Concord Reads 2026 | Concord Public Library Fdn.

Concord Reads 2026!

Concord Reads is a citywide literary event encouraging community members to read and discuss the same book. Celebrate the power of books in creating a stronger community!

We hope you will join us for this year's read, Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery, with illustrations by Matt Patterson. Check out a copy of the book from Concord Public Library today — and scroll down for information or to register for one of our free programs!

Sponsored by Concord Public Library Foundation and produced in partnership with Concord Public Library, Concord Reads is free of charge and open to all.

CONCORD READS PROGRAMS - April 2026

All Concord Reads programs are free, but registration is required. To register, please click on the underlined link in the program title.

NH Fish & Game's Nongame Program: The State's Role in Threatened and Endangered Wildlife Conservation
Tuesday, April 7 – 6:00pm

Concord Public Library – Auditorium

Adult Diamond Turtle Craft
Wednesday, April 8 – 3:00pm or 6:00pm

Concord Public Library – Blanchard Room

Choose one:

Anne Jennison: Native American Storyteller
Monday, April 13 – 6:00pm

Concord Public Library – Auditorium

THE MAIN EVENT:

A Conversation with Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson

Thursday, April 26 – 6:30pm (doors open at 6:00pm)

BNH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord

Join us for a lively conversation with NH author and National Book Award Finalist Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist and illustrator Matt Patterson! They’ll be live on stage to talk about their book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell — and their children’s book, The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Kids' Turtle Craft
Friday, April 10 – 3:30pm

Concord Public Library – Blanchard Room

Saturday Morning Turtle Cartoons
Saturday, April 11 – 10am

Concord Public Library – Auditorium

Reptile Shows of New England
Saturday April 18 – 2:00pm

City-Wide Community Center Auditorium, 14 Canterbury Road

Teen & Tween Turtle Craft
Tuesday, April 21 – 4:00pm

Concord Public Library – Blanchard Room

Past Concord Reads Programs

NOTE: When choosing a title, the committee considers many things, including if it appeals to a wide audience and resonates with the citizens of the Greater Concord, NH community; whether it appeals to all age groups from teens to older adults; whether the themes of the book are relevant to the times and community and lend to open and robust discussion; whether the themes of the book lend to library programming at all age levels; whether the book is available in a multitude of formats; and whether the themes of the book vary from years prior. If you would like to recommend a book for Concord Reads, please drop us a line at info@concordlibraryfoundation.org!

2025: Where You’ll Find Me: Risk, Decisions, and the Last Climb of Kate Matrosova by Ty Gagne

2024: Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

2020-2023: Concord Reads took an extended hiatus!

2019: Ghost of the Innocent Man by Benjamin Rachlin

2018: Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

2017: Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea by Steve Callahan

2016: When Books went to War by Molly Guptil Manning

2014-2015: The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

2013: Maxine Kumin's three books: Inside the Halo and Beyond, Where I Live: New & Selected Poems, 1990-2010,

Women, Animals & Vegetables: Essays & Stories.

2012: Weight of Water by Anita Shreve

2011: Outcasts United by Warren St. John