Harry Houdini for Kids: His Life and Adventures with 21 Magic Tricks and Illusions

Publishers Weekly

This comprehensive biography-plus-activity book on the famed magician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries illuminates nearly as much about the era as about Harry Houdini. Supplying sidebars on such topics as vaudeville, Ouija boards and the Wright Brothers, Carlson (More than Moccasins) puts Houdini's career squarely in context. Her writing is detailed but conversational as she offers engrossing facts and tidbits: Houdini also worked as a spy, movie actor and stuntman, and ground-breaking aviator; his wife and performing partner once saved Buster Keaton from a fire. Readers will come away viewing Houdini as much a product of his time as of his own wits and making. The narrative seems dauntingly long, but is interspersed with explanations and diagrams of magic tricks, b&w photos and ephemera, and imaginatively chosen, decorative line art. The magic tricks are clearly explained and easy to do: make a Magic Box (it has a trick bottom) out of milk cartons, secretly pass messages to a partner, etc.; some activities reinforce the science behind many of Houdini's tricks. Ages 9-up. (Feb.)

Curriculum Review

Magic-books.blogspot.com

Children's Literature - Margaret Orto

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8

Carlson does an admirable job of capturing the character of the man who enthralled the world with his magical illusions and mystifying escapes. She carefully traces Houdini's roots and his laborious path to international fame, emphasizing the personal integrity that guided his decisions. Many people, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, longed to believe that Houdini possessed supernatural powers, but he was determined to resist this notion and elevate magic to an art form. The author discusses the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death as well as current efforts to exhume the body to determine if foul play was involved. Throughout the book, Carlson has inserted 21 of Houdini's magic tricks and illusions for children to practice as well as text boxes that explore important people or events of the time. The volume is liberally laced with photographs, illustrations, and posters advertising Houdini's act. This is a well-written book on a fascinating topic. Libraries, especially those in which Sid Fleischman's Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini (HarperCollins, 2006) is popular, will want to consider it for purchase.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Kirkus Reviews