Carlsbad City Library Teen Services Staff invites teens in grades 6 to 12 are to submit short stories, poems or book reviews (not to exceed 2,000 words) based on the theme of “Freedom to Read” and to celebrate Banned Book Week that happens annually in September. The American Library Association defines freedom to read as the belief that “publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.” https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement
The fiction or nonfiction submissions can center about the importance of choice when choosing what to read, censorship, an overview of a banned books or simply answer the question of “What the freedom to read” means to the teen writer. Teens are invited to submit their original work through this form or to email libraryteens@carlsbadca.gov. The submission period will be available from now until Sept. 15. The submissions will be available to view online as well be presented in a booklet that will be available in the teen area at all three library locations the following week. If you have any questions, please email libraryteens@carlsbadca.gov.
