Charlotte Mecklenburg Library announces the return of Community Read in March 2025 with a focus on creating community dialogue around, “Art Is…” The Community Read is the Library’s month-long effort to have the community read (or listen) to books of interesting and relevant topics and participate in discussions, book clubs and events hosted by the Library and community partners. The signature title, Portrait of A Thief by Grace D. Li, includes a Community Read After Hours Affair at the Mint Museum on Randolph Road on March 12, 2025.
Adults are encouraged to read and discuss the main title, and the Library selected companion titles for children and teens including:
Portrait of a Thief
Grace D. Li
Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell in this lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums, about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.
From Twinkle, With Love
Sandhya Menon
Told through letters, an aspiring filmmaker and wallflower learns a lesson about love while directing a movie.
Art Club
Rashad Doucet
A kid with a creative streak starts an after-school art club to show the adults in his life that a career as an artist is not just a dream but a possibility!
The Dot
Peter H. Reynolds
Peter H. Reynolds's delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark -- and follow where it takes us.
Looking for the Community Read books? We've got them all in one place.
Get the books here.
Everyone in the community can participate: read a book, share perspectives, attend a program, engage on social media and build a stronger community together. #communityread2025
Community Read @ Mint Randolph
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | Mint Museum Randolph | 2730 Randolph Road Register Here
Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Mint Museum - Randolph in celebrating this year’s Community Read theme "Art is..."! This special event will be a celebration of art, culture, and the themes of our Community Read title, Grace Li's A Portrait of a Thief.
Enjoy an engaging evening featuring:
- Captivating live performances throughout the Museum, including aerialists, cultural demonstrations, and more.
- Thoughtfully curated self-guided tours of the Mint Museum’s collection, with select pieces tied to themes from Portrait of a Thief.
- Mint Museum docents will be available to answer your questions and share additional information with you.
- Catered appetizers and a cash bar.
- A collaborative community art project led by a local artist, and more!
Don’t miss this exciting night that brings art, inspiration, and community together. Connect with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, the Mint Museum - Randolph, and your neighbors at this unique event.
Spot the Art
Can you spot all of the artwork used in this year’s Community Read graphic? We'll give you a hint: there are more than 20 individual art pieces that make up this collage! These unique pieces of art hail from a variety of cultures and mediums spanning a timeline from the ancient world to the modern day.
Learn more about these dynamic works and see how many you can identify.
Note: Some artwork featured may contain nudity.
View the Gallery
Download the form
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM:
Our Community Partners
Belle Johnston Community Center • Blumenthal Performing Arts Center • CBI • Center City Partners • Charlotte Bilingual Preschool • Charlotte History Museum • Charlotte Lit • Child Care Resources, Inc. • City of Charlotte Community Engagement • City of Charlotte • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools • Communities in Schools • Community Link • Cornelius Police Department • Central Piedmont Community College • Davidson Police Department • Discovery Place • GenerationNation • Hope Street Food Pantry • The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture • Humane Society of Charlotte • Huntersville Police Department • International House • Johnson C. Smith University • Johnson & Wales University • Levine Museum of the New South • MCBCC • Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office • Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation • Mint Hill Police Department • Mint Museum • Our Bridge • Our Daily Bread Foundation • Pass the Peace Feast • PBS • Pineville Police Department • Promise Youth Development • Queens University of Charlotte • ReadDavidson • Read Your Heart Out • The Relatives • Refugee Support Services • Teen Health Connection • Time Out Youth • Trinity Episcopal School • University of North Carolina at Charlotte • University City Partners • VisART Video • YMCA of Greater Charlotte • YWCA Central Carolinas
Community Read FAQs
Have questions about Community Read? View our FAQs page.
Be Counted!
We hope to engage 100,000 people - 10% of Mecklenburg County! - in Community Read 2025. If your book club, classroom or organization has discussed one of the books or participated as a group in a program, please let us know so we can count you!
If you are interested in becoming a community partner to host events, discussions or events during Community Read 2025, please reach out to Meryle Leonard at [email protected]
Participate in a Program
Register for one of our Library and community partner led programs all month long.
Library-led programs and events
Community Partner-led programs
Bookmark Contest for Kindergarten through 12th Grades!
Let your imagination “color your world” and create a bookmark using any art materials!
Create a library bookmark using whatever art materials you’d like! The bookmark contest runs from March 1 to March 31, 2025. The winning bookmarks will be determined by local artists and will be professionally printed to be distributed in our libraries this summer! Click on the entry form below or stop by a branch to pick up an entry form. The entry form includes all the details of how to submit and guidelines for the bookmark.