When Eagle Bay Elementary students enjoy a show, they're not shy about letting the performer know how they feel.

Last week, fantasy author J. Scott Savage visited Farmington's Eagle Bay Elementary to promote his new Far World series as part of his national book tour.

When the assembly was over, Eagle Bay students gave Savage a standing ovation.

The Spanish Fork author encouraged students to "discover the magic inside" themselves, just as the main characters in his book, Marcus and Kyja, sought to discover their own personal magic.

Savage told the children it's never too early to accomplish great things, noting that Braille was created by a 15-year-old, and another youngster, George Nissen, invented the trampoline at 16.

Savage found his purpose, or "the magic inside" himself, as a young boy, making up stories and telling them to his cousins.

He has written a few books for adults, but was never able to quit his day job at a software company to write full time. He hopes his five-part Far World series will be a success so he can become a full-time youth fantasy author.

During the assembly, Savage taught kids a "foolproof" way to write their own stories.

It's simple, he said. All you need is a hero with a goal and obstacles that stand in his or her path.

Savage told the kids their magic could be anything - story-telling, academics, sports - and they shouldn't wait long to find out what it is.

At the end of the assembly, Savage asked the kids to scream in unison: "The most powerful magic is inside me!"

Hundreds of kids let out deafening and nearly unintelligible screams.

"THE MOST POWERFUL MAGIC IS INSIDE ME!!!"

Principal Ofellia Wade was thrilled to have a real-life author visit her school because it inspires children and lets them know they can become an author someday, too.

"[They think] 'This person was once a child that sat in a school just like them and is now writing these books,' " Wade said. "It also creates a greater interest in the book or a new way to look at the book."

Far World is about Marcus, a wheelchair-bound boy from Arizona who feels like an outsider.

"When Marcus is depressed or sad," Savage said, "he dreams of a world where everyone has magic - Far World."

It turns out Far World is a real place. Marcus goes there and meets Kyja, the only person in this whimsical world without magical powers. Both feel like they don't belong and must team up to save Far World and Earth.

"I wanted a story with heroes with real weaknesses that don't magically go away," Savage said.

ndicou@sltrib.com

Most memorable teacher recalled

Most people have at least one teacher who stands out in memory. It could be the teacher who used love and understanding to encourage students, or the teacher who used tough love and consequences in the classroom. Interested to know what effect teachers have on local leaders?

Each week the Class Act page will feature one community leader's memory of a favorite teacher.

This week's Most Memorable Teacher quote comes from Shauna Carl, associate superintendent of the Salt Lake School District, who has fond memories of Mae Williams, her sixth-grade teacher at Columbus Elementary in Salt Lake City.

"She is one of my most memorable teachers because she taught me to have courage and to stick up for myself and to face problems," Carl said. "She helped me develop my character and my personal integrity."