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North Carolina elementary students earn free books from vending machine
November 7, 2025
Students at Arthur W. Edwards Elementary School in Havelock, North Carolina, are earning books instead of snacks thanks to a vending machine unveiled Friday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a WITN 7 report.
The book vending machine rewards students with tokens for academic achievements, such as scoring 100% on a test or passing an important exam. Those tokens can be exchanged for a book the student gets to keep.
The project was funded through a grant secured by School Media Coordinator Heather Santos in partnership with Craven County Partners in Education. "It's going to increase our reading stamina and reignite that love for reading," Santos told the news outlet.
Arthur W. Edwards Elementary is one of 17 schools in Craven County now using book vending machines to promote literacy. The county's education partners have pledged an additional $7,000 to keep the machines stocked with new titles.
