To kick off its One School, One Read three-week event, Sandy Hook Elementary School hosted Danny Rodrigue, stage name Danny Magic, on Friday, March 13.

According to Sandy Hook School language arts consultant Cynthia McArthur, a One School, One Read committee read about 20 books before selecting this year’s book, which will be read by the entire school community over the next three weeks.

One School, One Read is a yearly reading event for Sandy Hook School. For the 2002-03 school year, the first year One School, One Read was held at Sandy Hook School, the school community read Charlotte’s Webb by E.B. White. Other One, School One Read books have been The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling, The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney, Red Slider by Blair Hickson, A Bear Named Trouble by Marion Dane Bauer, The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies, Stuart Little by E.B. White, and Frindle by Andrew Clements. The 2013-14 One School, One Read book was How Do You Burp in Space? And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know by Susan E. Goodman.

Before this year’s One School, One Read book was unveiled, Danny Magic gave a presentation for the entire school. The school’s PTA sponsored Danny Magic’s presentation.

Danny Magic, according to his website, dannymagic.biz, is a professional comic magician. He brought a number of students up from the audience to help him with tricks. During one trick he had asked kindergartener Reinna Bianco, who was celebrating her birthday that day, to be up front with him.

He had the audience “add” ingredients into a birthday cake pan by pretending to throw ingredients toward the pan. After mixing and asking Reinna to look inside the pan, Danny Magic placed a top on the cake pan and presented Reinna with a rabbit instead of a cake, to laughter from the audience.

“Let’s make you something special for your birthday,” Danny Magic told Reinna next.

He walked Reinna through ripping up pink and black tissue paper, then rolled the ripped pieces together into a small ball and unwrapped the ball. Reinna was presented with a pink and black tissue paper bonnet for her efforts.

After Danny Magic’s presentation, Sandy Hook School Assistant Principal Tim Napolitano unveiled this year’s One School, One Read book to be Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney.

The book tells the story of Humphrey, a hamster and a classroom pet, who must learn to be friends with a new classroom pet, Og, a frog.

Sandy Hook School Principal Kathy Gombos spoke after the unveiling, saying she is excited for One School, One Read to begin. She also said she expects to hear conversations about the book happening between students throughout the school day for the next three weeks.