAN. Awards are made annually in the fall and are announced at the ALAN breakfast during the NCTE convention in November. The application deadline each year is September 15th.

Gallo Grants

The Gallo Grants were established in 2003 by former ALAN Award and Hipple Award recipient Don Gallo to encourage educators in their early years of teaching to attend the ALAN Workshop for the first time. The grants provide funding—up to $500 each—for two classroom teachers in middle school or high school each year to attend the ALAN Workshop. (The amount of a grant may be less than $500 if the applicant lives within commuting distance of the convention location where airfare and housing would not be necessary.)

The Workshop is held at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving Day. Applicants must be teaching full-time; must have been classroom teachers for less than five years prior to the year in which they are applying; and must not have attended an ALAN Workshop previously. Membership in ALAN is not required for consideration, though applicants are expected to become ALAN members if they receive this grant.

Each applicant must fill out the grant application form and submit an essay of no more than 750 words explaining their interest in Young Adult Literature, what they hope to gain by attending this year’s ALAN Workshop, and how they hope to use the experience in their classrooms in the future. A letter of support must also come from the applicant’s school system. The deadline for submission is September 1. Applicants will be judged on their ability to articulate their understanding of the value of Young Adult Literature as well as their explanation of how they intend to use YA books and the information they gather at the Workshop in their own classrooms.

For further information about this grant, contact ALAN Executive Secretary Gary Salvner at gsalvner@ysu.edu or 330-941-3414. Information about the ALAN Workshop may be obtained from the ALAN Website — www.alan-ya.org. Information about the NCTE Convention may be obtained on the NCTE Website—www.ncte.org—or by writing to NCTE Headquarters at 1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801.