OWASSO, Okla. — The Owasso 6th Grade Media Center unveiled a book vending machine as a fun way to get students involved in reading.

“So I just wanted to put more books in kids’ hands and I just think this is a fun way to do that,” said Angela Greenlee, the library media specialist. “I also thought it would be great to have an incentive program where teachers could nominate kids for doing good deeds and then they get their book to keep forever.”

The vending machine has a variety of books, including graphic novels, historical fiction and adventure books. Greenlee said they will add more books as they go along and she hopes there is something in there for everyone to enjoy.

Greenlee said she had seen other schools have their own vending machines and thought if those schools could do it, so could they.

“So several of the [elementary schools] have had vending machines put in, so I thought it’d be fun for us to have one here … just because, you know, we still want them to read and I just think getting their own book that they get to keep is just more fun,” Greenlee said.

She said, after seeing other schools having the machines, she wrote a grant proposal, applying for the funding.

“The kids have already been excited and they’re looking to see what books are inside,” she continued.

Greenlee said the students will have special coins they use for the machine and these coins are earned through doing good deeds.

“Teachers have nominated a bunch of students that they have seen doing good deeds, like just being kind,” Greenlee said. “I have like a wheel picker and I picked four names for this month. And so every month, we will pick four or five names and they will get a book, they’ll get a coin and then get a book.”

She said she gathers books for the machine at book fairs and similar events. She said they delegate some of the funding the school gets to purchase library books.

Around 40 students were nominated this month, Greenlee said.

“So that’s a lot of kids doing a lot of good things for people and being kind and being helpful, so that’s

great,” Greenlee said.

She said the students who were nominated but didn’t win, their names will remain on the list so they have a chance the following month.

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