Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids

Spread the magic
From the Archive · 100,000 Whys · Book 2 · Ages 8–12

Hand down the history. Ten legends, 130 true answers.

A magic history book for kids ages 8–12, curated for collectors who want the next generation to know the real stories. Meet Houdini, Blackstone and eight more legends in 130 illustrated questions and answers.

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Paperback · Opens the book page on Amazon · Examine the pages

  • 130 Q&As
  • 10 legendary magicians
  • Fact and legend, clearly labeled
Front cover of Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids by J. Steven Warburton, a magic history book for kids ages 8 to 12

Every collection starts with a story.

Collectors know how a lifelong passion begins: one good story, handed over at the right age. A magic history book for kids has to compete with screens, and long biographies feel like homework. This volume was written for exactly that moment.

A first shelf of magic history

Short answers and pictures give a young reader a way in, without walls of text.

Provenance, not myth

Magic is full of tall tales. This book tells kids which parts are documented and which are legend.

A gift with staying power

A book a young reader opens twice, and one a collector is glad to have given.

So what if the real stories behind history’s greatest magicians were told as quick, illustrated answers?

What a good magic history book for kids preserves

1

Real curiosity

Every answer sparks the next question, so your child keeps reading to find out what happened next.

2

An easy way in

Short questions and answers with pictures. Read one a night, or the whole book in a weekend.

3

Real heroes to look up to

True stories of perseverance, showmanship and invention from the performers who made the impossible look easy.

4

Fact versus legend

Kids learn to ask “How do we know?” Because the book labels what is documented and what is just a good story, kids can tell the difference.

5

Made for reluctant and visual readers

Infographic-style illustrated pages break history into pieces kids take in at a glance, and a “Magic Words” glossary explains the tricky terms.

Ready to meet the legends?

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Claim This Piece

Sample page from Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids titled Did he really stop a rebellion with magic, showing the documented visit, his dramatic claim and the History Check

Only in this volume

Provenance, applied to history.

Collectors know a good story is not the same as a documented one. So this book tells kids which parts are documented and which are legend.

  • A History Check flags stories historians question, like whether Robert-Houdin really stopped a rebellion in Algeria.
  • Claims that cannot be confirmed are labeled as unconfirmed.
  • Kids build the habit of asking “How do we know?”

In fact, it is the same habit every good collector builds, taught through magic.

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Ten legends in this magic history book for kids

Each chapter opens with an illustrated portrait page, then answers the questions kids really ask: How did they get started? What was their most famous trick? Where can you still see their legacy today?

Jean-Eugène Robert-HoudinThe French watchmaker who turned magic into elegant theater
Harry KellarCalled the “Dean of American Magicians”
Howard ThurstonThe showman who turned Kellar’s levitation into a highlight of his own show
Harry HoudiniThe escape artist who became one of the most famous people on Earth. His chapter has 22 questions.
Theo HardeenHoudini’s brother, who carried the legend forward
Adelaide HerrmannThe Queen of Magic, who rebuilt her show in her seventies
Harry Blackstone Sr.Master of jaw-dropping stage illusions, including the floating light bulb
DanteThe globe-trotting showman behind Sim Sala Bim
Silent MoraThe Man of a Thousand Fingers, famous for wordless sleight of hand
T. Nelson DownsThe Iowa telegrapher turned “King of Koins,” who made coin magic famous

Look inside this magic history book for kids

Clear questions, short answers and pictures on every page. For example, here are eight pages from the book. The illustrations inside are black-and-white line art; the cover is full color.

Four sample pages from Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids: Harry Kellar, Houdini’s real name, Houdini’s book collection, and Blackstone’s floating light bulbFour sample pages from Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids: the Light and Heavy Chest, a History Check page, the T. Nelson Downs portrait and the Magic Words glossary

A fit for collectors, parents and teachers

The collector with a young reader

Hand your own fascination to a child or grandchild aged 8–12. Amazon checkout shows delivery dates before you pay.

Classrooms and libraries

130 short Q&As cover 26 weeks at five a week. Read one aloud to start the day. The Magic Words glossary builds vocabulary.

Reluctant readers

No walls of text. Each page answers one question with pictures, so kids feel progress fast.

Part of the 100,000 Whys series

Curious kids ask big questions. This series answers them in short, illustrated Q&As.

Volume 1: Amazing Magic Trick Answers for Kids

Start here if your child wants to know how magic tricks work. Each book reads on its own.

See Book 1 on Amazon

Why readers pick this book

130questions and answers
10legendary magicians
8–12reading age
1click to the Amazon listing

From the curator. J. Steven Warburton is a former practicing magician and escape artist who has spent more than four decades collecting, researching and preserving rare and vintage magic apparatus. He wrote this book to give kids the real stories behind the legends.

Questions about this magic history book for kids

What ages is it for?

The book is written for ages 8–12. Younger kids who love magic can enjoy it with a parent or grandparent reading along.

Does the book teach magic tricks?

It is built around the people and their famous illusions: true stories, not step-by-step trick instructions. If your child wants to learn how magic works, the first book in the series, Amazing Magic Trick Answers for Kids, covers that.

Is the history accurate?

The book separates what is documented from what is legend. Where a famous story is uncertain, a History Check says so.

Are the pages in color?

The cover is full color. Inside, the illustrations are black-and-white line art with bold, easy-to-read headings.

What is the Magic Words glossary?

A one-page glossary at the back explains 12 terms kids meet in the book, such as sleight of hand, misdirection and vaudeville.

How long does it take to read?

Each chapter has 12 short questions and answers, and the Houdini chapter has 22. Most kids can read a chapter in one sitting, or one question a night.

Do we need the first book in the series?

No. Each book in the 100,000 Whys series reads on its own.

How does checkout work?

Select Add to Collection. Amazon opens the book page, where you add it to your cart and finish checkout using your Amazon account, payment method and shipping address. Shipping and returns follow Amazon’s standard policies.

Is it good for classrooms and libraries?

Yes. The short question-and-answer format suits read-alouds, reading centers and classroom, homeschool or family libraries. 130 questions covers 26 weeks at five a week.

Preserve the legends. Pass on the magic.

130 illustrated Q&As · Ages 8–12 · Paperback

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Amazing Famous Magician Answers for Kids
Paperback · Ages 8–12Add to Collection

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