Teen Writing & Art Contest underway in Lacey

North Thurston Public Schools is holding the 2026 Teen Writing & Art Contest for students from grades 6-12, as part of the Lacey Loves to Read literacy initiative. The entry deadline is Jan. 10, 2026. 

Annual activities under the event include a district-wide bookmark design contest, writing events and community shop involvement.   

Students can submit in three categories: poetry, short story and cover art. The winners of the bookmark contest are published on the district's website. 

Short story entries will be judged based on the piece’s characterization, plot, setting and theme. Poetry entries will be judged based on language, flow, impact and theme.  

There will be first, second and third place prizes, as well as an honorable mention recognition in each writing category. Each prize pack includes a book by featured author Renée Watson, a book bag and a VISA gift card. 

Cover art entries will be evaluated based on originality, technique, clarity and appropriate reflection of the overall theme. The winning entry will be featured as the cover of the Lacey Loves to Read 2026 e-Book and will also receive a prize pack. 

All winning entries will be published in and get a copy of the Lacey Loves to Read 2026 PDF e-Book, available for download on the Timberland Regional Library website and linked on the Lacey Loves to Read website. 

Entry guidelines are available at the event website. Finalists will be notified on or before 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

Featured author 

Every year, the event highlights an author. This year features award-winning and No. 1 New York Times best-selling author Renée Watson. 

“Many of her books are inspired by her experiences growing up as a Black girl in the Pacific Northwest. Her poetry and fiction center around the experiences of Black girls and explore themes of home, identity, body image, and the intersections of race, class, and gender,” according to a note on the Lacey Loves to Read website.

Watson’s young adult novel, “Piecing Me Together,” received a Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor.