Daughter of the Great Zandini

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Theo is the heir-apparent to a long line of great magicians—the
Zandinis. Unfortunately, his father, the Great Zandini, is oblivious to
the fact that Theo has not inherited the family talent and wants only to
marry Collette and open a phonograph shop. Goaded on by arch-enemy A.S.
Bessette, a conjuring reporter for the Paris Gazette, Papa Zandini
prepares to mount a new show debuting his son.

Predictably, Theo’s attempts at even the simplest illusions are
disastrous, so Fanny, Theo’s sister, who has all the talent in the
family, comes to the rescue. Disguising herself as a boy she takes to
the streets delighting passersby with her illusions and urging them to
attend her father’s show. In the process she attracts the attention of
A.S. Bessette who enrages her father by singing the praises of the
mysterious young magician. The Great Zandini challenges the usurper to a
showdown. Crowds gather and the showdown begins. The two conjurers
perform one amazing illusion after another until, finally, they are
finished and it seems The Great Zandini has won. But the young magician
has one final trick up “his” sleeve: he turns himself into Fanny,
daughter of The Great Zandini.

The twists and turns of the plot and the surprise ending in which the
true identity of A.S. Bessette is revealed will keep young readers
turning the pages. The newsprint-type paper, pen-and-ink sketches, and
cover illustration reminiscent of old theatre billboard posters help to
transport us back to days when conjurers astonished and delighted
audiences with their feats of magic. Recommended.