Dressed in a tuxedo with a ruffled yellow shirt, [Jonathan Jacques] looked like a half-size professional magician. Except this week he is performing for an audience of fellow campers and counselors at Tannen's Magic Camp who are carefully studying and critiquing his every move.

Tannen's is not a place for the brand-new magician, though. Many of these campers have been dabbling with do-it-yourself magic kits since before Harry Potter was a gleam in J.K. Rowling's eye, and some already perform in shows.

Even beyond scheduled activities, the campers continue practicing. Tom Ogden, a former counselor who performed this summer, said the biggest disciplinary problem is kids using flashlights after bedtime so they can do magic tricks.