MONTVILLE, NJ – When reading specialist Anne Fisher and special education teacher Stephanie Perillo-Gentile heard about the concept of the book vending machine, they thought it would be a great addition to Cedar Hill Elementary in Towaco.
Recently, with the help of a grant from the Montville Education Foundation, the machine became a reality, and had its first “customer.”
“We’re tying it in to our character education program,” Cedar Hill Principal Michael Raj said at the Sept. 25 unveiling. “We’re an award-winning character-education school. If a child does something above and beyond, they earn a token and get to put it into the machine, [‘purchase’ a book,] and it is theirs to keep.”
The process of acquiring the vending machine started back in October of 2019, Raj said, but the vending machine was ready for installation at the end of March, 2020. Unfortunately, Governor Phil Murphy shut down schools due to the Coronavirus, so the machine could not be used until schools re-opened.
Second grader Luca Donnini was the first recipient of a book from the machine due to his kind act when he was in first grade, Perillo-Gentile said.
“There was a new student in his first grade class, and the class received some prizes, but the new student didn’t get one,” she said. “Luca chose, selflessly, to give the student his prize to make her feel welcome. We saw that as an above-and-beyond act of kindness, so we wanted to recognize Luca.”
After the president of the Montville Education Foundation, Daria Senaldi, cut the ribbon along with Fisher, cut the ribbon, Donnini chose his book, “I Survived.” The MEF funded the $4,600 machine, along with a contribution from Blue Foundry Bank. Since Donnini is learning remotely, Superintendent of Schools René Rovtar delivered the paperback.
“It was a good idea,” Donnini said of the book vending machine. “Thanks for being the first one [to use it]! We’re really proud of you!” Perillo-Gentile told him. “Happy reading!” Fisher told him.
Raj said that the school has pre-K through fifth graders, so the machine has a “wide range of selections. There’s something here for everybody. There’s Goosebumps and Captain Underpants.”
“Chances are, [the kids] have never seen a book vending machine,” Fisher said. “They’ve probably seen lots of vending machines. This is unique, and it’s our hope that it will motivate children to read more ‘actual’ books. Students are reading a lot online these days, but to have a book of your own is very motivating, and self-selection is also very motivating. So we’ve chosen non-fiction as well as fiction books [for the machine.]”
“The Montville Education Foundation was thrilled to be given this opportunity [to fund the machine,]” Senaldi said. “We loved it from the start, because when we thought about it, we said, ‘This is so exciting, because it really bridges the gap between literacy and encouragement for each child – to recognize the contribution they did for another child, or something good in and of itself.’ So we think the reward makes it so personalized.”
The books will have a bookplate placed inside that reads, “The MEF congratulates you on earning your new book. We know it is well deserved. The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,” a quote from Dr. Seuss, Senaldi said.
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