Teens Unite!
Our inaugural Teen Symposium took place on October 11, 2025. This year’s theme was on the Freedom to Read, where we explored why intellectual freedom matters. There were in-person activities and a virtual event with author A.S. King, two-time winner of the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award and teens nationwide in conversation about censorship, book bans, and the freedom to read.
Where & When
Saturday, October 11, 2025
From 10 am to 1 pm
In-person Event and Activities
Culver City, Florence, La Crescenta, Lancaster, Norwalk, Rowland Heights, San Fernando, South Whittier, West Covina, West Hollywood
Virtual Event
A.S. King in conversation with teens from Brooklyn, Boston, and San Diego on the Freedom to Read
Stay tuned for information about our next Teen Symposium!
Why Your Freedom to Read Matters
Why the Freedom to Read Matters: In 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) documented 2,452 demands to censor books, the third highest numbered ever documented by the ALA.
Your Right to Explore: Reading is more than an activity. It’s a gateway to exploring different life experiences, diverse cultures, and the vast expanse of our world. It enriches minds and broadens perspectives, making it essential for personal growth and societal advancement.
Empowering Communities: Libraries are at the heart of this freedom. We are committed to providing access to a wide range of books, materials, research databases, and digital tools that support your right to read and learn. By offering these resources, we help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to explore new ideas and information.
About the Author
A.S. King has been called “One of the best Y.A. writers working today” by The New York Times Book Review and is one of YA fiction’s most decorated. She is the only two-time winner of the American Library Association’s Michael L. Printz Award (2020 for Dig and 2024 for The Collectors) and has won the LA Times Book Prize for Ask the Passengers. In 2022, King received the ALA’s Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime achievement to YA literature and 2023, she accepted the ALAN Award for “artistry, courage and outstanding contributions to YA literature.” In 2024, she released highly-anticipated Pick the Lock–described as “a punk opera, a primal scream, and a portrait of a family buried in lies.”
She also writes middle grade fiction as Amy Sarig King, including bestselling Attack of the Black Rectangles, which Kirkus Reviews called “a searingly relevant opus to intellectual freedom,” The Year We Fell from Space, and Me and Marvin Gardens.
King started her writing journey in Ireland while working as an adult literacy teacher, has taught for a decade in MFA programs. She co-founded the University of San Francisco’s Low Residency MFA in Writing for Young Readers, and is the founder of Gracie’s House, a charity that funds and provides safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas. She spends many months of the year traveling the world speaking to high school and university students, educators, and humans who care about literacy and the mental health of young people.
In 2025, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.
More Ways to Learn and Participate
Visit a Library and share how you celebrate your freedom to read
Participate in the Books Unbanned Reading Challenge for Teens
Celebrate the Freedom to Read
Participate in ALA’s Banned Books Week
Get Involved in the Let Freedom Read Day of Action
Explore Anti-Censorship Resources
