Well, one young Saratoga boy is working hard to try and make hospital stays a little less miserable for local children, by giving them something to read.

Jacob Baker is a 12-year-old seventh grader at St. Andrews church and school in Saratoga.

"I really like school, because I go to a really fun school," he says. He has a tough time pinpointing his favorite subjects. "I have to say I like them all," he says, but adds that he especially enjoys science, math and Spanish. In his spare time, Jacob plays the piano and the recorder and is on the cross country and basketball teams at school. He also plays soccer and swims outside of school and is an avid Boy Scout.

Jacob is faithful to his Jewish religion, going to the Temple of Emanu-El frequently with his family and studying Hebrew. He is preparing for his bar mitzvah, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony for a Jewish boy when he turns 13, which will take place in June of next year.

Jacob says his synagogue supports doing a project that gives back to the community while preparing for one's bar mitzvah. So he came up with the idea for Chronicles for A Cure, a book drive that would collect books around the community and donate them to children in local hospitals.

"I love reading, so giving back to the community in a way I cherish—I thought it would be a great idea," he said, adding that two of his favorite authors are Isaac Asimov and John Steinbeck, although he is always switching between different kinds of books. So Jacob picked various places around Saratoga and set up "book drops," with posters and brochures telling people about his project and asking them to bring books that would be donated.

"The books will eventually go to local pediatric units," he explains. His older brother, Phillip, a senior at Bellarmine College Preparatory school and a talented photographer, helped Jacob make the posters and fliers that he passed out around the community.

Chronicles for A Cure kicked off on Sept. 1, the first day of seventh grade for Jacob. The project has been featured in local newsletters for St. Andrews School, Temple Emanu-El and the Boy Scouts. Already, there are several bags of books collecting in the Baker living room. Jacob says it helps him feel connected to the community, to see how people are supporting him and his project.

"I'm really proud of him," says his mother, Abby Baker. "He's always used reading as a fun escape—I think that's what motivated him, he thought the kids in hospitals could use a fun escape. He's been working really hard to organize it."

His mother pointed out that this is not the first time he has worked hard to support those less fortunate—just this summer, Jacob was volunteering at Martha's Kitchen, serving food to the homeless.

Jacob says he hopes to be an architect when he grows up.

"I like the notion and concept of building something that people will use for the rest of their lives," he says.

Donating books to Chronicles for A Cure is easy, Jacob says—just bring any new, or nearly new, books to any of the several drop-off points around Saratoga. Brand-new books should be placed in Ziploc bags to help to separate them from the used books, since hospital personnel will have to clean all used books to ensure they are germ-free before letting the children read them. Jacob says the program should run through November.

Drop-off points include: Noah's Bagels at El Paseo de Saratoga, the Saratoga Community Center, the Saratoga Warner Hutton House, Safeway in the Argonaut Shopping Center, Hillview Cleaners at 14440 Big Basin Way, St. Andrews at 13601 Saratoga Ave., the Saratoga Presbyterian Church on Herriman Avenue, and the Temple Emanu-El at 1010 University Ave. in San Jose.