Teens Read the National Book Awards is an annual mainstage event held the day before the National Book Awards. New York City’s middle and high school students are invited to attend the free event, receive free copies of the Young People’s Literature Finalist titles, and have the unique opportunity to connect and interact with professional authors in what is often their first exposure to a literary arts event. The event is held in person for New York City students and livestreamed across the country for readers everywhere. Registration for both the in-person and livestreamed event opens in mid-September and is done on a first come, first served basis.

Following the National Book Awards, the National Book Foundation is delighted to partner with the Miami Book Fair to present the annual Teens Read the National Book Award – Miami, an in-person event for Miami-Dade County students. To see past Teens Read events (formerly known as Teen Press Conference), check out Media & Highlights.

Teens Read in New York City is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council. Teens Read at the Miami Book Fair at Miami Dade College is made possible in part by The Meredyth Anne Dasburg Foundation.

Registration for Teens Read the 2026 National Book Awards will open in September!

Teens Read the National Book Awards brings the excitement and prestige of the National Book Awards to an audience of young people through an exclusive, teen-focused event with National Book Award Finalists, in-school programming, book giveaways, and more.

Teens Read the 2026 National Book Awards will be held:

Tuesday November 17th, 2026
In-person: 10:30am–1:00pm EST
Livestream: 11:00am–12:00pm EST

Location: Peter Norton Symphony Space
2537 Broadway, at 95th Street
New York, NY

If you have any questions, please email education@nationalbook.org.

What does the in-person event entail?

Teens Read the National Book Awards features brief readings of each of that year’s five National Book Award Finalists for Young People’s Literature by their respective authors. Participating in-person public schools receive free copies (one per registered student) of one of the five honored titles in advance of the event. After the readings, students will have the opportunity to ask authors questions in an audience Q&A session, and have their books signed by the author.

Who can attend?

The in-person event is open to New York City middle and high schools. Each school can bring one class, with a maximum of 40 students. Because seats are limited, we are unable to accommodate more than one group per school.

Educators and school librarians from around the country can register their classrooms to tune in to the free livestream. Teachers who refer a fellow teacher from a different school for the livestream will be entered in a raffle to receive one set of the Finalist titles (one copy of each title, five books total).

How do I sign up?

Stay tuned: an in-person and virtual registration form will open in mid-September at nationalbook.org/teens-read.

Within a week of signing up, you will receive an email from National Book Foundation staff to confirm your group’s registration, school details, and book pickup coordination, or confirm your place on the waitlist. Your registration is not guaranteed until you receive an official confirmation email from the Foundation’s staff. Please note: in order to attend, students must have completed media release forms. Teachers should bring the signed forms with them to book pickups.

What books will be featured?

The five Finalists for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature of the current year.

As an in-person attendee, how will I receive my books?

Each public school attending in NYC will receive free copies (one per registered student) of one of the five honored titles. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate requests for specific titles.

Please note that due to limited supply, only NYCDOE public schools are eligible for a free class set of books. This includes publicly-funded charter schools. Private schools based in New York City are still welcome to attend and bring their own books for the honored authors to sign.

For the in-person event, we ask that participating teachers pick up their book allotment from the National Book Foundation offices, located at 90 Broad Street in Manhattan, during designated time slots. Not having to ship books is what helps us keep this event free of cost to schools and students, and we’re grateful for your support.

Approximately two weeks in advance of the event, teachers will receive an email confirming their books are ready for pick up. This email will also include venue arrival details, media release forms (to be signed by the students’ parents/guardians in advance of the event), and tips for the Q&A. At the event, students will receive a special booklet with additional information about each title and author, and space for note-taking.

As a virtual attendee, how will I receive my books?

Educators who refer a fellow teacher from a different school for the livestream will be entered in a raffle to receive one set of the Finalist titles (one copy of each title, five books total). All educators in publicly funded schools (including charter schools), with a valid US shipping address, are eligible.

You will receive a confirmation email from the National Book Foundation if you are one of the book giveaway recipients. The estimated book shipment arrival time is early November. Educators will also receive a digital copy of the Teens Read booklet, with additional information about each title and author, and other supplementary educational resources related to the honored titles.

How are the Finalists for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature selected?

National Book Awards Finalists are chosen by a closed panel of judges independent from National Book Foundation staff), made up of writers, educators, librarians, and booksellers with expertise in literature for young people. In sharing these books as part of Teens Reads, the National Book Foundation uses age recommendations provided by publishers to help match groups with age-appropriate titles, but please note that young adult books frequently deal with mature content matter, including drug use, sex & sexuality, and violence. The National Book Foundation expects teachers to preview content of the books featured at Teens Read, and be prepared to discuss content with students and their families, as necessary.

If for whatever reason you don’t feel that the book provided is appropriate to distribute to students in your school community, you and your class are still welcome to attend Teens Read and enjoy the reading and Q&A.

If you have any questions, please email education@nationalbook.org.