Carter Gregotski pulls a chair over to the backyard fence, waits for his pint-sized neighbour to peer over the top, and begins to read aloud from a book.

This is what story time looks like now for Carter, 9, and Heather Hawkins, 5, in this era of school closures and social distancing brought on by the spread of COVID-19.

These next-door neighbours, who normally attend Humbercrest Public School, also happen to be reading buddies — a program at many schools in which an older child is matched with a younger one for book sessions.

Unable to keep up weekly story-time sessions at their school near Jane St. and Bloor St. W., Carter’s parents planted the idea that he continue reading to Heather, but do so over the backyard fence. After all, Carter and his brother Nolan, 5, were often outside at the same time as Heather and her brother Hunter, 7, each set of siblings playing in their yards — sometimes in parallel and sometimes all together in socially distant fashion, such as by tossing a ball over the fence.

After giving it some thought Carter, in Grade 4, ran with the idea, choosing books in both English and French. Last week, he began reading to Heather, who’s in senior kindergarten, quickly growing his rapt audience to also include Nolan and Hunter. When it’s time, Heather and Hunter climb up a chain-link fence in their yard, which abuts a six-foot-high wooden fence on the Gregotski property. The duo cling to the wooden fence and peer over it, intently listening to Carter tell his tale.

“The kids seem to get a kick out of it,” says Mike Gregotski, Carter and Nolan’s father. He recently posted a photo of a reading session on Twitter, where it got widely shared, was lauded by commenters and elicited many a heart emoji.

“One of the things we hope Carter gets out of the backyard reading buddies sessions is to increase his desire to read out loud,” says Gregotski. “He loves to read, but sometimes doesn’t enjoy reading out loud as much.”

He also hopes the experience reinforces for Carter the importance of being a good role model for younger children, “which he generally is, but since he doesn’t have school right now he doesn’t really have that opportunity other than with his brother.”

Since mid-March, schools across the province have been closed, and officials have urged everyone to practise social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. While students are engaged in distance learning via e-lessons, many school routines have been upended, including the Humbercrest reading buddies program, which Heather really enjoys.

Lucky for her, her neighbour was her buddy, so her love of books continues to be nurtured — and she and Hunter have benefited in other ways too.

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“It gives them a chance to have a social interaction with somebody other than their parents and each other,” says Andrew Hawkins, Heather and Hunter’s father.

Meanwhile, Carter appears to be relishing his role as the reader — and as a mentor to the younger kids.

“It’s pretty fun,” says Carter, noting he’s only led a few reading sessions. “I can’t read with my gloves on, so I have to take them off and (my hands) get really cold.”

But once the weather warms up, he hopes to continue reading to them, “every other day.”