Magic excites kids into allure of books

Library event

By Diane Huber | Lacey Today • Published April 02, 2008

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Magician Jeff Evans dazzled dozens of children at the Lacey library last week.

He turned one rope into three, then back to one. He pulled doughnuts out of children’s ears. And throughout the show, he spread the message of reading.

“When I want to learn a new trick or a new skill, I head to the library,” he said.

Evans’ visit is part of Timberland Regional Library’s Family Read Aloud Month. Libraries encouraged families to read daily from Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2, to Beverly Cleary’s birthday on April 12.

Evans told the group they could find books about everything from animals to race cars to outers pace at the library.

In one trick, a cardboard boy’s head grew smaller and smaller the more television he watched, until finally he had no head at all. Evans replaced it with a balloon, and when the boy started reading, the balloon popped to reveal a full-size head.

“When you turn off your TV and turn on the fun and thrill of reading, you can get a-head,” he said.

The crowd gasped and pointed and laughed with each new trick. “I liked it when he did the last trick, when he balanced on the ball and all that,” said Austin Falter, 11. Brianna McGinnis, 9, said she was a little worried when she volunteered for a trick and learned Evans planned to crack an egg on her head. “I thought he was actually going to crack it on me,” she said. Much to Brianna’s — and the crowd’s — surprise, the “cracked” egg magically turned into an omelet. Th e re ad i n g m e ssa ge seemed to resonate. “Reading takes you places,” Brianna said, quoting Evans. Austin added that the more you read, the faster you’ll be at reading. “I like to read. I like the adventures you can read about,” he said.