JAY – A new student book club that meets after school has teenagers reading books and discussing them.

Jay High School librarian, Linda Petersen, said the Teen Lit Society Club, named by students, is a hit.

“I felt we need needed a book-discussion group, but I didn’t know if I would have enough kids. I didn’t know if it would fly,” she said.

She had run a successful student reading group in Connecticut, prior to coming to Jay about two years ago, and thought she would give it a try this year.

“It took off,” she said.

There are about 14 or 15 active members, some are in sports, and the group has been holding at about 10 with a mix of girls and boys.

They meet every month or six weeks.

Petersen is assisted by special education technician, Matt McGreevy, who is a welcome addition in co-leadership, she said. McGreevy has set up a blog for student discussion of books they read, but the Web site address wasn’t available Thursday.

Petersen chooses the books with care and with an appeal to both genders.

“I sometimes read three or four books to find the right book for students to read,” she said. “I look for books that have high discussion and go at a good pace, but generally I look for books that encourage discussion.”

The themes range, and a lot of times they parallel what’s going on in society, she said.

One of the club members asked her recently if they were on an anger theme.

Some of this year’s books address anger, mostly from the characters of young men.

The just finished “Touching Spirit Bear” by Ben Mikaelsen.

It is about an 18-year-old boy who goes to prison after beating another student. He goes to a remote island, where he has to heal and gain forgiveness, Petersen said.

“They loved this,” Petersen said.

The other cool thing about the book group, she said, is when other students at the school come into the library looking for a book and she tells them club members liked it, they take it out to read.

Right now, they’re reading a book called “Shattering Glass” by Gail Giles.

“I loved it. It haunted me after I finished,” Petersen said.

She suggested one book to teacher Mary Sirois, and she read it in her classroom.

It brings up discussions about kids going against their gut feelings and following along with others.

Kids that have finished the book, and did so quickly, saying it was fantastic, the librarian said.

“I’m really excited because it’s a really positive thing,” Petersen said. “I’m dumfounded by the way it took off.”