Vending Machines

October 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 Anyone who's ever gotten a snack stuck in a vending machine probably wonders what, exactly, goes on in there. Cue this entry in the How It Works series, which provides a straightforward walk-through of the early invention of vending machines, their varied uses, and what they may look like in the future. Though their primary function is still to dispense snacks and drinks, they've historically been used for such things as holy water and perfume. Over the years, they've been upgraded both to become more effective and to be able to recognize fraudulent money. Now, many of them contain robots and accept credit cards. The layout here is sometimes blandoccasional stock images and a few chartsbut the information is clear and absorbing. An interesting look at the science behind an everyday machine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)