ALAN, The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents is a teachers organization in the United States, an independent assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Founded in November 1973, ALAN is made up of teachers, authors, librarians, publishers, teacher-educators and their students, and others who are particularly interested in the area of young adult literature. ALAN, which is self-governing, holds its annual meetings during the NCTE annual convention in November and also publishes The ALAN Review.
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Almost from its inception, ALAN has given the ALAN award to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature. The recipient may be a publisher, author, librarian, scholar, editor, or servant to the organization. Each year, an honoree is chosen by the Executive Board and receives the ALAN Award at the annual ALAN breakfast, which is held early morning Saturday during the NCTE Convention. In addition, in 2000 ALAN created the Hipple Award in honor of longtime Executive Secretary Ted Hipple, whose service led to the creation of the award for dedicated service to the organization.
The ALAN Award
Almost from its inception, ALAN has given the ALAN Award to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature. The recipient may be a publisher, author, librarian, scholar, editor, or servant to the organization. Each year, an honoree is chosen by the Executive Board and receives the ALAN Award at the annual ALAN breakfast, which is held early morning Saturday during the NCTE Convention. A list of past honorees is listed below.
The Ted Hipple Service Award
The Ted Hipple Service Award is given each year to the individual who has contributed to the ALAN organization. It is named in honor of Ted Hipple, the first and long-time ALAN Executive Secretary, who died on November 25, 2004. Ted shaped ALAN through decades of unwavering service and support. He was a Professor of Education at the University of Tennessee, where he was a former chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Previously, he was a Professor of Education at the University of Florida. He received his doctorate from the University of Illinois and was a high school English teacher at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
The Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award
Beginning 2009 the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award annually recognizes "a book that exemplifies literary excellence, widespread appeal, and a positive approach to life in young adult literature". The winner and honor books must be fiction published in the United States during one year prior to the call for nominations (perhaps previously published elsewhere).