By the end of America s Golden Age of Magic, Chicago had taken center stage in front of an American audience drawn to the craft by the likes of Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston. Cashing in on a craze that rivaled big-band mania, magic shops and clubs sprang up everywhere across the Windy City, packed in customers and put down roots. Over the last century, for example, Magic, Inc. has outfitted magicians from Harry Blackstone Sr. to Penn and Teller to David Copperfield. Magic was an integral part of Chicago s culture, from its earliest venture into live television to the card sharps and hucksters lurking in its amusement parks and pool halls. David Witter keeps track of the shell game of Chicago s fascinating magic history from its vaudeville circuit to its contemporary resurgence.

The third and final book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising. 'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones on Inkheart Life in the Inkworld has been far from easy since the extraordinary events of Inkspell, when the story of Inkheart magically drew Meggie, Mo and Dustfinger back into its pages. With Dustfinger dead, and the evil Adderhead now in control, the story in which they are all caught has taken an unhappy turn. Even Elinor, left alone in the real world, believes her family to be lost - lost between the covers of a book. But as winter comes on there is reason to hope - if only Meggie and Mo can rewrite the wrongs of the past and make a dangerous pact with death ... A thrilling and magical series about stories and the imagination they inspire Book 1, Inkheart, is now a major movie starring Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany and Brendan Fraser! Cornelia Funke is the critically-acclaimed, internationally bestselling author of Dragon Rider and The Thief Lord

The second book in Cornelia Funke's internationally celebrated trilogy - magical, thrilling and mesmerising. 'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading' Diana Wynne Jones Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of the extraordinary events of Inkheart, and the story whose characters strode out of the pages, and changed her life for ever. But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater, torn from his world of words, the need to return has become desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller with the magical ability to read him back, he sets in motion a dangerous reversal that sees the characters of Inkheart transported to a charmed Inkworld, about to be fought over by rival rebels and princes ... A thrilling and magical series about stories and the imagination they inspire Book 1, Inkheart, is now a major movie starring Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany and Brendan Fraser! The adventure continues in book 3, Inkdeath Cornelia Funke is the critically-acclaimed, internationally bestselling author of Dragon Rider and The Thief Lord

A spellbinding new fantasy novel from the author of The Apprentice Witch series - perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and Diana Wynne Jones. 'A cosy, magical adventure which touches on the problems associated with fast fashion.' THE BOOKSELLER 'Enchanting' THE WEEK JUNIOR Hen dreams of joining the family spell-tailor business, making magical homemade outfits. But the shop is struggling, thanks to the cheap clothing factory that has opened nearby. Stumbling upon a stitch - one that can sew memories into seams - Hen thinks he has the answer that will save them. Instead, he's shocked to be banned from sowing forever. What is going on? And can he unravel the mystery before it's too late? Combines James Nicol's trademark cosy fantasy with an enchanting mystery - perfect for readers 8 and up Explores the real magic of clothes as Hen, a spell tailor's apprentice, struggles to master his family craft - and discovers a new kind of stitch in the process A warm hug of a book - one to curl up with in your favourite old jumper!

This fascinating study explores the multifarious erotic themes associated with the magic lantern shows, which proved the dominant visual medium of the West for 350 years, and analyses how the shows influenced the portrayals of sexuality in major works of Gothic fiction.

Conjuring Science explores the history of magic shows and scientific entertainment. It follows the frictions and connections of magic and science as they occurred in the world of popular entertainment in France from the mid-eighteenth to the early twentieth century. It situates conjurers within the broader culture of science and argues that stage magic formed an important popular conduit for science and scientific enthusiasm during this period. From the scientific recreations of the fairs to the grand illusions of the theatre stage and the development of early cinema, conjurers used and were inspired by scientific and technological innovations to create illusions, provoke a sense of wonder, and often even instruct their audience. In their hands, science took on many meanings and served different purposes: it was a set of pleasant facts and recreational demonstrations upon which to draw; it was the knowledge presented in various scientific lectures accompanied by optical projections at magic shows; it was the techniques necessary to create illusions and effects on stage and later on at the cinema; and it was a way to separate conjuring from the deceit of mediums, mystical showmen and quacks in order to gain a better standing within an increasingly scientifically-minded society.