Tucson school gets book vending machine for students

TUCSON, Ariz. - Students within the Flowing Wells School District head back to the classroom this morning, and those at Homer Davis Elementary School are in for a surprise.

A few weeks ago staff at the elementary school moved in a brand new book vending machine.

The book vending machine might look like a regular snack machine, but instead of getting a bag of chips or drink, students will get able to get a brand new book.

They are going to be over the moon excited," said Toni Adelstone, a teacher at Homer Davis who helped make the book vending machine possible.

The idea, however, came from Jenine Dalrymple, the president of the Andra Hart Foundation.

The Andra Heart Foundation focuses on supporting the community in the memory of Dalrymple's daughter, who died from a heart condition.

"We have just continued to add things that support our community including water bottle filling stations and now the Book-O-Matic," said Dalrymple.

Dalrymple's daughter attended a Flowing Wells district school, one of the many reasons the book vending machine went to Homer Davis.

"Homer Davis is one of the schools in the district that is in need of some love and assistance," said Dalrymple.

To start the book vending machine, Dalrymple first recruited Adelstone for help.

"It was kind of the blind leading the blind," said Adelstone.

The two found a local company named Tomdra, which helped put the machine together.

While the goal with the machine is to get more books into the hands of as many children as possible, it's also to get phones and tablets out of their hands.

"We're battling technology, we're fighting for kids attention and anything you can do to make a book more exciting, it's paper it's in their hands," said Dalrymple.

Students who complete a good deed will be given a special token, which will then allow them to get a free book to keep from the vending machine.