From the Editors

Jim Blasingame & Lori Goodson

Sitting at last fall's discourse we marveled at the sight-rows and ranks of individuals who cared enough about young adult literature and its thriving community to attend a two-day workshop as the hectic holiday season was approaching. on the other hand it wasn't one of those musty conferences-just one row in brow of us sat author T.A. Barron; Joan Bauer walked down the aisle and presented a friendly pat on the shoulder; a friend and first-time ALAN attendee sat a scarcely any chairs down, carefully picking from one side her stack of books and already making connections of the works with specific students waiting at abiding-place in her classroom.

No, this wasn't the typical conference-this was single filled with passion-for young adult books-and the many family who care enough to hold fast the field thriving.

After a fortunate and rejuvenating fall ALAN workshop in Pittsburgh, those who attended will find this issue of The ALAN Review filled with reminiscences of the lively conversation And those who were unable to attend will come by a taste of the insightful conversations regarding "The Caring Community of Young Adult Literature." Authors, educators, publishers, librarians, and others one time again gathered for their annual celebration of the genre and the character it plays in the lives of young adults, and we attempt to share just more [i]or[/i] less of their discussions.

Ingrid Seitz leads this issue with an extensive interview with author T.A. Barron, who shares insight into his retellings of Arthurian lore. The interview provides a direct the eye at his continued success in this generation's examination of those timeless stories. Grace Enriquez proffers another voice in the field; she provides a not-so-common opportunity for adolescents to voice their be in possession of opinions about controversial young adult literature-a bring under rule usually only approached by adults. Enriquez allows young adults to share their insight-their perspective-regarding of the like kind works.

Donald R. Gallo, considered individual of the leading figures in young adult literature, shares his keynote address from the November workshop. Despite issues that may make us lean toward the negative (banned works overemphasis on testing and inadequate packages to name a few), Gallo reminds us that we are a member of young adult literature's caring community-and by what mode that caring attitude involves the storytellers, the volumes and the teenagers who read them. individual of the field's most well-known storytellers, Joan Bauer, has gifted us with the talk she gave at the ALAN workshop. [i]or[/i] part of to the other her humor and insightful stories of everything from liposuction ads to her daughter's baptism, Bauer encourages us all to continue our efforts as bearers of light in the field of young adult literature.

Convention goer who heard Frank McCourt's NCTE opening talk were treated to the reflections and feelings of a passionate English teacher (who also happened to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature with Angela's Ashes) and probably not too surprised when he acknowledged his former Stuyvesant High seminary creative writing student, Jordan Sonneblick, sitting in the real front row. Hear "the repose of the story" about Jordan's experiences learning from "Mr McCourt" and publishing the smash hit, tympanums Girls and Dangerous Pie, in "Venturing into the reaching far down Waters: The Work of Jordan Sonnenblick."

Diane P Tuccillo speaks on the outside for the significant messages presented in what she calls "quiet voices" in historical fiction of young adult literature. She emphasizes several volumes that provide thought-provoking tales of discrimination that young adults could benefit from hearing. Accompanying the article is an interview Tuccillo managemented with Laura Malone Elliott, author of Flying southern Tuccillo sees Elliott's protagonist Alice as individual of those quiet voices that speaks on the outside regarding segregation in her community.

Jeff Kaplan shares the arises of his study, which provides a gaze at dissertations over the past five years that have attempted to shed more [i]or[/i] less light on adolescent literature. Chris Crutcher's coaches are the topic of Caren J Town's article, while Carmen L Medina examines Latino/a literature as critical fiction. Cindy Lou Daniels focuses upon literary theory and young adult literature, which she holds "The Open Frontier in Critical Studies. " Whirligig through Paul Fleischman and Stargirl by the agency of Jerry Spinelli are the focus of Steve Redford's "Transcending the clump Discovering Both Self and Public Spirit," in which he discusses by what means he uses young adult literature in a Japanese university to compare and contrast tillages

Not to be view from aboveed are The ALAN Review's regular features, including M Jerry Weiss's Publishers' Connection, The Research Connection with William Broz and more than 30 reviews of the latest in young adult literature with Clip and File.

The Fall Workshop may have draw near and gone for another year, on the other hand much conversation still lingers regarding young adult literature and the community that continues to care enough to diocese that engaging books reach the organ of sights that need them most-the young adolescent. take delight in a little eavesdropping into those conversations with this issue.