WHAT IS ROMEO READS?

Read ~ Attend ~ Connect

Romeo Reads is…

An invitation to all Romeo, Washington & Bruce Township residents to 

• collectively read a specially selected book and to 
• attend free events connected to its content.

We wish to:

• promote literacy
• foster an appreciation of books and reading
• provide a forum to connect and
• enhance civic unity through literature.

This is our SIXTH year of Romeo Reads. We hope you’ll join in.

This year we are reading The Final Season: Fathers, Sons, and One Last Season in a Classic American Ballpark by Tom Stanton.

What is The Final Season about?

Growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, Tom Stanton lived for his Detroit Tigers. When Tiger Stadium began its 88th and final season, he vowed to attend all 81 home games in order to explore his attachment to the place where four generations of his family have shared baseball.

Join him as he encounters idols, conjures decades past, and discovers the mysteries of a park where Cobb and Ruth played. Come along and sit beside Al Kaline on the dugout bench, eat popcorn with Elmore Leonard, hear Alice Cooper’s confessions, soak up the warmth of Ernie Harwell, see McGwire and Ripken up close, and meet Chicken Legs Rau, Bleacher Pete, Al the Usher, and a parade of fans who are anything but ordinary.

Tom Stanton’s The Final Season offers a powerful memoir of fathers, sons, and the end of a baseball era.

Read and experience with us

The Final Season 

for Romeo Reads 2026.

Who is the author?

Tom Stanton is author of several nonfiction books, among them Ty and The Babe and the New York Times bestseller Terror in the City of Champions. A journalist for more than 40 years, he cofounded The Voice Newspapers in suburban Detroit and served as editor for 16 years, winning numerous press awards.

Stanton served as associate professor of journalism at the University of Detroit Mercy and was a longtime member of the Detroit board of the Society of Professional Journalists. He also edited The Detroit Tigers Reader and is a past recipient of the Michigan Library Association’s Author of the Year award.

He lives in New Baltimore, Michigan.

What do others think of the book?

“That’s just right: Stanton’s is another entry in the roster of excellent works devoted to baseball, sure to please fans of the game.”

“Baseball books rarely reach the heights of Stanton’s.” – The Chicago Tribune

“This book celebrates the stadium as a place that spanned the generations for countless players and fans. It’s about the traditions that tie family and friends together; it’s about life, love, loss…all the things in life that truly matter.”

“Exceptional recount of the love and history of baseball passed from one generation to the next. A must read! The Final Season will be enjoyed by readers, whether baseball fans or not. This book is a human interest story, making one realize the importance of the connection between father and sons. The last hurrah for a team in a beloved, historical landmark.”

How do I get the book?

Buy a copy of Stanton’s book for $17.00 at the circulation desk of either branch, payable by cash or personal check, while supplies last.

Or, place a hold for a copy of the book through our library lending system.

Hoopla offers the title as an e-book.

Enjoy your read!

Read The Final Season on your own, or meet up with others. Discover other readers on our Facebook Group (Romeo District Library Group) AND don’t miss Romeo Reads 2026 Trivia, posted every Monday, March 2-April 20! Small prizes for the first correct responses!

THE EVENTS

Monday, February 23, 2026, 6:00 pm
The First Pitch: Viewing of Movie “Tiger Town” + Ballpark Snacks

Enjoy this blast back to 1983! “Tiger Town” tells the story of a 12-year-old Detroit Tigers fan and a veteran ballplayer (patterned after Al Kaline) who leads his team to a pennant after a midseason slump.
Join us for this fun movie night complete with ballpark hotdogs and caramel corn! Bring pillows and blankets and hunker down for some all-American fun!
Copies of The Final Season are available for purchase at both branches for $17.00 while supplies last.

Thursday, March 10, 2026, 6:00 pm
Play Ball! Honoring Vintage Base Ball

Learn about vintage base ball with Paul Hunkele of the Regular Base Ball Club of Mt. Clemens: the history, the game then and now, some legends of the game, and why vintage base ball is still such a great American pasttime!

Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 6:00 pm
Bases Loaded: Tiger Trivia Night

Hey Tigers fans! Let’s play! Join us for a night of trivia with some great Tigers- and baseball-themed prizes… ballpark snacks, too!

Thursday, April 2, 2026, 6:00 pm
From the Bullpen: The Tigers—The Tigers’ Playing Fields Then & Now

Jeremy Dimick with the Detroit Historical Society shares the history of the Tiger’s stadiums—from the first time they played in 1894 to their current modern home of Comerica Park. Discover the history of the team & their beginnings, their championships, their legends… Find out something new about your hometown heroes.
Copies of The Final Season are available for purchase at both branches for $17.00 while supplies last.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 6:00 pm
7th-inning Stretch: Book Discussion

Let’s discuss this unique book! What did you like? What do you want to ask the author? What memories of Tiger Stadium do you have? Join this community chat led by Librarian Stacie Guzzo.
Copies of The Final Season are available for purchase at both branches for $17.00 while supplies last.

Thursday, April 23, 2026, 7:00 pm
Author Visit with Tom Stanton

The event all Romeo Readers have been waiting for!
It’s a home run! Grab a seat for the final play: an in-person visit with celebrated author Tom Stanton!
Copies of The Final Season are available for purchase at both branches for $17.00 while supplies last.

How do I register?

Register online for EACH program that interests you.

• www.rdl.org, Library Information, Calendar.
• Then navigate to each event date to register.

Or, click through the direct links on this page. Please remember to include your email address.

Need to register by phone? Have a question? Call 586-752-2583

TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

We want as many participants as possible to enjoy this awesome program! Pick up a postcard with all the details at both branches.

ROMEO READS 2026 is sponsored by Romeo District Library & 

Friends of Romeo District Library.

June 12th 2023 – August 12th 2023

Spend this Summer reading and logging your reading times to get prizes.

We have Summer Reading Challenges for Kids, Teens and Adults.

This year the Romeo District Library is using Beanstack to keep track of your reading. Getting started with Beanstack is easy!  You can download the app to your device or visit our Beanstack page to get started.  Follow the steps to create an account for yourself and your family so you can participate in our reading challenges!

You can download the Beanstack app for your device by visiting your app store below.

Once you download the app select “At my Library, school, or bookstore” then select Find a Site and search for Romeo to select Romeo District Library.

If you have any questions or problems please reach out at ask@romeodistrictlibrary.org or give us a call at 586.752.0603

What is Romeo Reads?

Read Attend Connect

Romeo Reads is…

An invitation to all community residents to read a Michigan-authored book and to attend free programs connected with its content.

We wish to:

• promote literacy
• foster an appreciation of books and reading
• provide a forum to connect and
• enhance civic unity through literature.

This is our third year of Romeo Reads. We hope you’ll join in.

We are reading Call me Athena: Girl from Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith.

What’s this year’s book about?

In depression-era Detroit, the world seems like a place full of contradictions to Mary…

Promised to a much older man and told to curb her desire to own a business like her father, while courted by a boy who sees her for who she is and who she wants to be, Mary sees her future as more uncertain by the day…

By flashing back to Mary’s parents’ adolescences in WWI-era Greece and France, they… exist as people whose dreams have been blunted by trauma.

Call Me Athena[‘s]… real strength is the way it takes such different times, places, and stories and shows how commonalities like love, grief, and hope can connect a family over the course of generations.

Who is the author?

Colby Cedar Smith grew up in the Midwest, and she still dreams of the cold northern woods and the smell of lake water.

She holds degrees from Colorado College and Harvard University. She has been a finalist for several poetry awards and prizes, and her poems have been published in many publications.

Call Me Athena is a Library of Michigan 2022 Michigan Notable Book selection.

Colby lives with her husband and two children in Hopewell, New Jersey, and teaches creative writing at the Arts Council of Princeton. Read more of her work at www.colbycedarsmith.com.

What do others think of the book?

“… the author’s sense of history brings details of the different times and cultures to life… Her blank verse serves the tale well, with lines such as “Death walks the halls / naked, / without pride, asking for his mother,” to convey the youth and despair of injured young men. A strong debut written with heart and strength. —Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission

“This novel in verse captures one young woman’s struggle for independence, equality, and identity as the daughter of Greek and French immigrants in tumultuous 1930s Detroit.” —Back Cover Review

“This is an exceptional novel in verse that at times devastated me in the best way, bringing out the anguish that these characters suffered and with only such few words. I also laughed and smiled at the joyful moments… Highly recommended YA novel that will transport you to historical times in which women had to fight for every bit of freedom. —Danielle, Amazon review

RomeoReads2022_Presentation
We invite all Romeo, Washington and Bruce Twp. community members to read a selected Michigan author’s title and to attend programs associated with its content.

The Romeo Reads 2022 selection is: The Mason House: a memoir by T. Marie Bertineau. It is a Library of Michigan 2021 Michigan Notable Books selection.

ALL TOGETHER.

one book. one community. one full program. one enriching dialogue.

Program runs March 1 – April 21 and includes:

March 1: Pasty Make & Taste: A a pasty making demonstration and tasting along with lots of fun facts about Cornish history and cooking.

March 17: Memoir-writing Workshop: Hear about the memoir writing process but learn some trick and tips along the way.

March 29: ‘Gifts of Grief’ Presentation: Therapist Alicia Brown as she discusses the positive side of grief and the grieving process.

April 12: Group Book Discussion: Join us for a discussion of the book, “The Mason House: A Memoir”, with RDL librarian Stacie Guzzo.

April 21: Author Visit & Book Signing: The Mason House: a memoir author, T. Marie Bertineau, will speak about her book and the writing process. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

SCROLL DOWN TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS

Romeo District Library, with Friends of the Romeo District Library are pleased to announce its first community read program, Romeo Reads. We invite everyone in our community to participate in our NEW multi-feature program including a shared read and discussion of a selected book, as well as professional presentations on topics weaved throughout. The Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book is one of the 2020 Michigan Notable Books: “We Hope For Better Things” by Erin Bartels. Description: When journalist Elizabeth Balsam is asked to deliver a box of old photos to a relative she didn’t know she had, the strange request seems like it isn’t worth her time. But as she explores her great-aunt’s farmhouse with its locked doors and hidden graves, she soon discovers just how dramatically some of the most newsworthy events of the previous two centuries shaped her own family. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding.

To purchase a signed copy of Bartels’ book for $12, contact the circulation desk at either branch to schedule a curbside pickup or delivery. Please specify if you are purchasing a copy. When you pick up your book, provide payment in an envelope in exact change or by check to the order of Friends of the Romeo District Library. Alternatively, you can place a hold for a book, ebook or e-audiobook through our catalog or Hoopla. There are several copies available in our Co-op. Enjoy your read!

Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Click Here To Download Zoom

Register for Events

Romeo Reads: Detroit ’67: Looking Back to Move Forward

Thursday 2/11/2021 7:00pm
Joel Stone, curator at the Detroit Historical Society presentation about the Detroit Rebellion of 1967 and the 12th Street Riot. The events that took place in the summer of 1967 had a significant impact on the people of Detroit and southeast Michigan. This presentation looks at the events of 1967 in their historical context and discusses how an extensive community engagement project was developed to address this important anniversary, and includes an award-winning exhibition and publication, successful oral history project, and over 180 partner programs.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Romeo Reads: Zoom Book Discussion

Thursday 2/18/2021 2:00 pm
Join us in discussing the Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book, “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Romeo Reads: Zoom Book Discussion

Tuesday 2/23/2021 7:00 pm
Join us in discussing the Romeo Reads 2021 chosen book, “We Hope for Better Things” by Erin Bartels.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Romeo Reads: Building Family History From Stories and Legends

Tuesday 3/9/2021 7:00 pm
De Witt S. Dykes, Associate Professor of History, Oakland University will be speaking about family stories and legends handed down over several generations undergo variations in the telling. It is the responsibility of current generations to evaluate inherited stories, discard errors, use original primary sources to verify the truth and extend the family story as much as possible. The use of online databases will be analyzed in connection with print and other sources. Genealogy forms and a list of books and databases will be available.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Romeo Reads: Virtual Author Visit with Erin Bartels

Thursday 3/25/2021 7:00 pm
Join us for a discussion with Romeo Reads 2021, “We Hope for Better Things” author Erin Bartels.
Erin Bartels is the award-winning author of We Hope for Better Things (2020 Michigan Notable Book, 2020 WFWA Star Award–winner, 2019 Christy Award finalist), The Words between Us (2020 Christy Award finalist, 2015 WFWA Rising Star Award finalist), and All That We Carried (coming January 2021). She is a member of the Capital City Writers and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through the woods with her camera, painting in both watercolor and oil, or reading with a semi-spastic Chihuahua mix on her lap. Erin lives in Lansing, Michigan, with her husband, Zachary, and their son, Calvin. Find her on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor, on Twitter @ErinLBartels, or on Instagram @erinbartelswrites.
This will be a Zoom presentation. Please note: Zoom codes and instructions will be provided to program registrants prior to event dates so please include your email address in your registration information.

Saturday, July 9th 2:00-3:30 pm

Come join for us for a fun exciting afternoon playing silly games! You will get one minute to accomplish weird tasks! For grades 5-8. No need to register.

Saturday June 11th from 2-4 pm
We’re having a carnival to usher in summer reading. There will be sno-cones, music, an obstacle course for all ages and much more. Enjoy the day and sign up for summer reading!
To sign up for summer reading from home, log into http://romeodistrictlibrary.readsquared.com after June 11. You can register as a family or an individual. Come back to log in minutes (or books for the pre-school crowd.) Play games on the site, read from our booklists, come to our programs and get badges. When you earn 5 badges, no more than once per week, come into the library to get a prize!