On a cloudy November day, two teens, Matthew and Charlotte, both 14, stand outside the Lakeland Public Library. They’re not here for a study group or a test prep session on a Sunday afternoon. In Florida, where book access has become a flashpoint, and teachers are increasingly cautious about what can be discussed in classrooms — these teens are here for the books, community and freedom to learn.
A moment later, there’s a click, and the librarian unlocks the sliding doors.
Charlotte and Matthew head straight for the resource desk. They’re led to a meeting room, where they rearrange tables and open a box filled with brand-new paperbacks. Charlotte stacks them in neat rows, runs her palm over the covers, and smiles…