Text and diagrams explain easy-to-do magic tricks which utilize common objects such as coins, rubber bands, and string.

Kids love magic. They love to see it, and they love to do it. Enter Joshua Jay, who started doing magic when he was 7 and was named champion at the World Magic Seminar (the Olympics of magic) by the time he was 16. His Big Magic for Little Hands is packed with 25 astonishing illusions for kids ages 7 and up. In other words, it’s sleight of hand for the small of hand. These are tricks that require little prep time and dexterity yet are guaranteed to deliver a big payoff. The large format, oversized ext, and black-and-white vintage-style illustrations make Big Magic particularly easy to follow and kid-friendly. Here’s how to levitate your sibling several feet off a bed. Escape Houdini-like from tightly bound ropes. There are also impromptu effects that can be performed anytime, anywhere, like Spook-Key, in which an antique key mysteriously rotates in your hand. Each easy-to-perform feat is clearly illustrated with step-by-step drawings and accompanied by insider tips. Joshua Jay is a master who guides his apprentices through every aspect of the magician’s art, from the first step—taking the Magician’s Oath—to how to minimize nervousness (Rule #1: Rehearse. A lot).

By presenting the popular 1-2-3 Magic parenting program from a child’s point of view, this innovative guide provides kids with a thorough understanding of the disciplinary system—from the counting and time-out methods parents will be using to how better behavior benefits the entire family and leaves more time for play. Storytelling portions are coupled with copious illustrations to help describe the basic tenets of 1-2-3 Magic—such as positive reinforcement, charting, and the docking system—while a question-and-answer section outlines common situations, including What if I don’t go to my room? Will I still be counted if I have a friend over? and What kinds of things can we do for one-on-one fun? Crossword puzzles, word searches, and journal suggestions further encourage children to apply what they’ve learned about the methods.

Publisher Description

Dozens of scientific "magic tricks" based in mathematics, chemistry, optical illusion, paper cutting, and magnetism.

A Hidden Treasure Sig, Artie, Kim, and Ras live in the same neighborhood and go to the same school, but they have nothing in common...until each of them sneaks into the old abandoned house on the corner and discovers the strange puzzle box covered with pictures of four dragons. Drawn by powerful magic, the boys find themselves bound together by a mystery that will transform them all—and transport them into worlds that are populated by heroes and dragons of lore....

A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist. It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within.

An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can. Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t. Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride. “Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life, a winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers (Kirkus Reviews).

Includes an excerpt from "The trouble with magic."

In the world of Mariopa, everyone is a magician. Even animals and plants use the ever present magical stuff some of the inhabitants call pollen to enhance their lives. The problem is, lightning went through Sam Smith's little five-year-old body and burned out his ability to manipulate pollen. He became, in that life-defining moment, a boy without magic in a world filled with it.