Newtown High School is launching a new book discussion group and members of the community are invited to join. The first book discussion group meeting is set for February 16 at 6 pm at NHS’s Library Media Center.

NHS librarian Liza Zandonella and district Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Wesley L. Johnson II announced the event.

The first book for the new group to read is A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team, by Arshay Cooper.

Zandonella and Johnson chose to launch the group during Black History Month, and there are big hopes for the group’s future reads, events, and plans. Community members can keep up with each new read by checking the library’s website, nhs-lmc.com, and new reads are planned to be announced in The Newtown Bee.

An announcement for the new book discussion group reads, “We are starting a book discussion group here at NHS called DEep dIve! We’ll be exploring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by reading and discussing outstanding young adult and adult literature. We hope you are as excited as we are about this new adventure we are embarking upon! It might be a bit touch and go as we begin. Our hope is that after we get the ball rolling a bit, we can start doing book-based giveaways and even hosting interviews with some of the authors of the books we read!”

As the February 16 event will be the first meeting, Zandonella said she is hoping for parent and teacher participation along with the students attending.