Here at Parenting Unfiltered, I try to cover all the gnarly things that bubble to the surface of our ordinary lives, the muddy glue between carpools, PowerSchool, conferences, and football games—things we might not talk about. not even with those closest to us. friends. The grief, the social awkwardness, the drinking, the referral to special education, skyrocketing stress levels, both persistent and unprecedented. Much parental coverage focuses on the sinister, dark, and demanding. It’s just: it’s not an easy job. But you know what? There is also so much goodness in the world, and it’s important to shine a light on that too – not only important, but essential.

That’s why I want to tell you about 8-year-old Bobby Atchinson. He is in second grade at Ambrose Elementary School in Winchester. On Saturdays this month, he runs a pop-up bookstore in Winchester Center, filled with donations from family and friends. (Imagine a library that looks like a lemonade stand.) The books are aimed at elementary and middle school students and cost $5. He is donating the proceeds to The Home for Little Wanderers, where he will present the money during a visit to their Roslindale location on Tuesday, December 3.

The Home for Little Wanderers operates community and residential programs for children who have experienced trauma and abuse, or who suffer from behavioral problems. They also offer foster care and adoption programs, as well as services for young adults transitioning out of public care.

“I hope they can buy some stuff for Christmas. I hope they can get food and clothes,” Bobby says.

He started really loving reading in first grade. (“The Dangerous Tales of Nathan Hale” is one of his favorites.) When the books started piling up in the house, he said he wanted to give them away. Her mother, Jeanna Atchinson, offered to drop them off somewhere, but never made it. (I have three bags full of undersized winter clothes in my trunk. I get it.)

When second grade started in September, the family began considering hosting a fundraiser at a pop-up bookstore. They spread the word to their friends and Bobby set up a trash can in Ambrose for donations. Eventually, their garage was overflowing with more than 20 boxes of books.

“I feel like our kids are living a great life and we are so proud to be able to give them that.” But on the other hand, we want them to have visibility into what other people’s lives are like. And that’s how we started the conversation – very modest: there are children who don’t have the opportunity to go to the bookstore every day, and there are children who don’t have as much of books. Initially, we were just going to give away books. Then we pivoted and said, “Let’s think about donating the money we make at a real bookstore.” “His heart was really about opening a little bookstore,” she says.

Atchinson began looking for a worthy charity and found that the home was running a program not far from their home.

“When Jeanna contacted me, I didn’t realize Bobby was so young. I thought he was a teenager. Then I found out he was only a sophomore,” said Jamille Benson, the home’s director of community engagement and giving. “These are children who are not going to wake up at home (during the holidays). Bobby is willing to give money and give it to someone else. What he does is unique, especially since he works on weekends.

Atchinson obtained a permit from the city to set up in front of Starbucks in the Winchester Center for three Saturdays, created a logo on the graphic design platform Canva, and printed a tablecloth for his booth, as well as T-shirts and swag. bookmarks.

“I barely slept the night before. I was hoping people would come and shop. And we were really impressed with how many people came from our community,” she says. “All his friends from CE2 came to get a T-shirt. I didn’t know if he was going to be shy, but surprisingly, he was really proud of himself.

Teaching children to give back is so often abstract. My two sons are generally super nice guys, but their first instinct isn’t to collect food for a soup kitchen or dig into their taco wallet to donate to charity. They want to spend their bounty on candy and their time playing video games while covered in Doritos dust. Bobby is also an average kid, but a pop-up shop based on his interests bridged the gap and sparked discussions with his friends and their parents.

“Parents were very grateful to have this conversation with their children based on what Bobby built. That was a really cool part of it that I didn’t expect. I was kind of doing that about our family, and it evolved,” Atchinson says.

On his first day in business, Bobby sold 200 books in two hours, raising $1,300 and making referrals to customers.

“I like ‘Captain Underpants’ and ‘I Survived,’” he says. “The best part is helping other children by recommending books they might like.”

Bobby hopes to raise $5,000; his parents will match the final amount once he closes shop. At the Home for Little Wanderers, Benson says the money will go toward providing essential supplies for children as it gets colder and toward holiday gifts.

“As the season changes around us, many children are unprepared for the changing weather: activity essentials, clothing, jackets, hygiene items, holiday gift cards and sporting goods, all these things,” says Benson. “It helps make a difference in a child’s life. »

Bobby’s Books is open Saturday, November 16 and 23 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the corner of Main and Thompson streets in Winchester. Can’t browse in person? It also receives donations to www.bobbys-books.com.

Kara Baskin can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her @kcbaskin.