Bernie's Book Bank

For many kids, the sound of the bus screeching to a stop sends a sudden burst of excitement through their veins.  For 9-year-old Lily, however, it meant going home to an empty, lonely house. Her father passed away three months ago, but his absence left a gaping hole in both her home and her heart. Every day after school, as she walked through the door, Lily anticipated her father swooping down and giving her a piggyback ride through her house, and her mother’s warm laughter filling the air. However, the cold, desolate burst of air only served as a ruthless reminder of her lonely, grief stricken reality.

 

Lily’s mother also worked double shifts to support her family, and Lily is an only child. With her mom working long hours, Lily spent every day alone in a house filled with sad memories of her father. She used to wake up to her father mowing the lawn on Saturday mornings, but after her father's death, she looked out the window to see unruly and uncut grass. The family dinners she once looked forward to most became what she dreaded the most. The time that was once lively and filled with laughter became overpowered by silence and the empty seat where her father once sat.

One afternoon, Lily opened her door and saw a package full of books sitting on her front doorstep. A program that donated books to children in low-income communities had sent her and the kids in her neighborhood some new reads. She looked at them in awe: the vivid, colorful images called her name and for the first time since her father’s death, she felt inklings of thrill and elation. She reluctantly opened up the first book and began to read the first page. Suddenly, Lily left her house and flew into the world of Neverland alongside Wendy. Soaring through the sky and fighting Captain Hook, Lily had explored the world and her imagination in ways she had never done before. Sparking an insatiable hunger for books, she ate up the first story and quickly picked up the next, eager to join Jack and Annie on their Merlin Mission to Camelot. Five books later, she realized that it was dark outside. She had spent hours reading and escaped her empty house to play with her imagination. She found new companions who she could turn to when she was down. Lily no longer had to face the pressing grief of her father's death, but instead found solace in her many journeys through a different universe.

Soon after, the bus halting to a stop sent a burst of jubilation through Lily's veins. She would rush off the bus, excited at the prospects of going on her newest adventure. She traveled the world, learning about different cultures and traditions like Ramadan and Kwanzaa. Her world once felt so small, but her new books helped her explore every single millimeter.

Her new experiences weren’t only an escape, but they also boosted her academic and literary skills. She developed stronger focus and concentration at school, and with her ever-growing vocabulary, her test scores improved drastically.



Books saved Lily, but many low-income kids are still deprived of the same resources as their privileged counterparts. Whereas in middle-income neighborhoods, the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children. Kids in underdeveloped areas lose a crucial part of their childhood development because of their lack of material to read.


Reading stimulates curiosity and creativity.


Reading helps kids understand the world around them. 


Reading gives kids an immersive opportunity to explore their imagination and to travel the world. 


Reading promotes literacy and expands vocabulary.


Reading cultivates focus, cognition, and social and communication skills.


As Walt Disney once said, "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."


Unfortunately, many of these kids lose out on these treasures simply because they never had the opportunity to read.


You can make a difference by donating today to Bernie's Book Bank. Bernie's Book Bank collects, processes, and distributes quality new and gently used children's books to significantly increase book ownership among at-risk infants, toddlers, and school-age children throughout Chicagoland. For every dollar that you donate, you will add a new book to a kid's personal library.