“My favorite part of Mark Zacharia’s magical performance was his friend, Murray the rabbit [puppet]. It was so hilarious and the children laughed. Mark’s performance met the East Orange Public Library needs through the great importance of telling the children why they need to read and how the library will help them through school and afterwards. Mark spoke about the importance of a summer reading program being essential to their lives, which will not only enhance their reading skills but open up avenues for them to become creative with ideas they may come up with. Librarians should know that Mark Zacharia puts on a terrific show that entertains and engages the audience while talking about the importance of libraries–and, if I might add, he is willing to work with the librarian’s budget. I brought him back to entertain my community later the same year. The children thought he was wonderful, especially with the giveaways he gave to each child: kazoos and library cards, which was a neat idea!” ,