GINA B. GOOD / PVT Students react enthusiastically to a presentation by author J. Scott Savage, above, who visited J.G. Johnson Elementary School just before summer break. GINA B. GOOD / PVT J. Scott Savage Advertisement

J. Scott Savage is a man of many talents.

He is a magician, author, educator.

And he is a genius at holding the attention of an auditorium full of elementary school kids.

He proved that just before summer recess at J.G. Johnson Elementary School at an assembly of third- through fifth-grade students.

Savage began his lively presentation by describing the second book in his Farworld fantasy series. Called "Landkeep," the book is due out Sept. 21 to follow his first book, titled "Waterkeep."

While the students were filing into the auditorium, Scott explained, "A lot of kids don't know what their talents are. But everyone has magic inside of themselves if they are encouraged to find it."

Savage promotes reading by interacting with students during his book tours. "Studies show children who read are healthier, make friends easier and are more successful in life," said Savage, who lives in Spanish Fork, Utah, and is traveling to 300 schools to promote his books. He was in Henderson before stopping in Pahrump.

Two enthusiastic student volunteers, Seth and Courtney, performed a comedic magic trick with the assistance of Savage, who tried to pass off a collapsing magic wand to Seth. The youngster finally ended up with a wand that worked -- but it was a glittery pink model rather than the standard black magician's wand.

To be fair, Savage warned all the kids they might be embarrassed if selected.

After the volunteers successfully performed a trick by turning three separate scarves into an American flag, Savage asked the assembled students if that was a trick or real magic. It turned out a magic trick is fun, but it's not like the real magic that happens when students believe in themselves.

He told the youngsters the protagonist, or hero, in "Landkeep" is a wheelchair-bound boy who found the magic in himself, just the way the students in the auditorium could find the magic and hidden talents in themselves.

Although some kids indicated by raising their hands that they would rather listen to or read a story than make one up, Savage went through the basic definitions and steps that helped the assembled group write a story about a girl named Alexi.

He explained there are many kinds of obstacles a kid could encounter, like a mom telling her daughter she can't go to the movies with her friends until her homework is finished. Most of the kids could identify with that.

On the other hand, an obstacle could be a giant mountain of mayonnaise 5,000 feet high the hero has to eat his or her way through to reach the goal on the other side. At the thought of eating all that mayo, a few hundred kids reacted noisily: "Eeewww."

By the end of the assembly period, a wonderfully whimsical tale had been created, and the students had learned the components needed to write a story by simply having fun. It was just like magic.