GEOFF BENNETT: At the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, a new children's library inside the visitors center is giving kids a place to read and learn during the often long waits to see their loved ones.

Tonight, a grandmother and her 10-year-old grandson share their Brief But Spectacular takes on connecting through reading.

FRANCISCO PRECIADO, 10 Years Old: My name is Francisco.

I'm 10 years old.

And I am in fourth grade.

QUESTION: Francisco, tell me who you're sitting next to.

FRANCISCO PRECIADO: My grandma.

QUESTION: What's your favorite thing about your grandmother?

FRANCISCO PRECIADO: My favorite thing, she always stay there for me.

LINDA VILLEGAS, Grandmother: Francisco's father is in Men's Central Jail in L.A.

He's been there almost three years.

Francisco basically lived in a little town in Mexico by Guadalajara.

I brought him here back in July because he wanted to be with his dad.

He misses his dad a lot.

So I put him in school.

The language barrier has been hard on him, but he's trying.

To get into the Men's Central Jail, you have to be on the phone 12:00 midnight Thursday.

You have two minutes to try to get an appointment, and if you don't get the appointment, that's it.

I wish he could see him more often, but he only sees him like every two, three weeks.

We get there by 10:30 or so, and we go put money in his books, and then they tell you to sit down and wait.

When I walked in there one day, I saw this little library, beautiful, and I was like, wow, that's really nice, but I didn't know that the kids were allowed to take books.

QUESTION: Do you have to wait a lot in the jail?

FRANCISCO PRECIADO: Yes, like two or three hours.

Every time we go, we take some new books.

QUESTION: Find your favorite dinosaur there as fast as you can.

FRANCISCO PRECIADO: Here.

QUESTION: OK, you found it pretty fast.

LINDA VILLEGAS: We take advantage because of the fact that he's still having a hard time reading.

I read with him and I translate it to him.

QUESTION: What's the hardest part about the visit?

LINDA VILLEGAS: Seeing your son there.

My grandson and my son just hold the glass with their hands.

My son tries to put a face like it doesn't bother him, but I know it does.

QUESTION: What's something that makes you feel proud about Francisco?

LINDA VILLEGAS: The way he is, the smile that he has when he comes out of school, saying, I did this, I did that, and I love you.

He always tells me, I love you.

I'm proud of you, papa.

I love you.

My name is Linda.

FRANCISCO PRECIADO: My name is Francisco.

LINDA VILLEGAS: This is our Brief But Spectacular take... FRANCISCO PRECIADO: ... on reading with my grandma.

GEOFF BENNETT: And you can watch more Brief But Spectacular videos online at PBS.org/NewsHour/Brief.