Providing an escape for America's frontline warriors

The program is expanding.

A program offering reading diversions for military personnel is being called a huge success in one Bay area community.
 
Every year stores across the Bay area hold book drives to collect paperbacks for military men and woman.

Hernando County's "Operation Paperback" is so successful, organizers plan to run the program year-round at area AAA insurance offices.

"Some of these guys are, well, their days are long, you know, like 18 hours,'' Isabel Kostella of the Brooksville Armory said. "So that's a long day; so they need to escape that pressure."
   
Before books get shipped, they must first meet a series of local standards that include checking the content and condition of the book.

If you have suitable paperbacks to donate, call your local AAA office. 

Be in the Know with Bay News 9 Now!

Get news, weather, and traffic alerts delivered directly to your computer desktop, e-mail, or cell phone with Bay News 9 Now.

• Subscribe for free!

More Hernando County Stories

• Husband & wife team accused of committing burglaries
• Brooksville hospital to undergo $6.5-million expansion
• Deputies: We caught burglar through GPS devices
• Brooksville Woman's Club celebrates 100th anniversary

 Snooty The Manatee Cam

Watch Snooty the manatee and friends at Parker Manatee Aquarium (Mon. -Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.).

• Snooty Cam

• Listen live
• Employee blogs
• Twitter page

• Breaking alerts
• RSS news feed
• Upload video

Want to go green?

• Energy saving tips
• Eating green
• County by county recycling

Bay News 9's Partners