There is power in reading and strength in numbers. Flathead High School’s He-Man Book Club has both.

What started in 2008 with a membership of 13 high school boys has grown to 45.

The He-Man Book Club has upgraded from paper to screen with 20 Kindle Fire e-readers through a $2,000 Kalispell Education Foundation grant.

Club members meet once or twice monthly throughout the school year to discuss books, promote literacy and serve as role models by reading to kindergarten and first-grade students at St. Matthew’s School.

Members also met “The Richest Man in Town” author V.J. Smith and provided feedback to budding author and Flathead graduate Andrew Wilson, who wrote “An Unnamed Adaptation.”

On Tuesday, He-Man members trekked to St. Matthew’s to meet with their young reading buddies. Flathead and St. Matthew’s have worked together since He-Man started six years ago.

Junior Steele Jochim walked into first-grade teacher Lisa Brann’s classroom. His buddy — and cousin — Logan Jochim, greeted him with a hug. Steele returned the hug with a high five.

Steele said one perk of joining the He-Man Book Club is returning to St. Matthew’s where he used to be a student.

“I love being around these guys,” Steele added.

Who gets to choose the books? Logan didn’t hesitate to answer: “Me.”

The pair lately has been reading the Dr. Seuss classics “Green Eggs and Ham” and “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.”

The classes pair off and find places to read in the classrooms, on the stairs or in the hallways.

Junior Gavin Pirrie and first-grader Ella Griffith chose a spot on the stairs and began reading a book called “Spoon.” Instead of turning pages, Griffith swiped the Kindle screen with her index finger and Pirrie continued reading.

It is the second time the club has used the Kindles to read with buddies. Students also read from traditional paperbacks and hardbacks because there aren’t quite enough Kindles for each pair.

Flathead High School Principal Peter Fusaro said benefits of the Kindles are price and portability. He noted recent downloads of Dr. Seuss e-books were $2 to $5 cheaper than print editions.

One pair of reading buddies — sophomore Robert McCarvel and kindergartener William Cornish — chose to read from both the Kindle and print edition at the same time.

Cornish was perched on a stool in kindergarten teacher Erin Mouat’s classroom with a print copy of “The Lorax.” He followed along while McCarvel read from a Kindle. Cornish glanced back and forth between the Kindle and his book to make sure he was on the correct page.

“We show it’s cool to read,” McCarvel said about joining the He-Man Book Club.

When the pair finished reading, Cornish didn’t hesitate to start another book. “Let’s do the next book,” Cornish said.

Mouat said her students love having older reading buddies.

“They really get excited when they know they’re coming,” Mouat said.

Brann added: “At this age they love to be read to and to read. They also love it because it’s big kids giving them attention.”

Fusaro said the idea of starting a book club for boys was sparked by the book, “To Be a Boy, To Be a Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Literacy,” by William Brozo.

“We want to create a culture of literacy and promote that with kids, and it’s something I enjoy doing,” Fusaro said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.