Betsy Groban

Kindred Obas has always been drawn to big ideas. One of the most recent grew out of the Jane Austen book club she oversees at the Brooke Charter School in Roslindale, Mass., where she teaches sixth-grade ELA. The book group began at the request of several of her students. It started small but once it got underway, other students—both enthusiastic and previously reluctant readers—noticed what fun the group was having and asked to join in.

It’s been a minute since my last column, so I’ll start by bringing you up to date on everybody’s ages (except mine). Olympia, my first reader/grandchild, just turned six and is in kindergarten. Ira just turned five and is in preschool. Harry is a solid three, Bhoomi just turned two, and they’re both in daycare. I’m proud and pleased as punch to report that all the kids live in very book-centered homes. And, guess what?

I treasure my strong reading relationships with my three older grandkids. They all love books and are always happy to be read to for extensive periods of time. Then there’s Bhoomi, age one, a sweet and adorable kid who’s perfect in all ways but one: she shows much less interest in books, beyond throwing them on the floor. Lord knows we’ve tried, and continue to try, with every conceivable kind of interactive book board, but it’s just not happening in a big way right now.