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Magic scheme to encourage young readers 27 June 2009 Magic will be keeping children out of mischief this summer after they signed up to join the Hocus Pocus Academy to learn all the tricks of the trade.  The Academy for Magical Arts is the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Scheme for young members of the Family Library at Noble’s Hall, Douglas. A record 250 youngsters have accepted the challenge and at Saturday’s launch they collected packs that included Academy report cards, which they will complete as the summer progresses, magic wands and badges. The scheme was launched with a magic show by Mike Clague, the Department of Education’s Youth Adviser, whose division runs the library. Mike – alias Visiting Important Professor R U Ready – and two members of the Young Magicians of Mann, Juan Corrin, 16, and Philip Morrison, 14, had the children gasping amazement at their baffling tricks.  The Academy’s ‘pupils’ will read five books and write reports on them and earn rewards along the way, with one child winning the ‘box of tricks’ at the end. Each time members return a book they will be given a new spell to try before moving to the next ‘class’. The week’s head boys, head girls and prefects will be displayed on a noticeboard that also has the ‘skool rools’ and portraits of the staff, who have taken on the titles Miss Direction, Dr Manners, Professor Stiff, Miss Mesma and Professor Cuten-Shuffle (alias librarian in chief Mary Cousins, who comes up with an imaginative theme for the scheme every summer). The Academy ends its term on 5 September, with the ‘graduation’ ceremony on 12 September. More stories >>>
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