VALRICO, Fla. — A new vending machine recently moved into the cafeteria at Lithia Springs Elementary School.
Ayva was hoping for Twix candy bars. Instead, the 3rd grader got something even better.
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“I love my Twix,” says Ayva. “But after a while, I was like, ‘Hey, they have some pretty cool books in there.'”
Inchy the Bookworm Book Vending Machine is manufactured by a company in Buffalo, New York. It doles our the newest, freshest kids books.
Fourth-grade teacher Barb Mittelstadt, who is from Buffalo, was responsible for convincing the administration, the PTA and donors to bring the machine to Valrico.
“The kids don’t pay any money for the books,” says Mittelstadt. “They receive tokens for good behaviors.”
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Teachers use the vending machine to reward good behavior or high grades.
Inchy the Bookworm is a hit despite its lack of Twix.
“It’s a convenient way to get literature,” says Ayva with a smile.
