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Sixth grader Daniel Hernandez chooses a book at the Lakeview Elementary School book vending machine Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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A variety of titles are available for students to choose from at the Lakeview Elementary School book vending machine, pictured Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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The book vending machine at Lakeview Elementary School is pictured Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022.

Ashtyn Asay, Daily Herald

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The 2021-2022 school year has been difficult for educators and students all over Utah, but administrators at Lakeview Elementary School in Provo have found a way to make school days just a little brighter for their students.

Lakeview Elementary purchased a book vending machine in fall 2021 with the hope of turning reading into a fun activity that kids can be rewarded with, rather than a chore.

However, according to school administrators, the vending machine has become something more — it has helped to create a positive atmosphere in a school navigating the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mike Barker, the principal at Lakeview Elementary, initially got the idea for a book vending machine from watching the news, which featured a similar vending machine at a school in another state. He thought the vending machine could be a great addition to the school’s existing Positive Behavior Program, through which students focus on developing traits like kindness, respect and honesty.

“We thought this was a great way to reward positive behavior. Sometimes we give a sticker or something meaningless, but we wanted to give something substantial that was meaningful to the kids,” Barker said.

Students can earn tokens from teachers or administrators for any reason, from performing acts of kindness and making academic improvements, to exhibiting positive behaviors in class. The school’s goal is to ultimately give every student a chance to choose a book from the vending machine.

The books available in the vending machine continually rotate and range from newer releases like “Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods” by Rick Riordan to books students’ parents may have read in school, like “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverley Cleary.

“The kids just love it. I mean, it’s something that parents and students comment on and it’s just brought a really good feeling even just into our main office,” said Jamie Leite, the assistant principal at Lakeview. “It’s just been a celebration of reading and also of sort of a positive atmosphere of our school.”

Oakley Trapnell, a student at Lakeview, stated that the book vending machine has helped her to grow her book collection. Although Trapnell said she doesn’t believe herself to be the best reader, having so many books has encouraged her to practice and become better.

Julian Blanco, a fifth grader at Lakeview, was excited to get “The Sea of Monsters” by Rick Riordan on his most recent visit to the book vending machine. This book is the second in the “Percy Jackson” series, which centers on Greek mythology, a subject Julian will already be familiar with when he goes through the sixth-grade Greek mythology unit next fall.

“It’s really fun seeing how it moves and how it gives you the book,” Julian said.

Merida Blanco, a first-grader at Lakeview, was excited to get a book from the “I Lost My Tooth!” series by Mo Willems when she visited the book vending machine, as she is also starting to lose her teeth.

“I picked it because I actually lost my teeth,” Merida said. “My teacher brought the whole class to see who got the token.”

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