Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is little to be concerned with in this biography other than the possibility of kids trying to reproduce Houdini's feats.
Families who read this book could discuss magic and Houdini's legacy. Why is he still so famous? Why was he so determined to debunk spiritualists? Why are these kinds of tricks so appealing? Kids may want to see modern magicians such as David Copperfield, and may want to learn some tricks.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Biographies written for kids is one of the more dismal categories in children's literature, so when a well-known novelist decides to do one, it's cause for some celebration. But Sid Fleischman brings even more to the table for this particular biography -- he has been a professional magician, and he knew the subject's wife. So he has both a personal and professional connection to his material, and it shows on nearly every page.
In this lively, entertaining biography Fleischman does more than just retell the major events of Houdini's life, and even more than separate myth from fact (a tricky job in this case). He carefully walks readers through the evidence and his own reasoning process, making good use of his insider knowledge along the way. He includes numerous photographs, some from his personal collection published here for the first time. And he uses his well-known humor and some novelistic writing techniques to make this bio what all of them ought to be: an engrossing story.
Put this one on that special shelf -- so far it's way too small -- of biographies that kids will actually get excited about.
From The Book
His strategy was to trump his imitators with ever more daring and death-defying feats of mystification. It was this battle for supremacy that inspired one of his most dangerous illusions -- the awesome Milk Can Escape.
In earlier days, milk fresh from the cow was transported in large cans. Houdini had one made just large enough to hold him tightly folded in a fetal position. Buckets of water were poured into the can, followed by Houdini himself. Challenging his audience to hold its breath with him, the great showman lowered his head under water. The lid was secured with six padlocks, and a curtain was drawn around this impending death scene.
At thirty seconds the audience was gasping for breath. Sixty seconds passed. Tick, tick, tick. Two minutes! Had the escape gone wrong? Tick, tick, tick. Was Houdini drowning?
Assistants with axes stood ready to burst open the death can. At the last moment, just short of 180 seconds, out popped the master of escape, breathless, dripping wet, but very much alive.
Plot Summary:
Children's author, magician, and friend of Bess Houdini (the magician's wife) Sid Fleischman sorts out the myths from the reality in the life of Harry Houdini.
Born Erich Weiss, son of a rabbi in Budapest, Hungary, in 1874, he emigrated to American as a small boy, and ended up in Appleton, Wisconsin, which he later claimed as his birthplace. Impoverished, Erich ran away from home at age 12, hoping to make enough money to send some back to his family.
But working at shining shoes, selling papers, and carrying messages earned him barely enough to scrape by. In his teens he began to study magic, and named himself after a famous French illusionist. Eventually he became the most famous magician, escape artist, and debunker of spiritualists of all time. Includes bibliography and index.
Related Books:
Other Books by Sid Fleischman:
Jim Ugly
The Whipping Boy
The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story
Bandit's Moon
Other Houdini Biographies:
The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero by William Kalush
The Secrets of Houdini by J. C. Cannell
Harry Houdini by Vicki Cobb
Related Web Sites
Author's Site
Houdini Tribute
Houdini Sites for Kids
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Sexual Content |
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ViolenceHoudini's death-defying escapes. He dies of a burst appendix, possibly caused by being punched. |
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LanguageOne use of "SOB." |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorYou don't want your kids trying out Houdini's tricks, especially the needle swallowing. |
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Commercialism |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoMention of tobacco and alcohol. |
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