To kick off its annual Summer Reading program, C.H. Booth Library hired magician Scott Jameson to perform for children and their parents on Tuesday, June 23.

“We’ve had him before…he’s wonderful, he’s very intriguing, he’s very skilled. The kids loved him last year, so we’re having him back,” said Lana Bennison, the head of the children’s department at the library.

As students showed excitement, inching further toward the performer, Mr Jameson opened his performance by producing two umbrellas from seemingly nowhere during a scarf dance.

The dance was choreographed to music that Mr Jameson himself controlled with a small remote and a sound system that he had brought. Many of the acts were choreographed to music.

According to Mr Jameson’s website, scottjameson.com, he provides props, backdrops, and a high fidelity sound system for his shows.

The performance was tailored to this year’s Summer Reading Program theme, “Every Hero Has a Story.” One of his tricks even involved a mock audio book on balloon animals, “like the [audiobooks] you can find at the library,” according to Mr Jameson.

Mr Jameson’s show had a wide variety of tricks, from gags that had the children laughing hysterically, to performances that had parents and children alike captivated. As much of the performance was dedicated to making the children laugh as to impressing the audience.

Mr Jameson also engaged the children in the audience often. He called volunteers to assist in tricks, such as holding an “invisible knot” in their palms that would later be “thrown” into the scarves Mr Jameson waved before them.

One of his final acts was inspired, according to Mr Jameson, by a book he had read involving time travel. The hero of the book, Mr Jameson told the audience, was able to travel in time and return to his own life without changing anything.

“I wanted to create a trick inspired by that concept,” said Mr Jameson.

Presenting a clear bowl of water to the audience, Mr Jameson proceeded to fill the bowl with a “secret ingredient” that would “help us travel through time,” according to Mr Jameson.

Mr Jameson then poured three vials of sand — one red, one blue, one yellow — into the bowl, which had turned dark and opaque from the addition of the “secret ingredient.”

Then he extracted the sand, color by color.

The sand appeared to be dry as it had been before. To top off the act, Mr Jameson began to swirl the dark water with his hand until it returned to its original clear color. The audience, children, and adults alike, responded with gasps.

Mr Jameson’s finale tied the superhero theme of the Summer Reading Program with a message about the importance of reading.

“Heroes don’t just wear capes, or masks, or tights. They can be people you meet every day. And a great way to learn about real-life heroes is to read the newspaper,” Mr Jameson.

As he spoke, Mr Jameson folded a piece of paper until it fit in the palm of his hand. Gently opening his palm, Mr Jameson produced a shower of bits of paper which he blew over the heads of the children as if blown by a fan.

The children reached for the pieces of paper as Mr Jameson finished his program.

“If you write your story down, you too can influence someone,” he said.