A magician never reveals his secrets . . . but HP Newquist does, in this illustrated history of magic and famous magicians! Magic is a word we use to describe something amazing, awe-inspiring, or spectacular. Truly great magic makes us believe in things we know can't be real. In the hands of the greatest magicians, even a simple card trick can become truly wondrous. Now, in this nonfiction narrative of magic through the ages, HP Newquist explains how the world's most famous tricks were created. From the oracles of ancient Egypt and the wizards of medieval Europe on to the exploits of Houdini and modern practitioners like Criss Angel, this book unlocks the secrets behind centuries of magic and illusion. Fully illustrated and including step-by-step instructions for eight classic magic tricks, this book will have middle-grade readers spellbound.
Abracadabra Flute has become a classic in the market, and here is a brand new edition. The cover has been redesigned, the music re-set, and new illustrations commissioned. Some new material has been added, supplying extra help where new notes are introduced and reinforcement exercises for tricky corners. As well as the new edition, there is now a CD available. Performed by professional musicians, it demonstrates each piece on flute with piano accompaniments from our book Abracadabra Flute Piano Accompaniments, enabling the pupil to hear how the pieces sound. Such a CD is invaluable for ensemble experience, and offers all the fun of playing with an accompaniment - perfect for home practice and concerts alike.
Sun shines on a patch of snow. Hocus pocus! Where did it go? Winter turns to spring in this lyrical book that celebrates the magic of nature and the changing seasons. Eleven gatefolds open to re-create the excitement and surprise of spring’s arrival, revealing what happens when snow melts, trees bud, flowers bloom, birds arrive, and eggs and cocoons hatch. Finally, it’s warm enough to pack away winter clothes and go out and play!
Little Owl is afraid of falling and will not try to fly until his forest friends persuade him to say a special word--and keep trying, even after he fails. Includes note for parents.
"What if you could make your little sister disappear? When Jordy discovers a magic wand, he learns he can do just that. But after the wand is stolen, Jordy must recover it or risk losing his sister forever! "
A pupil's tutor on playing the clarinet. This second edition is redesigned and revised, and contains new material, giving extra help where new notes are introduced and at tricky corners. There are new illustrations and re-set music.
A novel of magic, birds, lost letters and love. Sydney, 1929: three people find themselves washed up on the steps of Miss Du Maurier's bohemian boarding house in a once grand terrace in Newtown. Ari is a young Jewish man, a pogrom orphan, who lives under the stern rule of his rabbi uncle, but dreams his father is Houdini. Upon his hand he bears a forbidden mark - a tattoo - and has a secret ambition to be a magician. Finding an injured parrot one day on the street, Ari is unsure of how to care for it, until he meets young runaway Lily, a glimmering girl after his own abracadabra heart. Together they form a magical act, but their lives take a strange twist when wild card Billy, a charming and dangerous drifter twisted by the war, can no longer harbour secret desires of his own. The Bird's Child is a feat of sleight-of-hand. Birds speak, keys appear from nowhere, boxes spill secrets and the dead talk. this is a magical, stunningly original, irresistible novel - both an achingly beautiful love story and a slowly unfurling mystery of belonging. 'A wonderful, strange, glittering book, full of astounding imagination, glorious really.' Edward Carey, author of Heap House 'A shimmering dream of haunted pasts. A silver girl. Abandoned boys. All the magic of the stage. The Bird's Child is a delight.' Essie Fox, author of The Somnambulist The Bird's Child is entirely original, its familiar Sydney settings set asparkle and rendered dreamlike by Sandra Leigh Price's lyrical and lovely writing. This is a magical fable that penetrates to deep emotional truths.' Geraldine Brooks 'This debut novel brings 1920s Sydney to life through a fairytale lens, highlighting the city's romance, its magic and its mystery ... It is the Australian setting that sets this quirky historical romance apart from others of its genre. Price's dream-like portrayal of a bygone Sydney - with its vaudeville shows and opium dens, lyrebirds and swagmen - establishes a unique mood that transforms the local into the exotic, making The Bird's Child a memorable tale.' Australian Book Review 'Gritty yet enchanting ... often deliciously sumptuous and erotically charged ... unusual, imaginative' Newtown Review of Books 'Skilfully written and richly imagined' Sydney Morning Herald
BAG OF TRICKS Eleven-year-old Juice Smith's favorite place in the whole world was the old abandoned Wilner Theatre. There on its dark and dusty stage she could pretend to be "Juice the Magnifico" performing magic with her bag of tricks. Her grandfather, a long-time member of the local Sleights-of-Hand, had given her a special skeleton key, and to Juice's surprise it fit right in the lock of the ornate old trunk that had been left backstage … BLACK MAGIC The Sleights-of-Hand were furious when they discovered at their next meeting that Nat Smith had given his skeleton key–the skeleton key–to his granddaughter. Nat wondered what they could possible be afraid of after all these years. But one by one over the next few weeks, the venerable members of the Sleights-of-Hand would find their magical talents failing them at crucial–and gruesome–moments. And Nat would discover there was good reason to be afraid. Very afraid.
Magicians use more than just mirrors, string, and sleight of hand to deceive their audience. Those who are masters at this trade have developed an arsenal of techniques to manipulate people. Every action and utterance on stage and off is precisely planned to achieve a specific effect. Abracadabra! is an insider's look at what goes on at a magic show, behind-the-scenes, and in the mind of the magician. Nathaniel Schiffman explains the principles of deception, exposing those innocent-seeming motions that conceal vital actions from onlookers; how the conjurer uses misdirection of space and time to mislead the audience; how silly and simple optical illusions can fool us, and what to look for during a magic show. Also explored in detail is the world of off-stage magic. Some "magicians" use various techniques in life to deceive and influence you, yet these magicians don't boast of their magic talent, because they are advertisers, politicians, army commanders, spies, con artists, computer programmers, movie directors, faith healers, psychics, and others. These "magicians" work to make you buy their product, believe in their cause, and influence your thinking from the time you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night. This is not a "how to" book for aspiring magicians, but a layperson's guide to methods used to mislead or fool you. Lighthearted and informal, Abracadabra! will fascinate anyone interested in knowing how one person can control many. Included are hands-on experiments, magic tricks, and reader participation segments. You'll soon see that magicians don't just manipulate playing cards and animals; they manipulate you.
