Summer

WinnerLianna Paglia, 16, from Natick High School in Natick, Mass., chose an article headlined “Used Clothes Ban May Crimp Kenyan Style. It May Also Lift Local Design.” and wrote:Almost all of the clothes hanging in my closet are thrifted. This makes sense, seeing as I virtually only shop secondhand, a habit I’ve adopted over the…

Welcome to Week Seven of our 13th Annual Summer Reading Contest.This contest is open to students 11-19 from anywhere in the world. To participate, submit a response by 9 a.m. Eastern on July 29 that answers the questions “What got your attention in The New York Times this week? Why?”If you are 13 or older…

Update, June 17: Week 2 has now started.Our 13th Annual Summer Reading Contest begins!This contest is open to students 11-19 from anywhere in the world. To participate, submit a response by 9 a.m. Eastern on June 17 that answers the questions “What got your attention in The New York Times this week? Why?”If you are…

In her winning video, Chesapeake Woods, 17, offers relationship advice aimed at our human tendency toward “uncontrollable judginess.”

Through the years, adults have told us over and over that participating in this contest has made their students both more aware of and more interested in what’s going on in the world. Many see it as a low-stakes way to help teenagers start building a news-reading habit.And, too, at a time when some educators…

This was no ordinary summer. Normally, our Summer News Quiz is filled with stories like the Tony Awards or the N.B.A. finals. But, alas, Broadway remained dark, and there was no major team sports championship. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests dominated headlines from June through August, affecting almost all aspects of…

What was the song of the summer? In your opinion, what qualities does a song need to have to be a summer hit? Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to find out what one Times music critic thinks is the secret ingredient in songs of summer. Find many more ways to…

If you had to sum up your summer vacation in a word or two, what would it be?

Our 12th Annual Summer Reading Contest begins!This contest is open to students 11-19 from anywhere in the world. To participate, submit a response by 9 a.m. Eastern on June 18 that answers the questions “What got your attention in The New York Times this week? Why?”If you are 13 or older and live in the…

WinnerMaggie Liu, 13, from New Providence Middle School in New Providence, N.J., chose a writing prompt from The Learning Network based on the article “The Psychology Behind Sibling Rivalry” and wrote:My sister is a lefty. I am a righty. We are as opposite as the opposite can be.I can’t live a day without brushing my…