Community Corner
Captivating Contests for Creative Kids and Teens
Sign up for a membership and perhaps your child will be the next winner to celebrate with the Society Library!
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Are your kids fond of writing stories or drawing comics? If so, consider joining The New York Society Library which hosts annual competitions just for children and teens. Offering over 10,000 hand-picked books and staffed by knowledgeable librarians, the Children’s & YA Library is a charming treasure on the Upper East Side for book-loving families.
For the Young Artists
The Young Cartoonists Awards is for kids who are eager to show off their talent with both drawing and writing—although wordless comics are welcome, too. Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words!
The entry season is now open and closes at the beginning of 2026. A group of professional cartoonists select the winning entries, and a celebration showcasing the comics in a gallery-style setting is held mid-winter.
For the Young Authors & Poets
The NYSL has held The Young Writers Awards competition since 2002. The entry season opens in January and closes in the early spring. The stories, essays, and poems are judged by a professional panel of writers, and the children’s achievements are celebrated at a festive ceremony and reception in the late spring.
Who Can Enter?
The contests are open to children in grades 3-12 whose families belong to the New York Society Library, as well as students at member schools and those who attend institutions that run Project Cicero book drives. Further details about both competitions can be found online: Young Cartoonists Awards and Young Writers Awards.
Get Inspired and Gain Skills at a Young Writer’s Workshop
The Library hosts workshops led by published authors and artists throughout the school year to encourage kids to practice their writing and drawing skills. This fall, students can create with cartoonist George O’Connor, poet Dave Johnson, and graphic novelist Mika Song. Stay up to date with details for these events and more by subscribing to a Library newsletter.
Sign up for a membership and perhaps your child will be the next winner to celebrate with the Society Library!
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