The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is once again sponsoring its Community Read program. The purpose of this month-long program is to encourage the members of the larger Charlotte community to read and discuss common texts that all deal with a central theme. For this year, the theme is friendship. For more information about the Community Read program, please click on the following link: https://www.cmlibrary.org/community-read
This year’s Community Read program kicks off on March 1, 2023. One of the people who is coordinating this program is Meryle Leonard, the Assistant Director of Outreach at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. I contacted Meryle and asked her for more information about this year’s Community Read program. Here is what she sent to me:
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the biggest book club in Charlotte. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Community Read runs throughout the month of March. The program focuses on creating community dialogue around the theme of friendship.
This year’s signature title is The People We Keep by Allison Larkin. In this story, the main character, April Sawicki, leaves her troubled past behind her determined to live life on her own terms. Making a life for herself, she encounters people and places she never dreamed of. Join April as she chronicles her journey in the beautiful music she creates and discovers home is with The People We Keep.
Read the book and meet the author, Allison Larkin. Allison Larkin will host an online presentation on Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. Register for the event and you can win a chance to have Allison Larkin stream into your book club!
The Community Read is for everyone. There are titles for teens, preteens, and young children. These titles also focus on friendships. The Edge of Anything by Nora Shalaway Carpenter is the teen title. The story focuses on the unlikely friendship of two girls facing their inner demons. Uncover Mia Tang’s secrets in the preteen book Front Desk. Mia works in a hotel, hides immigrants, and has big dreams. Follow Mia and see if she finds the courage and kindness to help everyone as she follows her dreams.
The book for young children is The Big Umbrella. Amy June Bates and her daughter got the idea to write The Big Umbrella after walking to school. Imagine it is raining, and you have a big umbrella. Everyone can fit under the umbrella! It doesn’t matter if you are tall, plaid, or hairy. You don’t have to worry, there will always be enough room for everyone!
There are many ways you can get involved in the Community Read program. Meet the authors. Nora Shalaway Carpenter will be at South County Regional Library on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Kelly Yang will host an online presentation on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 11:30 am. Take the Community Read Challenge. Log your reading and activity time and track your progress. Participate in a program. There are programs for all ages and reading abilities. You can participate in a library-led program or a program led by our community partners. Read the books, meet your neighbors, and come together as a community.
I urge everyone to participate in this year’s Community Read program. By reading books in common and discussing them together, we can make Storied Charlotte a true community.