Anyone with young children or grandchildren in their lives knows that this year back to school is fraught with anxieties and uncertainties. For grandparents, in particular, this is a time of real confusion. If you are raising your grandchildren or providing childcare, then you face the risk of coronavirus infection when and if those children physically head back to the classroom. If you’ve kept your distance from grandchildren due to worries about the virus, then this is an especially fraught time, as you’ll be unable to celebrate the arrival of school in person and unable to share in whatever festivities occur around the opening of school. As one socially distanced grandmother recently lamented, “I’m dying to see my grandchildren. But I don’t want to die from seeing my grandchildren.”

In particular, what many grandparents and their grandchildren have missed over these past many months of separation has been the special time of reading together. We know from literacy programs that reading together is a special way of bonding and instilling a love for books and that grandparents can play an important role in supporting their grandchildren’s love of learning and reading. Grandparents can still support their grandchildren’s literacy, even if remotely, by such methods as telling stories and sharing photos, helping to build an at-home library, and writing letters and requesting written responses in return. All of these ideas can easily be accomplished from a distance. And as for supplying the kids with books, there are plenty of websites (including used book options from Amazon or the website Better World Of Books) where inexpensive books in good condition can be purchased and sent.

As for reading, while you may not be able to curl up together in a comfy chair, you can still read along with each other in real-time through the use of reading apps. One such app and website is Caribu, which was originally created to help military families read together despite long-distance deployments. It now permits those socially distancing to enjoy a large array of books and activities with the children in their lives. Caribu is set up to give you a limited number of books and activities each month, along with an unlimited sharing opportunity for a monthly subscription fee. Read more about their options here and learn about the available content on Caribu here. And you can explore other remote reading and interactive options to spend time with your grandchildren by looking here.

Finally, if you’re looking for a great book to read remotely in celebration of Grandparents Day (this coming Sunday, Sept. 13th), consider reading together a new book called Maud and Grand-Maud, about the joys of together-time between a granddaughter and her grandmother. Or, for some other book recommendations, take a look at the Washington Post’s recent list of books that explain the pandemic for children. Finally, if you’re intent on building that children’s library, review the recent NPR list of 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers. And to all, Happy Reading and Happy Grandparents Day!