Millis Reads 2026

Wild About Reading: Read, Reflect, Reconnect

Millis Reads is an effort to strengthen ties throughout the Millis community by encouraging everyone in town to read and discuss the same book. The mission of Millis Reads is to promote literacy, to foster community dialog, to increase engagement, and to broaden understanding and tolerance of differing points of view.

Participants are encouraged to read or listen to the book selection and attended a variety programs that tie in to the themes of the books!

Millis Reads is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Millis Public Library.

Book Selections

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl

Featured Title

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl

In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasons — from a crow spied on New Year’s Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring — what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the ongoing pleasures of the natural world, and grief over winters that end too soon and songbirds that grow fewer and fewer. Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of a human life. — from Publisher’s description

Copies of the book are available at the Library.

The title is also available as an eBook through Overdrive or the Libby app and as an eAudiobook through Hoopla.

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Other Highlighted Titles

Featured Events

Plant a Succulent

Wednesday, February 18, 10:30—11:15 AM

Come plant a succulent and decorate a pot! Bring nature inside with your during this chilly winter. Recommended for children ages 5-10. All ages welcome. Please register all participants even if they are under 5. Register here.

Tiny Gardens Make and Take

Tuesday, February 24, 6:00—7:30 PM

Simple crafts can be a great way to enter a flow state and enable a calm mind and body. Join us as we host the experts from Therapy Gardens as they present Tiny Gardens and the art of creating your own tiny coastal beach getaway. Craft your own miniature world using natural textures, personal expression, and just a little imagination. All Materials will be Provided Free of Charge courtesy of the Friends of the Millis Library. Open to adults (18+) only. Registration is required.

Here Come the Animals: An Animal Adventures Experience

Friday, March 6, 5:00—6:00 PM

This is your chance to look at, learn about, and even touch or handle some awesome animals like a chinchilla, Bearded Dragon, or even an alligator! Animal Adventures is an exotic animal rescue that travels to schools and libraries to educate the public about these animals as well as having rescue zoos in Bolton and Hubbardston that can be visited! This 1-hour program will include multiple animals from their collection and will be completely free of charge to you. Recommended for grades 6th-9th. Registration required.

Barn Babies Traveling Petting Zoo

Friday, April 24, 1:00—1:30 PM or 1:30-2:00 PM

Barn Babies traveling menagerie includes 20 baby animals which include bunnies, chicks or ducklings, a diapered goat or lamb, a potbellied pig, kittens and puppies! Barn Babies® is a locally owned family business that was established in 1994. Children and teens 3-18 are invited to register for this event. Please sign up for one of the two sessions: 1:00 program, 1:30 program