April is School Library Month - What was your favorite?

[P.T. Murphy]

Better late than never...

April is School Library Month. For more info: http://www.ala.org/aasl/slm

It wasn't until I went to work for the American Library Association that I realized just how much my school library (and public library) meant to me.

I know that many of us found inspiration at the library.

In celebration of School Library Month, I ask...

What was your favorite magic book? Maybe it was something you checked out all of the time, or one that you accidentally found, or one that you had heard about but had no idea how to obtain.

Mine was "The Illustrated History of Magic" by Milbourne Christopher. I transferred to a very small Catholic school on Chicago's South Side when I was 12 years old. The library was a small classroom with a few bookshelves. I was so excited to stumble upon a copy of this book. I still remember the day I discovered it. Good times!

[Brad Henderson]

there was a copy of houdini's eacapes and magic that I had on nearly permanent check out. They also had a copy of Lamb's dictionary of magic which worried me quite a bit. My first 'big trick' was a huge mak magic square circle and they explained that trick in there. It felt like a ticking time bomb to me, sitting on that shelf, waiting for someone to pick it up and learn my secret.

[Dustin Stinett]

While not the first magic book I discovered at the public library, by far my favorite and most important one was Greater Magic.

The story of that discovery is recounted in the piece I wrote in the old "Book of the Month Club" forum here:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=21107

[Frank Yuen]

When my childhood library relocated, I was lucky enough to obtain many of the actual books with which I began my magical journey. I have both Joseph Leeming books Fun with magic and More Fun with magic, Clayton Rawson's The Golden Book of Magic, Walter Gibson's The Master Magicians and both Blackstone books, Secrets of Magic and Modern Card Tricks. I spent a lot of time in section 793.8 and developed a love of magic, libraries and books because of it. Good memories.

[Still learning]

Hay's The Amateur Magician's Handbook.

[Steve Bryant]

Robert Parrish's New Ways to Mystify.

[Jeremy Greystoke]

The public library was my first source for good books on magic. Among the ones I read and re-read many times are Bruce Elliott's Classic Secrets of Magic and The Best In Magic, John Mulholland's Book of Magic and his Magic of the World, various Bill Severn books, and the amazing Magician's Magic by Paul Curry. The tricks in that book were an absolute revelation and made me a fan of Curry's diabolical thinking.

And to echo previous posters, both Panorama of Magic and The Illustrated History of Magic by Milbourne Christopher were books I checked out many many times.

Jeremy

[erdnasephile]

My absolute favorite book was: "Now You See It, Now You Don't!: Lessons in Sleight of Hand" by Bill Tarr, illustrated by Barry Ross. I must have checked out that book 1,000 times!

Anything by Bill Severn was a treat. Just loved being able to build a real magic show with stuff around the house.

The one book that creeped me out to no end was "Dunninger's Book of Magic". Not sure why. but the illustrations just freaked me out for some reason.

[Riversky]

While attempting to check out THE BEST IN MAGIC by Bruce Elliott, from the Catholic School library, which was a converted janitor closet, the nun in charge said this is nonsense reading material for a twelve year old boy and told me to find something more constructive.

[P.T. Murphy]

While attempting to check out THE BEST IN MAGIC by Bruce Elliott, from the Catholic School library, which was a converted janitor closet, the nun in charge said this is nonsense reading material for a twelve year old boy and told me to find something more constructive.

HYSTERICAL!

[Brad Jeffers]

When I was in the 8th grade, I "checked out" Ottokar Fischer's Illustrated Magic, from the school library.

I really need to return it.

I wonder what the fine will be for a book that is 45 years overdue?

[Riversky]

My personal Magic library now contains four Bruce Elliott books:

1. Best in Magic (1956)
2. Classic Secrets of Magic (1953)
3. Magic as a Hobby (1948)
4. Professional Magic Made Easy (1959)

In your face Sister Mary Teresa!

[Gordon Meyer]

Dunninger's Encyclopedia was my fave library book. Loved the illustrations and (fanciful) methods


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