Digging Up Wonder
Through Reading
An Interactive Magic & Storytelling Program for Libraries
Digging Up Wonder is a high-energy, highly interactive magic program that helps children discover the power of books through imagination, science, and storytelling.
Using live magic, dinosaur themes, and audience participation, the program positions the library as a place of wonder where questions lead to discovery and stories change what we believe.
Children don’t just watch – they participate, think, imagine, and explore.
WHY LIBRARIES LOVE THIS PROGRAM
• Aligns with literacy, learning, and youth engagement goals
• Supports Summer Reading and themed programming
• Encourages continued exploration of library resources
• Fully self-contained and adaptable to library spaces
• Interactive, inclusive, and memorable
EDUCATIONAL & DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS
- Encourages Reading & Library Use: Books are presented as tools for discovery, motivating children to
explore library collections. - Builds Listening & Literacy Skills: Poetry, storytelling, and guided interaction reinforce attention and comprehension.
- Promotes Critical Thinking & Curiosity: Mystery, prediction, and problem-solving are woven throughout the program.
- Supports STEM & Informational Literacy: Dinosaur science, fossils, migration, and historical discovery are introduced in age-appropriate ways.
- Develops Confidence & Social Skills: Volunteers collaborate on stage in a safe, encouraging environment.
- Encourages Creativity & Imagination: Drawing, visualization, and storytelling support creative expression.
- Reinforces Growth Mindset: Children learn that discovery takes time and mistakes are part of learning.
Who Is Carrie Rostollan?
Simply speaking, Carrie has loved magic since she was very young.
Her first magical experience was seeing illusionist Doug Henning performing on television in the late 1970’s.
In the 1980’s and ’90s, David Copperfield was all over TV, and she obsessed over the close-up magic he performed. She wanted to learn that stuff!
And so she did.
In the 2000s, her friends in the magic club told me, “You need to offer your magic to the public now.” And the rest – as they say – is history.
Carrie is currently serving central Michigan with her unique skills as a prfoessional magicienne (female magician)… and has just launched her brand new LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM: Unearth a Story: Digging Up Wonder Through Reading for elementary aged children.
Kids who participate in this highly-interactive magical experience walk away inspired to dig up their own wonder through books – and a renewed appreciation for their local library!