Submitting a Manuscript:

Manuscript submission guidelines are available on p. 2 of this issue and on our website at http://www.alan-ya.org/the-alan-review .

Fall 2014: Stand Your Ground: Fostering Independent Thought and Action

As we listened to conversations during the ALAN Workshop in Boston, it was clear that we, as educators, possess a passion for adolescents, the books intended for them, and the authors and publishers who make them possible. We recognize the power of story to change lives, grant hope, create resilience, and offer solace. And yet, in the same conversations, too many of us expressed a sense of defeat and isolation, fear and despondence, as we imagined returning to our classrooms a few days following.

We sometimes need to be our own best allies as we fight to teach in ways we know to be good and right and true—and increasingly uncommon in an age of commonality. We need to defend our selection of materials and practices as we stand our ground in the face of scripts and censors, standards and accompanying tests. We invite educators to unite around our shared commitment to kids and YA literature to offer evidence-based support for the innovative work we do in our classrooms and libraries, and celebrate the ways in which we encourage our students to think independently and act in good conscience, even when the odds feel daunting. We welcome your stories of battle, loudly fought or quietly conceived, victorious or otherwise.

As always, we also welcome submissions focused on any aspect of young adult literature not directly connected to this theme. All submissions may be sent to alan-review@uconn.edu prior to March 31, 2014 . Please see page 2 of this issue or the ALAN website ( http://www.alan-ya.org/page/alan-review-author-guidelines ) for submission guidelines.

Winter 2015: Race Matters: The Presence and Representation of Authors and Characters of Color in YA Literature

By 2019, approximately 49% of students enrolled in US public schools will be Latina/o, Black, Asian/ Pacific Island, or American Indian ( http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2011/2011017.pdf ). Our field has been increasingly criticized for not reflecting these demographics in the literature published for its readers. For readers of color, this can result in a disconnect between lived reality and what is described on the page. For readers from the dominant culture, this can result in a limited perception of reality and affirmation of a singular way of knowing, doing, and being. For all readers, exposure to a variety of ethnically unfamiliar literature can encourage critical reading of text and world, recognition of the limitations of depending upon mainstream depictions of people and their experiences, and the building of background knowledge and expansion of worldview.

In this issue, we invite you to share your experiences, challenges, hesitations, and successes in using or promoting young adult literature that features characters and/or authors of color. Invite us into your classrooms, libraries, and school communities to better understand the potential value and necessity of broadening the texts we use to capture the imaginations of all readers.

As always, we also welcome submissions focused on any aspect of young adult literature not directly connected to this theme. All submissions may be sent to alan-review@uconn.edu prior to July 1, 2014 . Please see page 2 of this issue or the ALAN website ( http://www.alan-ya.org/page/alan-review-author-guidelines ) for submission guidelines.