.svg)
Once upon a time, Jason Blumberg, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Vending Group, Inc. had a simple dream. He wanted to ignite a passion for reading by making books accessible to children everywhere. It started with Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine, Blumberg's immensely popular book vending machine program. While elementary school's everywhere fell in love with this innovative technology, Blumberg knew he wasn't finished with Inchy yet. Now, his dream lives on in a storybook titled "The Adventures of Inchy the Bookworm: The Dream."
From Dreams to Reality
The origins of Inchy The Bookworm began over five years ago when Jason conceived the idea for everyone's favorite Bookworm. Immediately, Jason realized that Inchy needed a story of his own.
"I had been thinking about this bookworm; exploring life and learning through reading. And I was also thinking of the magic found in books," he reminisces.
As Jason's vision of merging literacy and vending machines materialized into the successful line of Inchy Bookworm vending machines, he began writing the whimsical adventures of Inchy The Bookworm.
"When the reading program took off, I knew I had to capture the whimsy of this cartoon character I still had in my mind on paper, and that has now become a reality, too,"
"When the reading program took off, I knew I had to capture the whimsy of this cartoon character I still had in my mind on paper, and that has now become a reality, too," Blumberg explains.
The Tale of Inchy
The story follows Inchy, a bookworm initially discontent with day-to-day life, who discovers joy in the world around him through the power of reading. Inspired by his newfound passion, Inchy embarks on a mission to share his love for books with friends and others, taking readers on an exciting journey around the world.
A Shared Vision
Reflecting on the parallels between his own life and that of his beloved character, Blumberg comments, "Amazingly, both Inchy and I have taken the same journey, although his encounters take him around the world; I do most of my business in Buffalo, NY. But we both share the same vision of making books accessible to kids everywhere, regardless of financial situation."
Inchy may share his love of books with the cows and chickens on the farm but Jason's reach extends much farther. Since 2018 BookVending.com & Global Vending group have sold Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machines to over 8,500 school and community groups. The machines hold roughly 200 books at a time. He estimates that's 7.2 million books vended yearly to over 3 million children.
A Passion Project Realized For Blumberg
In June 2024, Jason's dream came to fruition with the publication of "The Adventures of Inchy the Bookworm: The Dream,". Each book features full color illustrations beautifully drawn by Charles Underhill.
The publication of "The Adventures of Inchy the Bookworm: The Dream" marks a significant milestone.
"It's a great feeling to have something I am passionate about to be more than the vending machines we create. I've finally given Inchy a voice to tell his story in his own words," Jason Blumberg beams.
Readers of all ages can find their copy of "The Adventures of Inchy the Bookworm: The Dream" on BookVending.com in the near future.
COMMENTS