Search

In 2019, before headlines of book-bannings and anti-critical-race-theory bills were dominating the news cycles, Breanna and Arianna met to co-plan and collaborate on a research study that would bring a [...]

Teachers in the US are increasingly required to use scripted curricula. Such instructional materials often reflect the overwhelming whiteness of the publishing industry through a lack of representation of authors and protagonists outside of white, middle-class normative characters. Implementation of such curricula stands in direct contrast to studies finding that culturally relevant pedagogy and curricula benefit students across racial and ethnic groups. This paper describes a qualitative analysis of the scripted "Wit and Wisdom" English Language Arts curriculum for grades K-8 guided by the research question: How might the curriculum reproduce a white supremacist master script? Following a quantitative analysis of racial representation across all core and supplementary texts in the curriculum, the research team used guiding questions grounded in a critical discourse and anti-racist teaching framework to qualitatively analyse teacher-facing materials at each grade level. The findings of this study indicate that whiteness is centred at every level of the curriculum in text selection and thematic grouping of texts, as well as through discursive moves in teacher-facing materials (e.g. essential questions for learning modules). Based on the findings, the research team suggests mechanisms for individual and collective efforts to resist whiteness-centred curricula at the system, school, and classroom level.

The column editor describes how this column will highlight diverse young adult literature authors in future issues. In a time when headlines of book bans targeting stories centering BIPOC (Black, [...]

As former English language arts teachers and current teacher educators, we feel an urgency to do something to address racism--in particular anti-Black racism--especially in the wake of George Floyd's death [...]

The article concludes with a reflection on how young adult literature can shape educational spaces and drive social change. Topics include the use of speculative fiction to critique and envision alternatives to oppressive systems, the role of Black girl-led science fiction in fostering criticality and joy, and the integration of Asian American literature to address invisibility in school curricula.

The article discusses that verse novels offer possibilities for engaging students in poetic work that may be limited by more traditional texts. Verse novels convey narratives and often challenge traditional conceptions of poetry as an impenetrable genre of rhyming couplets and archaic words. Verse novels have grown in popularity over the last decade and teachers continue to discover the utility of these books in secondary classrooms.

The article focuses on the integration of Young Adult Literature (YAL) into education, it emphasizes the potential to disrupt traditional practices. It discusses various approaches, such as teaching diverse books, implementing critical pedagogy with YAL, and using superhero graphic novels for criticality. It highlights educators' insights on navigating sociopolitical fields, cultivating working theories about education careers, and advocating for author visits in schools.

The article highlights the Fall 2023 issue of THE ALAN REVIEW, emphasizing reader submissions on what's important to them in young adult literature (YAL). Topics include an author conversation with debut authors, exploration of YAL plot tropes, the role of magical realism in empowering Black girls, critical affective textual engagement with youth in recovery, and insights on book selections from a high school administrator's perspective.

The article focuses on exploring the theme of joy in young adult literature (YAL) and its implications for teaching and reading. Topics include discussions on the complexities of drawing for adolescents; the commodification of Black joy; trauma and healing in YAL; using literature to broaden awareness of refugee experiences; experiences with censorship in diverse and LGBTQIA-focused YAL; and practical teaching strategies for incorporating YAL in classrooms.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including youth mental health crises, sociopolitical issues in sports-related graphic nonfiction for young adults, and countering narratives of Black women athletes in sports nonfiction for young people.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including young adult literature; fiction on LGBTQ + texts; and rural young adult literature.

The article presents the discussion on reflecting on YAL supporting readers in forwarding activism and supporting youth activists. Topics include analyzing bystander behaviors in five YA novels and providing a framework for teachers while studying YA novels about sexual violence; and dual pandemics of racism and COVID-19 affecting the writer lives.

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusess topics within the issue incluidng adolescents reading engagement, increasing adolescents' academic achievement, and the development of adolescent readers' artistic voices and identities.

An introduction is presented in which the editors discusses articles in the issue on topics including conversation with young authors, sharing of a keynote speech presented at the 2020 virtual ALAN conference, and critical consciousness of children.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including body image, conversion therapy, and Renée Watson's young adult novel "Love Is a Revolution."

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the concepts of Black futurity and Afrofuturism, young adult literature methods course in secondary English teacher education, and stereotypes in Indian American young adult novels.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including an article on the depiction of religion in young adult literature (YAL), an analysis of the book "The Inquisitor's Tale," and an article that offers reflections on the authors' experience centering religion in a YAL course.

An introduction to the periodical is presented in which the editor discusses several topics within the issue including adolescents with a mental illness; inclusion of graphic novels in ELA curricula; and how using a critical lens can help students interrogate about mental illness.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including immigrant and refugee experiences, interview of two teachers, and national policies on immigration and refugees affect students.