12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteer Maddie Simon 9, of Lincolnshire puts children's books into bags at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest (left to right) Volunteers Lynette Karras and her son Sam 10, Ryan Harper 7, his mom Kate and little sister Sarah 5, all of Lincolnshire apply stickers to books with the Bernie's Book Bank logo at the warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Posters showing lists of book titles and descriptions in grade categories hangs in the warehouse of Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteer Isabella Michael 9, of Vernon Hills carries a box of books that were donated to Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest A wall of thank you cards, photos and letters from local children who recieved books from Bernie's Book Bank at the warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteers sort through books at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteers sort through children's books at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Brian Floriani, Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank instructs volunteers at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank started in 2009 facilitating the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Brian Floriani, Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank talks with volunteers at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank started in 2009 facilitating the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteers sort through children's books at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteers sort through books at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Volunteer Sarah Harper 5, of Lincolnshire helps sort through children's books at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank facilitates the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Brian Floriani , Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank stands under a banner with the non-profit's logo, a shiolette of a picture of his father Dr. Bernard P. Floriani (Bernie) at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank started in 2009 facilitating the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Signs showing statistics about children that cannot read hang above clear boxes filled with books that are ready to be distributed throughout the Chicagoland area at the warehouse of Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Brian Floriani (right), Executive Director of Bernie's Book Bank jokes around with volunteer Chris Karras of Lincolnshire at the Bernie's Book Bank warehouse in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Bernie's Book Bank started in 2009 facilitating the collection, processing and redistribution of children's books to help increase quality book ownership among at-risk children throughout the Chicagoland area. Bernie's Book Bank distributes between 10-15 thousands books a week and by the end of 2011 will have collected a half a million books. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest A banner with a quote from Aldous Huxley, "A home without books is a body without soul" hangs at the warehouse of Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media

12/11/2011 Lake Forest Boxes filled with children's books that are ready to be distributed throughout the Chicagoland area at the warehouse of Bernie's Book Bank in Lake Forest on Sunday, December 11, 2011. | michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media