Nevada Reading Week features magician mingling, wax figure visit

Between magic tricks and jokes, Mac King had some solid advice for McCall Elementary School students.

“The more books you read, the happier you’ll be,” King told the crowd of second-graders at a March 1 assembly.

During one trick, he asked students to help him out by yelling the magic words.

“Abracadabra!” they shouted.

“No,” King said.

The magic words were “read more books.”

King’s visit to McCall, 800 E. Carey Ave., was part of Nevada Reading Week, held Feb. 25 to March 1. He also performed at Bell Elementary School, 2900 Wilmington Way, and Kelly Elementary School, 1900 J St.

King has volunteered to perform and read at elementary schools for several years.

“The pay is a little low,” King joked.

It is also a good place to break in new material without much pressure, he said. And King said he owes his entire career to books.

In fourth grade, he said he checked out a book about magic tricks from his school library. He learned every trick in the book, returned it and checked out two more. Once he learned those tricks, and his school had no more books with new material, he went to the public library to read more.

“Books literally changed my life,” he said. “... I’m hoping to make Las Vegas a little bit better place.”

He also held his second annual Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour book drive during February, collecting more than 6,000 books that were donated to The Public Education Foundation. Those books will be distributed to the libraries at those three elementary schools, and every student will also receive a book to take home.

During Nevada Reading Week –– more than any other time during the school year –– school staff members and community partners encourage students to read. It was started more than 30 years ago by Bill Abrams of the Nevada Department of Education and a group of teachers.

“It just gives the kids a chance to celebrate reading,” said Michelle Adams, principal at Paradise Elementary School, 900 Cottage Grove Ave. “Hopefully that will transfer over to the classroom and in life.”

During the week, cheerleaders and football players from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas visited Paradise to read to students. Various other community members also visited the school.

Fourth-graders got a special visit Feb. 28 from founding father Benjamin Franklin –– a wax replica from Madame Tussauds –– and listened to a story about his many inventions and contributions to society.

Some students initially were confused about the visitor, though. At the beginning of the program, students were asked who the figure was on stage, and a few yelled out “George Washington.”

At Wasden Elementary School, 2831 Palomino Lane, students were visited Feb. 27 by Dr. Seuss characters the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2. The characters also visited Harris Elementary School, 3620 S. Sandhill Road, as part of the National Education Association’s Cat-a-Van Reading Tour. The Las Vegas schools were the fifth and sixth stops on a 32-school tour spanning 14 states.

Wasden and Harris students received red-and-white striped hats, a copy of “The Cat in the Hat” and toothbrushes donated by co-sponsor Renaissance Dental. Both schools also received $1,000 grants to purchase books for their libraries.

For more information, visit nevadareadingweek.com.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 702-224-5524.