We asked Holzhauer about the importance of kids books in his prep, and which ones have proved most useful:

How are kids' books more helpful than adult books in preparing for the show?

You may be able to read an adult book about a boring subject without falling asleep, but I can't. For me, it was either read some children's books - designed to engage the reader - or go into "Jeopardy!" with giant gaps in my knowledge base.

Which children's books are you most grateful that you've read? Can you give us a list of a handful that turned out to be most useful?

The Classics Illustrated series was an excellent primer in literature, and I also really enjoyed Zachary Hamby's mythology books for teens.

Can you tell us about a game-vital fact or two that you learned from a kids' book that you wouldn't have otherwise known?

I had a Daily Double about the Denver Mint, which came from some Americana book that I can't remember the name of.

To read the complete article, see:
The children's books that turned James Holzhauer into a 'Jeopardy!' champ(https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-childrens-books-that-turned-james-holzhauer-into-a-jeopardy-champ/2019/05/02/e0835e5e-6cd2-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html)