Richardson Reads One Book Returns September 16 with Author Kate Messner at the Eisemann Center

A Community Reading Tradition Lands at the Eisemann Center This Fall

Richardson’s annual community reading program is heading into its 2026 edition with a ticketed author luncheon and book signing set for September 16 at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive. This year’s featured author is Kate Messner, whose book The Trouble with Heroes carries the 2026 Richardson Reads One Book selection.

Tickets are on sale now at $38 per person.

What Richardson Reads One Book Actually Is

The program is exactly what it sounds like: the whole city reads the same book, then gathers to talk about it. The author luncheon is the centerpiece event, giving residents a seat at the table — literally — with the writer behind the year’s selection. For many participants, it is the one time they get to put a face and a voice to a book they have been carrying around for weeks.

This model works particularly well in a city like Richardson, where the library system, the school district, and the performing arts community all operate in close proximity and can cross-promote effectively. The Richardson Public Library, located at 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd, is a natural hub for the program’s supporting activity between now and September 16.

About Kate Messner and The Trouble with Heroes

Messner is a prolific author with a long track record in middle-grade and young adult fiction, as well as nonfiction titles that have found traction in school curricula across the country. Richardson Reads One Book selections tend to skew toward books that hold meaning for both adult readers and younger ones — a practical choice for a community with a substantial school-age population and a district, RISD, that returned to campuses August 12 for the 2026–27 school year.

Bringing an author like Messner into the room — for a luncheon format rather than a quick stage appearance — gives attendees something a standard author talk does not: sustained time with the person who wrote the book, in a setting built around conversation.

Logistics at the Eisemann Center

The Eisemann Center has hosted this event before, and the venue suits it well. The 2351 Performance Drive address sits just off US-75, making it accessible from most Richardson neighborhoods without a complicated drive. Parking is available on site.

The September 16 date falls on a Wednesday, which means planning ahead matters if you are working around a weekday schedule. At $38 per ticket, the luncheon is priced as a modest splurge rather than a barrier — comparable to a mid-range dinner out, but with a program attached.

Tickets are available now, and given that this is a ticketed luncheon rather than a free drop-in event, waiting until the week of September 16 to purchase carries real risk. Community programs at the Eisemann Center with a fixed seat count tend to fill on the strength of local word-of-mouth alone.

How to Use the Time Between Now and September 16

If you have not picked up The Trouble with Heroes yet, August 21 leaves you just under four weeks before the luncheon — enough time to read at a relaxed pace and still arrive with the book fresh in mind. The Richardson Public Library is the obvious first stop, both for the book itself and for any supplementary programming the library has scheduled around the selection this month. The library’s August events flyer is available for download on the city’s site.

For anyone who wants to discuss the book before the luncheon, neighborhood book clubs and library reading groups are a practical option. The library at 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd regularly supports community reading programs and is the right place to ask about any organized discussion sessions tied to this year’s selection.

Tickets

Tickets for the September 16 Richardson Reads One Book Author Luncheon and Book Signing with Kate Messner are $38. The event takes place at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson. Confirm ticket availability and any updated event details directly with the Eisemann Center, as schedules can shift.