Make Kids Love Reading With a Reading Rocks School Assembly

Magician Joe Holiday motivates students to read by showing the magic in books!

I first met Magician Joe Holiday years ago. I don’t remember where it was but I do remember his magic. I was in awe. The magic tricks he was able to do blew me and the kids away. How is he able to get money to go magically from one end of a room to another? It wasn’t until years later that I learned Joe’s children and mine were in school together. Being that close, we have been fortunate to see Magician Joe Holiday entertain in a variety of settings. We’ve seen Joe perform his magic in local libraries, Atlantic City casinos, the Tuckerton Seaport, and school assemblies. Every time, we are just wowed. Joe has a way of connecting the history of our area, his talent for magic, his love for reading, and his flexibility into a magic show that is capable of entertaining kids, teachers, and others.

Now it’s your chance to get to know South Jersey’s own Magician Joe Holiday!

Get to know Magician Joe Holiday

International and award winning magician Joe Holiday has been working in the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years and has found a way to combine his love of magic with his love of Reading! Joe now visits over eighty different schools in ten different states each school year with his literacy program “Reading Rocks”. Reading Rocks is a live magic show that combines interactive stage magic, popular music along with classic and popular children’s literature for elementary school students.

Joe has appeared in schools sharing his love of books for book fairs, reading incentive programs & family reading nights. Delivering his message of good reading habits with books such as “Harry Potter”, “Cat in the Hat”, “Percy Jackson”, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” and “My weird school daze” just to name of few.

My boys after one of Magician Joe Holiday’s shows. The oldest is wearing a Harry Potter hat he earned by assisting with the magic show.

Prior to working in schools, Joe Holiday traveled the world performing for our U.S. troops stations overseas, on cruise ships and in the casino showrooms of his hometown of Atlantic City. He has shared the stage with celebrities such as TV chefs Paula Deen and Michael Simon. Growing up around Atlantic City offered Joe many opportunities to perform his illusions for casino guests, visiting conventions and comedy clubs. He even had his own show at the Tropicana Casino’s Comedy Stop, which ran successfully for almost two years. During that run Joe’s show won an Atlantic City nightlife award for comedy and Trip Advisor’s Award of Excellence.

Magician Joe Holiday does magic for families in Atlantic City

Magician Joe Holiday shows off a rope magic trick for families in Atlantic City

Although Joe is comfortable working for adults his work in schools has grown to be his most popular. Working in schools offers Joe an opportunity for some travel and still maintain a life at home in South Jersey with his family that most entertainers working on the road 365 days a year never get to experience.”

About the Reading Rocks school assemblies to promote reading

How does the show work? Joe explains; “I deliver some information about a book or story, displaying the cover of that book to students. Maybe talk about the characters, theme or plot of the story with students. Then I perform a specially created magic effect that bring that book to life and gets their students excited about reading. This creates a lasting image in the children’s mind about each of the stories in my show.” I have had students see my show and remember books and magic tricks that were performed in previous years.”

Each of Joe’s performances provides a variety of different books on multiply reading levels, so students for kindergarten through eight grade can enjoy his show and take something away. The magic effects performed in each show are NOT simply birthday party magic tricks. I witnessed Joe levitate a student onstage or send money from one end of the room to the other and no one in the auditorium had any idea how it worked…! “If I can educate students about reading and fool both the faculty and students with my magic then I am doing it right!”

If your school is looking for away to ignite a passion for reading with students that will last long after the show is over or to jump start your next book fair or just get your students excited about reading, then Joe Holiday’s Reading Rocks magic show is perfect!

Encourage your students to become Reading Rockstars with Magician Joe Holiday!

To find out more about using school assemblies to promote reading or book a Reading Rocks school assembly, visit www.ReadingRocksMagic.com and keep reading.