Library Brings Magic To Mesquite

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Mesquite Public Library community room was filled with the laughter and delight of children on Wednesday, July 7.

Approximately fifty people mostly children showed up to enjoy, with amazement, the sleight-of-hand of well-known magician, Adam London, in a show specifically for local youth.

London’s show was part of the Library’s Summer Reading Challenge events. In this annual summer challenge, kids can earn great prizes by doing learning activities and reading books of their choice.

Attending a number of free shows offered by the library are part of the challenge. And London’s show is a highly-anticipated event among youngsters each summer.

London has signed up to give performances at 17 of Clark County Libraries. Mesquite was his eighth.
London performed at the “D” Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for seven years. He was awarded Entertainer of the Year by Nevada Magazine in 2017.

London’s black box of magic has a picture of a yellow rubber duck on it. So does his signature tie. This tie has an interesting backstory. London said that some time ago, he needed a root cana. His dentist friend could only perform the procedure on his birthday. So the dentist promised him a present. On London’s 24th birthday he received the root canal and the rubber duck tie which he still wears on stage at these performances.

London has a way with engaging young audience members. The whole audience, both children and adults, were carefully focused on the magician throughout the performance. It was as much fun to watch the kids’ reactions as it was to see the sleight of hand happening on stage.

London brought a few members of the audience up to help him with different tricks. He played mind games with one youngster in the audience, drawing pictures of animals that the kid had secretly drawn from a box of animal crackers.

London said that one of the secrets to his success in front of young audiences is that he has a tough practice audience at home. “My nine-year-old son critiques my routine,” London said. “And my six-year-old daughter told me, if I’m not good, she will cancel me.”

But those tough practice sessions are good preparation. Sometimes his live library audiences can also be unforgiving and critical. “ I remember I was once heckled by a 5-year-old during an entire show,” London said.

Carol Woods brought her visiting grandchildren and neighbors to see the show last week. Her grandson Charlie Woods said, “It was really great; I am glad I came.”

Travis and Angie Allen, two of the big married kids in the audience were coming back for another London performance. They had seen him before and did not want to miss the chance to see him perform again.

London asked the audience who had seen his show before and more than half of them raised their hands.

London and his wife have sponsored fundraisers for local charities through the “I Give A Duck” promotions.”

In 2016 London helped his wife, a 4th grade teacher in a program to get kids to read more books and get tested for reading comprehension. They achieved this by rewarding kids with glowsticks when they met their reading goals. These were used to create a chain of glowsticks which ended up in Guinness Book of Worlds Records for longest glowstick chain. By the end, London had purchased 20,000 glowsticks.

The couple did it again in 2018, this time with a chain of 250,000 pipe cleaners. The entire student body at Eileen B. Brookman Elementary School participated, making a chain of pipe cleaners more than eleven miles long. Best of all, the students read and passed a comprehension test with scores of 80 percent or higher.

Last week’s show in Mesquite was a great success. Everyone left with smiling faces.