There are no candy bars and drinks inside the new vending machine at Pendleton Elementary School. Instead, students will be able to fuel their imagination and boost their literacy with popular books from series such as “Goosebumps,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
Students can earn free book tokens by accomplishing self-made academic goals to further their education. Once they’ve selected a book, it is theirs to keep and bring home. Principal Loriann Leota said the program is a perfect way to get students excited about learning and help improve literacy rates as they transition to becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme school.
“We want our students to read as much as possible and sometimes families are too busy to make it to the library. This new book vending machine will give students immediate access to books once they reach their academic goals,” Leota said. “Students having access to books and continuing to read is always important because it boosts fluency and makes them more confident readers.”
The vending machine is located in the school’s library. It is adorned with rolling green hills, a blue sky and a quote that reads “Tomorrow a reader, tomorrow a leader” by American Journalist and women’s rights advocate, Margaret Fuller.
“Buena Park School District jumps at any chance to promote literacy and academic success and this new book vending machine achieves both these goals,” Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes said. “We’ve already seen the students excited to use the machine and read their favorite books, and we know this will be another useful tool to help students with their academic growth.”
Each book will be priced at a token, but the school and district believes the value of what this vending machine will do for students is priceless.