One thing I hear over and over again from librarians is that they really appreciate it when I customize my shows for the annual Summer Reading Program theme. To let you in on a little secret, I ENJOY putting together a new show each year. Yes, it's sometimes frustrating and yes, it's expensive and time-consuming, but it keeps me fresh and lets me exercise my creativity.
The "Out Of This World" magic show has been so much fun to work with. I've found that I have more material than I could possibly use, so I'm selecting the best tricks and routines. I want the show to be fun, educational and interactive. It also has to have some elements that promote reading.
I've decided that I'm going to be using the book "A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars" by Seth Fishman in my show. It's a fun book for younger children, but has amazing facts that will amaze older kids as well as adults. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. You also may want to get a copy or two for your library!
I usually start putting shows together as soon as I learn the new Summer Reading Program themes. I already have a few tricks set aside for the FairyTale and Mythology theme in 2020 as well as the Animal theme in 2021. I'm always on the lookout for new tricks and routines that will fit the upcoming themes. In fact, there was a trick that I initially planned on doing for last summer's music theme, but I decided it would be more appropriate for next summer's Fairy Tale theme, so I put it away for two years.
This summer, get ready for a show filled with rockets, friendly visitors from other planets and LOTS of outer space references. I'm looking forward to presenting my Out of This World magic show at your library this summer!
