And, luckily for students, Bruce Jacoby is doing it for free.
The Lincoln-based magician, who performs at schools, churches and parties, is on a mission to donate a copy of “Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic†— a definitive 400-page book teeming with card tricks, money magic and illusions — to each middle and high school in Lincoln Public Schools.
The Omaha Magic Society — of which Jacoby is the vice president — was looking to offer any school and public library that wanted one a copy of the book for free as part of an initiative to expose people to the joys of magic.
“If magicians were asked about their favorite books of all time, this would be in their top 10,†Jacoby said.
He started small, giving a copy to Norwood Park Elementary in northeast Lincoln where his wife teaches second grade.
So he went to LPS officials about distributing one copy to each school in the district. They agreed, but with a caveat. The book, they felt, was better suited for middle school and high school students.
Since then, Jacoby has been busy this fall distributing copies to nearly every secondary school in the district.
But it’s more than just dropping it off at the front office and leaving.
Jacoby likes to present it personally to each school librarian, take a photo with them — and sometimes share a quick magic trick with students.
“Magic is a thing that can bring kids out of shells,†he said. “That’s a way a lot of magicians started doing (magic) because it brought them out of their shell.â€
Jacoby, 60, discovered magic about 20 years ago as a church volunteer when he attended a national convention for children’s pastors. There was a workshop about how to teach magic tricks to children — and Jacoby was drawn to it.
“I saw that and thought, ‘That’s cool,’†he said. “So I started picking it up.â€
First, he did a couple of shows at church, then people started asking him to perform at parties.
Soon, it became a full-time gig for Jacoby. He started his own company — Colorful Magic by Bruce — that brings magic shows to schools, churches, parties and corporate events.
And he joined the Omaha Magic Society — one of many similar clubs around the world. Johnny Carson belonged to the Omaha club for a time.
Jacoby still has to distribute a few more books, but at most schools, his secret is already out.
“The schools that I went to were just excited about getting the book into the library,†he said.
Shakeup in Grand Island
Change is in the air at Grand Island Public Schools.
Not only is the district’s superintendent leaving next month, but its nine-member board of education will also have five new faces in the new year after three incumbents lost their seats in November’s election and two chose not to run again.
Last week, Superintendent Tawana Grover announced her resignation effective Jan. 11 after seven years leading the district.
The board accepted her resignation at Monday’s meeting, the last for five board members: Terry Brown, Dan Brosz, Carlos Barcenas, Bonnie Hinkle and Erika Wolfe.
Brown, Brosz and Barcenas lost their seats, while Hinkle and Wolfe decided not to run, the Grand Island Independent reported.
Grover will stay on in a paid advisory role until June 30 and is also subject to a nondisparagement agreement, which prevents her from publicly criticizing the district upon her departure.
Meanwhile, Katherine Mauldin, who beat Barcenas for the Ward C seat in November’s general election, may not have a seat after all.
Television station KSNB reported Tuesday that the Grand Island board intends to vacate Mauldin’s seat after the district discovered she lives in Ward A.
“Due to her residency question, the Grand Island Public School Board has asked Ms. Mauldin to provide proof of residency in Ward C or to have her seat declared vacant at the next Grand Island Public School Board regular meeting in January,†school board President Lisa Albers said in a statement.
Mauldin explained to KSNB that she has two residences in Grand Island — a primary home in Ward C and another residence in Ward A.
“They just closed (the investigation) and blindsided me and just decided to hand-deliver me a paper without saying anything. I obviously have evidence,†Mauldin told KSNB.
If her seat is indeed vacated, Barcenas could reapply for the seat, KSBN reported.
Grand Island isn’t the only district that will see change at the top.
Cheryl Logan, superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, announced Tuesday she will resign at the end of the school year. Logan, 60, told the Omaha World-Herald she was homesick and wanted to move closer to family on the East Coast.
And Terry Haack, the longtime superintendent of Bennington Public Schools, will also retire after this school year.
Bruce Jacoby, a Lincoln-based magician, is on a mission to donate a copy of "Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic" to each middle and high school at Lincoln Public Schools.