Harry Houdini (The First Names Series)

by Kjartan Poskitt, Geraint Ford (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover the man behind the magic and see how Houdini pulled off his most daring escapes

Before Harry Houdini (1874–1926) became the greatest magician in the world, he was just little Ehrich Weisz, a Hungarian-born immigrant who moved to America with his family and performed stage tricks for a little extra cash. He started off with card tricks and then eventually began performing the escape acts that would make him famous. Known for his daring and death-defying illusions, he would do some of the greatest tricks ever: escaping from a milk can, being buried alive, and being locked inside a crate and thrown into a river. He conquered each of these seemingly impossible feats and showed the world the power of a little magic. Fun, fast-paced, and highly illustrated, Harry Houdini tells the story of the curious boy who became the world’s greatest magician and reveals how Houdini did some of his most stunning escapes. It includes a timeline, glossary, and index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419738623
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	08/13/2019
Series:	Abrams First Names Series
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	1,174,576
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kjartan Poskitt is an award-winning author who has written more than 80 children’s books. He lives in York, England, with his wife, four daughters, and a whole array of musical instruments. Geraint Ford is an illustrator who has worked on everything from magazines, to comics, to children’s books. He lives in England.


Geraint Ford is an illustrator who has worked on everything from magazines, to comics, to children’s books. He lives in England.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Who Was Harry? 5

2 Harry and the Headless Man 9

3 Harry and the Other Houdinis 19

4 Harry Hits the Bottom 31

5 Harry Gets a Break 45

6 Harry Heads Abroad 59

7 The House That Harry Built 74

8 Harry Gets Dangerous 82

9 Harry's Death-Defying Mysteries! 92

10 Harry Hangs Upside Down 107

11 The Sea Monster and Other Sensations! 115

12 Harry and the Spirits 123

Timeline 134

Glossary 140

Select Bibliography 143

Index 144

Editorial Reviews

"This informative biography is a chatty and engaging read for the uninitiated as well as for those who thought they knew everything about one of the greatest magicians of all time."

Booklist

08/01/2019

Gr 3–7—This series presents a lighthearted and easy look at some of the world's most famous celebrities. The informal tone and accompanying cartoon illustrations give these texts the feel of biographies that can be read for pleasure, while the level of detail ensures that the information is accurate. The first two books are written in a narrative style, and because the text is broken up with frequent illustrations, they do not come off as intimidating, textbook-heavy reads. The writing is also supported with time lines, glossaries, and bibliographies in the back, should readers want further information. The main weakness of the series is the lack of primary source material. Because there are no photographs or portraits, the stories come off as a little disingenuous. Nonfiction books can be especially impactful when they are accompanied with beautiful, full-color pictures, letters, and maps. Since these books have only cartoons, readers may feel disconnected from the real historical figures and the times in which they lived. The illustrations may prove to be comforting for fiction readers who enjoy diary style series like Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and Rachel Renée Russell's "Dork Diaries." VERDICT While telling interesting stories, these books could be better supported with higher quality, varied visuals. The reading experience would be enhanced with photographic depictions of the people being described, instead of exclusively using exaggerated caricature.—Sara Kundrik, Gilbert Paterson Middle School, Alta.

School Library Journal

★ 2019-04-14
The life and eye-widening feats of a showman who was "always hungry for adventure, challenges, fame, and success."

Warning would-be imitators away as needed ("Absolutely Do Not Try This!") Poskitt offers an animated account of Houdini's career and lifelong devotion to topping his own seemingly impossible tricks and escapes, punctuating it with explicit side explanations of how many of them were done. Along with helpful diagrams and cutaway views, Ford adds frequent depictions of gobsmacked crowds, despairing rivals, and scenes of the "very strong and very bendy" performer hung about with shackles or posing with his closely knit family. (With the exception of the occasional child of color in a contemporary scene, characters depicted are white.) In line with the series premise and overall informal tone, the author refers to him throughout as "Harry" (his stage name). Andrew Prentice does likewise for his free-spirited subject in the co-published Amelia Earhart (illustrated by Mike Smith), taking "Amelia" (or, in childhood chapters, "Millie") from homemade backyard roller coaster to final disappearance. Both profiles open with fictive but revealing introductory exchanges, and both focus as much on conveying the distinctive characters of their subjects as on their public achievements. Prentice adds a closing gallery of renowned women aviators, from African-American Bessie Coleman to Jerrie Mock, who, like Earhart, was white.

Together with its companion, stimulating portraits of two colorful, driven historical figures. (timelines, glossaries, reading lists) (Biography. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"This informative biography is a chatty and engaging read for the uninitiated as well as for those who thought they knew everything about one of the greatest magicians of all time."

Booklist