Grandparents who live far away often worry they are becoming a face on a screen at birthdays and holidays. Reading together changes that. A story you share every week gives you an ongoing, private world with your grandchild, full of in-jokes, favourite characters, and "remember when the dragon ate the bus?"
This guide is for grandparents (and the parents helping them) who want to start a reading ritual across the miles.
What grandchildren actually remember
Ask adults what they remember about grandparents who lived far away and you rarely hear about presents. You hear about rituals: the Sunday phone call, the letters, the story that only Grandpa could tell. A shared book is that kind of ritual. It repeats, it belongs to the two of you, and it grows as the child does.
Match the reading to the age
Ages 2 to 5: storytime on a call
Little ones want your voice and the pictures. Short picture books read on a video call work beautifully. In Circle Read, open the book in the Reader and turn on Read together so the page on their screen turns with yours. No more holding a book up to the camera.
Keep it to ten minutes, ask them to point at things ("Where is the cat hiding?"), and finish with the same goodbye every time.
Ages 6 to 9: a chapter a week
Early readers love being read to and love showing off that they can read a bit themselves. Pick a chapter book and take turns: you read a page, they read a page. Leave little notes in the margin between calls, like "I bet you can't guess what's in the box." They will rush to find out.
Ages 10 to 13: a book club for two
This is the golden age. Choose a novel together, agree on a few chapters a week, and read on your own time. Leave notes on the page, then talk once a week. Before you start, each lock away a sealed prediction about how it ends. Opening them together at the finish is a highlight.
Teenagers: equals at the table
Let them pick. You might find yourself reading fantasy, graphic novels, or something they are studying in school. Taking their taste seriously is one of the most respectful things a grandparent can do, and it opens real conversations.
Setting it up (with a little help from the parents)
- A parent or grandparent creates a free circle. Name it something fun, such as "Grandma and Leo's Book Club."
- Add the book. Upload a PDF, EPUB, or audiobook you have the right to use, or tap Reading on paper or a Kindle? if you each have your own copy and just want to log your pages.
- Send the invite link. Text it, WhatsApp it, or email it. One tap and they are in.
- Put story time on the calendar. Make it a weekly meeting that repeats. Everyone sees it in their own local time and gets a reminder before it starts. Paste your FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Zoom link into the meeting so nobody has to hunt for it.
If you share only an audiobook, a guest listen link lets someone listen along without creating an account.
Ideas that make it magical
- Read the same book you read to their parent. Tell them what their mum or dad said about it at the same age.
- Record a story for the nights you cannot call. Add the audio to the circle so bedtime can include your voice even when you are asleep in another time zone. See long-distance bedtime stories.
- Send a real postcard from the book's world. If the story is set by the sea, send a seaside postcard.
- Cook something from the book at the same time on a call.
- Keep a running list of favourite lines in the margin. At the end of the year, look back together in the recap.
Tips for grandparents who are new to apps
- Ask a family member to do the setup once, then you only need to tap the link.
- Make the text bigger in the Reader's settings if your eyes prefer it.
- Use a tablet on a stand rather than a phone in your hand. It is much easier on long calls.
- It is fine to say "I'm stuck, can you help me?" Kids love being the tech expert.
When it gets hard
Some weeks will not work. School gets busy, someone is ill, the time difference bites. That is fine. Skip just that week on the calendar and pick up where you left off. The book will wait, and your notes on the page keep the thread going between calls.
Start this week
Create a free circle, pick a first book together, and send the link. It is a small thing to set up, and it may become one of the most important things you share.