In 2023, a group of fifth-grade students at an elementary school in Wisconsin made headlines for launching a unique project: a “free book vending machine” — designed and built entirely by the students with help from their teacher.

Using old wooden cabinets and repurposed parts, the students created a colorful, self-serve book station where anyone in the neighborhood could take a book or leave a book, no strings attached. They called the project “Book It Forward”, aiming to promote literacy and kindness in their local community.

The idea began during a classroom discussion about access to books for kids who couldn’t afford them. Inspired, the students worked after school to paint, build, and organize the machine — stocking it with donated books of all kinds, from picture books to novels.

Their little library became a hit almost instantly, with neighbors praising their creativity and generosity. Other schools nearby even started copying the idea, turning it into a small but powerful reading movement across the region.