Jeopardy! star James Holzhauer, whom the Washington Post called “undeniably the most dynamic, unstoppable force in the show’s modern 35-year history,” used a secret weapon—children’s books—to become a game-show millionaire. Karen Springen from Publishers Weekly checked in with the quiz-show phenom about his prepping strategy and his favorite titles:
You told the New York Times that reading kids’ books is part of your Jeopardy! strategy, and said the library’s children’s section is the place to go for books “tailored to make things interesting for uninterested readers.” Which books and series did you find the most helpful?
I particularly enjoyed Zachary Hamby’s books on mythology, and the Classics Illustrated series of literary adaptations.
How did you find the most Jeopardy!-friendly books at the library? For example, did you approach librarians there, or did you just browse randomly?
I started off with the shotgun approach. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself because I was living in Seattle at the time [in 2012] and their libraries actually don’t allow adults in the children’s section without a kid.
So did you bring friends’ kids with you? Or did you just explain to a librarian why you needed to be in the children’s section?
I mostly placed holds on books. When I needed to browse the shelves, I did so quickly and tried not to look like a creeper. No one ever made an issue out of it.
Which library or libraries deserve a shout-out?
I’ve lived in four different cities since I started my Jeopardy! journey [in 2012]: Seattle; San Diego; Naperville, Ill.; and Las Vegas. All had excellent library resources.
What kids’ books and authors were your favorites as a child? Did your parents read you lots of nonfiction, or did you prefer more traditional Dr. Seuss-like stories then?
My parents read me some typical children’s books: Green Eggs and Ham, The Little Engine That Could, Peter Rabbit. But I quickly developed a preference for nonfiction books about baseball and math, by the likes of Bill James and Martin Gardner.
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