Careful, don’t take your eyes away from this page. You are about to enter a world of mystery and suspense ? a world of illusion and trickery ? a world of magic.
And everything will be spelled out for you with easy step by step instructions and helpful pictures thanks to junior magician Jeff Renaker.
Renaker, a freshman at Clarkston High School, is a first time author at the tender age of 14. He has published his own magic book entitled ‘Magic, 25 Easy Tricks That Will Amaze Your Friends.?
The 50-page beginner’s guide to magic covers many basic tricks including Levitation Comb, Vanishing Coin, Invisible String and Cut the Man in Half.
‘I wanted to create a fairly easy trick book to learn – almost anybody can sit down and learn the tricks,? said Renaker. ‘It’s fairly easy to understand, at least, I hope it is. That’s what I intended.?
So where does a seventh grader get the idea to write a book? His father of course.
‘I was in sixth or seventh grade and we were in the car on a road trip to Florida and talking about how hard magic books are to understand,? explained Renaker. ‘My dad just said ‘You should write your own,? and I just kept that tucked in my head.?
Renaker explained that what he dislikes about most magic books, especially those geared towards more complicated tricks, is the lack of photos. He became frustrated by pages and pages of hard to follow text.
‘I aimed this book at young kids,? Renaker said. ‘I just picked the easiest tricks I knew how to do.?
The Clarkston ninth grader took about six weeks to write out the step by step instructions. All of the photos in the book were taken by Renaker’s father Gene and are of the junior magician’s own hands and body. Gene Renaker also assisted his son with the layout.
The proofreading for the book was done by Lisa Sunderlin and the professional cover was taken by Mark Einhaus. Then entire process began in January of this year and finished this past August.
‘I was just a happy kid when it was published,? said Renaker. ‘I was so glad it was done.?
Renaker became involved in magic thanks to a friend of his father’s. The Carkston youth said he was five years old when his dad’s friend performed a trick where he stuck a pen through a fake tongue. He instantly became hooked by the trade.
‘That was kind of a weird trick,? he remembers, ‘but it did it. That’s all it took.?
Renaker said his favorite trick is pulling a card out of thin air. ‘That was one of the first tricks I learned. It was hard to do,? he said with a smile.
Looking into the future is not yet a trick the junior magician has learned to master. However, he does know that he plans on making his own instructional magic video and hopes to attend Full Sail Film School in Florida after graduation.
‘The video is something I hope to try and jump into this year,? he concluded. ‘I’m not sure when, but I know I’m going to do it.?
Renaker’s ‘Magic, 25 Easy Tricks That Will Amaze Your Friends? is published through Trafford Books, Victoria, BC, Canada. The book is currently available online through www.trafford.com, and will be available through Amazon.com around Thanksgiving.