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Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic
Be astonished and dazzled by the true story of Adelaide Herrmann, the Queen of Magic!
Some girls are perfectly happy never doing anything out of the ordinary. But Addie was anything but ordinary. She longed for thrills and excitement! At a time when a young lady appearing onstage was considered most unusual, Addie defied convention and became a dancer. And when she married the world-famous magician Herrmann the Great, she knew she had to be part of his show. Addie wanted to shock and dazzle! She would do anything to draw the crowds, even agree to be shot out of a cannon. But when Herrmann the Great died, Addie couldn’t disappoint her loyal fans — the show had to go on. What could she do? She would perform the show all by herself! From the creators of Mesmerized, this rollicking romp tells the true story of one fearless magician’s rise to glory, featuring exquisitely lavish illustrations by Iacopo Bruno. Extensive back matter, including instructions for performing one of Addie’s original tricks, makes this a dazzling celebration of one of the first female conjurers in show business.
Some girls are perfectly happy never doing anything out of the ordinary. But Addie was anything but ordinary. She longed for thrills and excitement! At a time when a young lady appearing onstage was considered most unusual, Addie defied convention and became a dancer. And when she married the world-famous magician Herrmann the Great, she knew she had to be part of his show. Addie wanted to shock and dazzle! She would do anything to draw the crowds, even agree to be shot out of a cannon. But when Herrmann the Great died, Addie couldn’t disappoint her loyal fans — the show had to go on. What could she do? She would perform the show all by herself! From the creators of Mesmerized, this rollicking romp tells the true story of one fearless magician’s rise to glory, featuring exquisitely lavish illustrations by Iacopo Bruno. Extensive back matter, including instructions for performing one of Addie’s original tricks, makes this a dazzling celebration of one of the first female conjurers in show business.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2016
About the author
Mara Rockliff
37 books60 followersMara Rockliff is the author of many lively historical books for children, including Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France, winner of the Cook Prize and an Orbis Pictus Honor book.
Her newest titles are Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women's Sports and Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope. Other recent books include Around America to Win the Vote; Anything but Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic; and Gingerbread for Liberty! (an ALA Notable Children's Book and winner of the Garden State Children's Book Award and Land of Enchantment Book Award). Under the pen name Lewis B. Montgomery, she wrote all twelve books in the popular Milo & Jazz Mysteries chapter book series.
Rockliff lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family. Visit her online at mararockliff.com.
Her newest titles are Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women's Sports and Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope. Other recent books include Around America to Win the Vote; Anything but Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic; and Gingerbread for Liberty! (an ALA Notable Children's Book and winner of the Garden State Children's Book Award and Land of Enchantment Book Award). Under the pen name Lewis B. Montgomery, she wrote all twelve books in the popular Milo & Jazz Mysteries chapter book series.
Rockliff lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family. Visit her online at mararockliff.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
February 22, 2019
This picture biography dazzles with daring escapades and colorful cutout illustrations reminiscent of paper dolls and circus posters. The facts about Adelaide Herrmann are absolutely astonishing. She most certainly put the show in show woman. In sixty five years of magic, she wowed the likes of P.T. Barnum and Buffalo Bill. What a shame her legacy died out for so long. Kudos to Margaret Steele who tenaciously searched for Addie's story until the manuscript was recovered and shared with the world.
September 28, 2019
I'm really enjoying making my way through Mara Rockliff's picture book biographies. She writes engaging stories with meaningful facts that make her subjects come to life and includes detailed authors notes and bibliographic materials. Often, she focuses on important characters left out of history books.
In this case, we meet The Queen of Magic, Adelaide Hermann. Yes, back in the late 1800s/early 1900s, one of the most famous magicians was a woman! Even Harry Houdini was a fan. So maddening that she has been all but forgotten. Children need to know that women can be great magicians, too. (Indeed, regrettably, I'd also never heard of modern female magician Margaret Steele, who was instrumental in bringing Addie's memoirs to light.) This is a gorgeously illustrated and engaging story about Addie and the risks and rewards of pushing the limits as a magician.
One note, and perhaps I am being overly cautious and sensitive here, but this is a children's book and in this day and age I feel obligated to point out that one of the magic acts highlighted in the story is the Bullet-Catching Trick, in which "soldiers" fire at the magician who holds up a china plate as his/her only means of protection against the bullets. The story does point out that it was extremely dangerous and that magicians had been killed performing the trick. However, it is also held up as an amazing trick that drew crowds and there is a reason Addie eventually feels compelled to include in in her show. There's a website in the back matter that explains how the trick was performed.
In this case, we meet The Queen of Magic, Adelaide Hermann. Yes, back in the late 1800s/early 1900s, one of the most famous magicians was a woman! Even Harry Houdini was a fan. So maddening that she has been all but forgotten. Children need to know that women can be great magicians, too. (Indeed, regrettably, I'd also never heard of modern female magician Margaret Steele, who was instrumental in bringing Addie's memoirs to light.) This is a gorgeously illustrated and engaging story about Addie and the risks and rewards of pushing the limits as a magician.
One note, and perhaps I am being overly cautious and sensitive here, but this is a children's book and in this day and age I feel obligated to point out that one of the magic acts highlighted in the story is the Bullet-Catching Trick, in which "soldiers" fire at the magician who holds up a china plate as his/her only means of protection against the bullets. The story does point out that it was extremely dangerous and that magicians had been killed performing the trick. However, it is also held up as an amazing trick that drew crowds and there is a reason Addie eventually feels compelled to include in in her show. There's a website in the back matter that explains how the trick was performed.
March 3, 2021
Visually appealing, and the art is perfectly matched to the subject matter. I hate that so many women have been lost to history, and I'm glad that the relatively new genre of picture book biographies are introducing some influential people that we, as a society, don't hear enough about. Adelaide Herrmann? Why is it that even I, non-magic aficionado that I am, have heard of Harry Blackstone and Harry Houdini, but have never even heard mention of the woman who is arguably just as important?
October 7, 2022
What a fascinating biography! The illustrations were exquisite!!
March 8, 2018
Like most people, I’m sure, I’ve always thought of magicians as men because I’d never heard of any who were women—until now. Thanks to Mara Rockliff, I now know about Adelaide Herrmann, who started out as a performer herself, then became an assistant to her magician husband and finally, after his death, a magician in her own right. Iacopo Bruno’s colorful illustrations remind me of Victorian posters and dioramas, perfect for this type of show biz. At the end of the book Rockliff includes a photo of Addie, more information about her life, and, most interesting to me, how we know about her today. He even mentions another female magician whom I’d never heard of—Margaret Steele (the subject of his next book?). And if you’re curious about how the trick of catching a bullet fired from a gun onto a plate held in front of you is done, Rockliff also provides his web site address, where you can find out. A fun book recommended for budding magicians everywhere.
June 9, 2016
Amazing. the 3D cutout effect is really, well, effective. Gorgeous, lush illustrations make each page a visual delicacy. And can I tell you how much it pisses me off that a woman who was that famous in her time was completely ignored by history? Thank goodness her memoir was kept safe all those years!!
February 2, 2019
I'd never heard of Adelaide (Addie) Hermann...
Did you know that she was originally a ballerina but she grew bored with it?
Did you know that she was from Belgian and spoke perfect French?
Did you know that she traveled all around the world with her husband performing magic?
Did you know that Harry Houdini was a fan of HERS?
Did you know she voluntarily shot herself out of a cannon because she wanted to?
Did you know that she shocked the world by becoming one of the first prominent FEMALE only magicians?
I love this lady. She defied social norms. She didn't care. She did what made her happy, regardless of what anyone else told her she couldn't do.
Just wait til you read her grand finale trick!
The cool thing about this book is that hardly anyone knows who this woman was, because her writings had all been shut up in an attic until very recently.
Excellent information, fast read, BEAUTIFUL illustrations, oh and there's no spoilers about the magic tricks in the book.
POOF!
Did you know that she was originally a ballerina but she grew bored with it?
Did you know that she was from Belgian and spoke perfect French?
Did you know that she traveled all around the world with her husband performing magic?
Did you know that Harry Houdini was a fan of HERS?
Did you know she voluntarily shot herself out of a cannon because she wanted to?
Did you know that she shocked the world by becoming one of the first prominent FEMALE only magicians?
I love this lady. She defied social norms. She didn't care. She did what made her happy, regardless of what anyone else told her she couldn't do.
Just wait til you read her grand finale trick!
The cool thing about this book is that hardly anyone knows who this woman was, because her writings had all been shut up in an attic until very recently.
Excellent information, fast read, BEAUTIFUL illustrations, oh and there's no spoilers about the magic tricks in the book.
POOF!
March 29, 2016
The true story of Adelaide Herrmann, the Queen of Magic, a spunky female artist in a male-dominated profession.
February 8, 2017
I loved this book! The text was begging to be read aloud, so I read it to my dog. Great illustration style.
2017 Amelia Bloomer Project
2017 Amelia Bloomer Project
Read
October 6, 2020This picture biography dazzles with daring escapades and colorful cutout illustrations reminiscent of paper dolls and circus posters. The facts about Adelaide Herrmann are absolutely astonishing. She most certainly put the show in show woman. In sixty five years of magic, she wowed the likes of P.T. Barnum and Buffalo Bill. What a shame her legacy died out for so long. Kudos to Margaret Steele who tenaciously searched for Addie's story until the manuscript was recovered and shared with the world.
* Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
* Reviewed by Darla from Red Bridge *
January 26, 2019
Opening Moves
*Draw attention to the genre
*Prompt predictions based on the title/cover
*Draw attention to the genre
Did you notice the title says it is the true story of Adelaide Herrman? Are all stories true? What do we call stories that are made up? (Fiction) What do we call stories that are about real people or things? (Nonfiction) This is a special kind of nonfiction. It is a book about a person. Some books are written by that person. Is this written by Adelaide Herrmann? (No) So this is a book about someone but it is written by someone else. We call that a biography. If she wrote about her own life it would be called an autobiography.
*Prompt predictions based on the title/cover
Say “Usually when a person has a biography written about them they did something pretty important.” What do you think Adelaide may have done that was important? What are our clues? (Queen of Magic, picture of circus/curtains) Let’s read to see what kind of magic she performed and why someone would want to write an entire book about her.
*Draw attention to the genre
*Prompt predictions based on the title/cover
*Draw attention to the genre
Did you notice the title says it is the true story of Adelaide Herrman? Are all stories true? What do we call stories that are made up? (Fiction) What do we call stories that are about real people or things? (Nonfiction) This is a special kind of nonfiction. It is a book about a person. Some books are written by that person. Is this written by Adelaide Herrmann? (No) So this is a book about someone but it is written by someone else. We call that a biography. If she wrote about her own life it would be called an autobiography.
*Prompt predictions based on the title/cover
Say “Usually when a person has a biography written about them they did something pretty important.” What do you think Adelaide may have done that was important? What are our clues? (Queen of Magic, picture of circus/curtains) Let’s read to see what kind of magic she performed and why someone would want to write an entire book about her.
January 24, 2019
How many of you love Magic?! (listen to responses) What does it mean to be just ordinary? (listen to responses) Sometimes authors write to tell us about amazing people. (Show the biography at the end of book about Addie) This author, Mara Rockckliff, would like to tell us a true story about Adelaide Herrmann. Thumbs up if you have ever seen a magic trick or performed a magic trick. Would anyone like to share their experience? (listen to responses) Let's listen to the The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic!
*raise interest in the topic of magic
*personal connections
*meaning of key words
*raise interest in the topic of magic
*personal connections
*meaning of key words
January 22, 2018
I do not know what is more engrossing: the story, or the illustrations. The two come together to make the perfect book about a little known historical figure. Adelaide Herrman was known as the Queen of Magic. She never wanted to be ordinary, and was always up to something new. She dared do things others didn’t. She became the first famous female magician and traveled the world. Read Addie’s story for yourself. It’s magic.
Read
February 1, 2017Just like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Marie Curie, Adelaide Herman broke the mold of “what women can do.” What a great story to tell! I love how simply this tale is told and paired with vivid paper doll cutout pictures so that even the youngest of non-fiction readers can enjoy it. This would be a great read aloud for Pre-K – 2nd grade. – Alexis S.
October 14, 2016
(Being a magic geek this is getting an extra star just because.)
Excellent all around – the illustrations are stellar, the story (I had no idea about Addie or her husband before reading this book) is fun, intriguing and inspirational – what more can you ask for from a (kid’s) book?
Definitely recommended.
Excellent all around – the illustrations are stellar, the story (I had no idea about Addie or her husband before reading this book) is fun, intriguing and inspirational – what more can you ask for from a (kid’s) book?
Definitely recommended.
October 25, 2017
What a fun biography! Adelaide Herrmann was more than just an assistant to her famous magician husband; she was one of the greatest magicians herself! She was bold and determined and "anything but ordinary"! The story is wonderful and I feel certain that children will enjoy reading about Addie. And the illustrations are simply gorgeous!!
April 19, 2016
From the creative team of Mesmerized, they introduce the first Queen of Magic. I love reading about not so well-known people and being glad their story is finally being told. The back matter tells how Adelaide Herrmann's biography gets conjured up!
May 23, 2016
I think this is pretty much a flawless picture book biography. Wonderful word choices, suspense and pacing, a deeper meaning that isn't hammered over the reader's head, fantastic art, and an engaging subject. Even better than Mesmerized--which I also loved.
March 1, 2018
I LOVED the gorgeous illustrations.
I did feel like there was so much information lacking. One sentence per spread seemed too thin. The back was the best part, as it gave me information on where to go for more information...she has an autobiography of sorts.
I did feel like there was so much information lacking. One sentence per spread seemed too thin. The back was the best part, as it gave me information on where to go for more information...she has an autobiography of sorts.
April 17, 2016
Fascinating story! Magic is a topic that intrigues so many readers, I think this one will pull them in for sure! Great to use to explore character traits, as well.
May 12, 2016
I found the story fascinating and the illustrations awesome. Their bold color and style perfectly suited the subject matter. A great read!
July 18, 2016
Review to follow soon.
August 29, 2016
BEAUTIFUL!
November 13, 2016
I thought the story was just ok but the illustrations were great
June 28, 2017
Great story, and absolutely gorgeous illustrations. The artwork in this is amazing, and makes a relatively simple story something you'll want to look at repeatedly.
December 4, 2017
Rewriting history in the best way possible! By adding TRUTH. I loved the art in this book, the story, the endnotes. I mostly loved Adelaide.
July 3, 2024
Feminist propaganda with beautiful pictures
Read
June 6, 2019Summary: Adelaide, or Addie, never wanted to be ordinary. She wanted to shock and dazzle people. This true story tells us about a woman born in a time when women were held to specific expectations. After her husband, a famous magician, passes away, she must decide if the show can go on. Addie shows us how talented, resilient, and smart real women of history can be.
Citation:
Rockliff, M., & Bruno, I. (2016). Anything but ordinary Addie: The true story of Adelaide Herrmann, queen of magic. Candlewick Press.
Opening Move: Read text and show illustrations from pages 30 and 31. “I will do it myself!, Addie announced. Everyone was SHOCKED. A woman magician? Who ever heard of such a thing? No one will come!” “What can you tell about the story from this text and illustration?” (students respond) “Yes, this story takes place a long time ago. It is based on a true story. In the late 1800’s women were expected to act a certain way and make certain choices. Our main character, Addie, is a risk-taker and courageous for her time. As I read the story, listen carefully for examples of how she shocked and dazzled others.
Opening Moves Used:
Engage students with text
Draw attention to the setting
Prepare students to listen for specific information
Citation:
Rockliff, M., & Bruno, I. (2016). Anything but ordinary Addie: The true story of Adelaide Herrmann, queen of magic. Candlewick Press.
Opening Move: Read text and show illustrations from pages 30 and 31. “I will do it myself!, Addie announced. Everyone was SHOCKED. A woman magician? Who ever heard of such a thing? No one will come!” “What can you tell about the story from this text and illustration?” (students respond) “Yes, this story takes place a long time ago. It is based on a true story. In the late 1800’s women were expected to act a certain way and make certain choices. Our main character, Addie, is a risk-taker and courageous for her time. As I read the story, listen carefully for examples of how she shocked and dazzled others.
Opening Moves Used:
Engage students with text
Draw attention to the setting
Prepare students to listen for specific information
November 3, 2018
A woman magician? Who ever heard of such a thing?
Anything But Ordinary Addie is the biography of Adelaide Hermann, a magician who lived at the end of the 19th century. From a young age, Addie knew she wanted to do something extraordinary with her life, and when she met and married world-famous magician Herrmann the Great, she got her chance. They travelled the country, performing their act together. But when Herrmann unexpectedly died, Addie was left to save the show and create her own legacy.
For me, the best part of this book was the illustrations combined with the visual placement of the text and the playful use of fonts. As the only female magician I’ve ever heard of - past or present, Adelaide Herrmann is an interesting enough person, but her story would not have been nearly as fascinating without the bold illustrations and the use of both fonts and words to create a theatrical mood. I loved the illustrator, Iacopo Bruno, so much that I’ve added more books illustrated by him to my “to read” list.
This picture book would be perfect for an elementary class’s study of biographies and historical figures, and I’m sure that the current popularity of The Greatest Showman would make it a hit in classroom libraries. I think a clever way to use this book in the classroom, though, would be as part of a vocabulary study. The author begins the book with the following lines: “Addie never wanted to be ordinary. Addie wanted to astonish, shock, and dazzle.” Then throughout the book, the publishers continue to draw attention to those words by changing the font style or size every time they are used. This is true even when the author is using variations of the words. For example, shock is written in bold, but so is shocked, shocking, and shockingly. With a younger class, teachers could use this book simply to teach those words (astonish, shock, dazzle, and their variations), but with an older class, teachers could challenge students to write their own story that incorporates three vocabulary words and their variations.
Anything But Ordinary Addie is the biography of Adelaide Hermann, a magician who lived at the end of the 19th century. From a young age, Addie knew she wanted to do something extraordinary with her life, and when she met and married world-famous magician Herrmann the Great, she got her chance. They travelled the country, performing their act together. But when Herrmann unexpectedly died, Addie was left to save the show and create her own legacy.
For me, the best part of this book was the illustrations combined with the visual placement of the text and the playful use of fonts. As the only female magician I’ve ever heard of - past or present, Adelaide Herrmann is an interesting enough person, but her story would not have been nearly as fascinating without the bold illustrations and the use of both fonts and words to create a theatrical mood. I loved the illustrator, Iacopo Bruno, so much that I’ve added more books illustrated by him to my “to read” list.
This picture book would be perfect for an elementary class’s study of biographies and historical figures, and I’m sure that the current popularity of The Greatest Showman would make it a hit in classroom libraries. I think a clever way to use this book in the classroom, though, would be as part of a vocabulary study. The author begins the book with the following lines: “Addie never wanted to be ordinary. Addie wanted to astonish, shock, and dazzle.” Then throughout the book, the publishers continue to draw attention to those words by changing the font style or size every time they are used. This is true even when the author is using variations of the words. For example, shock is written in bold, but so is shocked, shocking, and shockingly. With a younger class, teachers could use this book simply to teach those words (astonish, shock, dazzle, and their variations), but with an older class, teachers could challenge students to write their own story that incorporates three vocabulary words and their variations.
April 14, 2016
This review published by Brigham Young University's Children's Book and Media Review
Addie never wanted to be ordinary. Even though it shocks her family (and several other people), she went on the stage and performed as a dancer and bicyclist. On her way to America, she met a man named Alexander, but he was known as the famous magician Herrmann the Great. They decide to get married and she joins him in his performances onstage doing magic and even getting shot out of a cannon. When her husband dies, she decides to take the show into her own hands and become the first woman magician. To get people to come, she does the very dangerous, potentially fatal bullet-catching trick.
Known as the Queen of Magic, Adelaide Herrmann shocked audiences as one of the first female magicians. Her story disappeared for many years, but recently her memoir has reappeared and this picture book was created to help tell her story. While it’s not a great introduction to magic and magicians, it does talk about the famous bullet-catching trick and a link at the back gives readers a place to go if they want to know how it is done. The book emphasizes a woman who does what she’s passionate about even when society tells her that she shouldn’t. The gorgeous illustrations reflect the styles of the time and pull in readers. More information about Addie and her life can be found in the back of the book. This beautiful book is a fun way to learn about a woman who took her own path to becoming one of the world’s first female magicians.
Addie never wanted to be ordinary. Even though it shocks her family (and several other people), she went on the stage and performed as a dancer and bicyclist. On her way to America, she met a man named Alexander, but he was known as the famous magician Herrmann the Great. They decide to get married and she joins him in his performances onstage doing magic and even getting shot out of a cannon. When her husband dies, she decides to take the show into her own hands and become the first woman magician. To get people to come, she does the very dangerous, potentially fatal bullet-catching trick.
Known as the Queen of Magic, Adelaide Herrmann shocked audiences as one of the first female magicians. Her story disappeared for many years, but recently her memoir has reappeared and this picture book was created to help tell her story. While it’s not a great introduction to magic and magicians, it does talk about the famous bullet-catching trick and a link at the back gives readers a place to go if they want to know how it is done. The book emphasizes a woman who does what she’s passionate about even when society tells her that she shouldn’t. The gorgeous illustrations reflect the styles of the time and pull in readers. More information about Addie and her life can be found in the back of the book. This beautiful book is a fun way to learn about a woman who took her own path to becoming one of the world’s first female magicians.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews