ESCANABA — Students at Lemmer Elementary School are earning tokens for literature.

The school, which has a present enrollment of 277 first- and second-graders, recently obtained a book vending machine, purchased with funds raised by the Parent Teacher Organization.

The idea had been discussed at Escanaba Area Public Schools for a couple of years. In January of 2025, the district’s kindergarten center — Webster — introduced the same type of vending machine.

Webster’s had been funded by a variety donors throughout the community. Educators at the kindergarten center told the Daily Press in 2025 that the book vending machine would be a way to reward good behavior, as suggested by the manufacturing company. A child may get a token, good for one item from the machine, when they do something helpful or exhibit good leadership skills.

Wesson Coleman inserts a token into Lemmer Elementary School's new book vending machine. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

At Lemmer, Principal Paulette Wickham said that she and the PTO did not want books to be seen solely as a prize for a good deed.

“I think getting books in the hands of our students is more important than anything, and so a big piece of this is — I don’t want it attached to a behavior,” Wickham explained. “Every kid gets it, no matter what. Because we want all kids to want to read all the time.”

That doesn’t mean kids can’t be rewarded for good behavior with a book token; rather, it means that all children will be given the same number of tokens throughout a school year. Kids will be given tokens on their birthdays, and then likely on three other occasions during a given year.

The Lemmer PTO officially set the vending machine in its sights at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, and announced the intent to purchase a book vending machine when selling local gift cards in October as the first major fundraiser of the year. Their second major fundraising event came in February, when the PTO sold Sakylly’s candy ahead of Easter.

With the goal reached, Escanaba’s lower elementary ordered an Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine from Glaobal Vending Group. It arrived in May.

Vivienne Rodman punches in the buttons for her selected book at Lemmer Elementary School in Escanaba on Thursday.

So close to the end of the school year, the machine is getting fast traffic. Wickham wanted to be able to send each student home with two books before school lets out for the summer, so all of the kids got one book each last week, and they’ll all be able to visit one more time before their last day on Friday.

The machine debuted on Thursday, with Christopher (“CJ”) Barron’s second-grade class performing a ribbon-cutting ceremony before getting the opportunity to pick books out for themselves, one by one, from the machine.

“One book, coming right up,” came a digital voice in a customer service tone after a token was inserted and the buttons were pressed. Coils rotated, and the chosen book dropped into the delivery compartment at the bottom — just like a classic snack vending machine.

The children at Lemmer were able to choose from over 20 titles stocked in the machine. Books to fill the unit may be ordered in bundles from bookvending.com.

Escanaba kids found the variety of offerings attractive.

Kyzer Coates is poised to make a selection as he eyes up the books in Lemmer's new vending machine. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

When asked whether he thought students next year would look forward to using the machine, second-grader Oliver Arduin-Calouette said, “I think they’ll enjoy it, because there’s a ton of good options, like for younger kids and kids who want, like, a couple more scarier books.”

Arduin-Calouette said he personally loves reading, especially the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

The creator of the Inchy’s Bookwork Vending Machine, Jay Blumberg, said the vision was “to spark a lifelong love of reading by providing fun, engaging and innovative access to books, ensuring every child experiences to joy and empowerment of literacy.”

The company that sells the machines — Global Vending Group of Amherst, New York — began distributing traditional drink and snack vending machines in 2005. They introduced their first book vending machine in 2018. The popular “Inchy” product took off, and models have reportedly been placed in schools, businesses and hospitals in four countries.

The company also produces Morgan’s STEM Machine, a vending machine that dispenses science kits, as well as harm reduction vending machines that supply naloxone (the medication designed to reverse an opioid overdose, often known by the brand name Narcan).

Second-graders in Mr. Barron's class at Lemmer Elementary were the first to use the new Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine after the ribbon-cutting last week, seen here. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

During the 2026 to 2027 school year, Wickham said, she hopes that the PTO can continue to fund books to stock the machine.

“I would love it (if students) can do four times — four books a year,” Wickham said.

While second-grade student Easton Boudreau considers book choices, Teacher CJ Barron, Principal Paulette Wickham and classmates look on. (R. R. Branstrom)

Oliver Arduin-Calouette holds up the first book to come out of Lemmer Elementary's new vending machine. He said he chose the book because the cover showed a lot of interesting things. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press)

Lemmer Elmentary School Principal Paulette Wickman watches as second-grade students use a book vending machine for the first time. (R. R. Branstrom)