Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King

by Kathleen Krull, Eric Velásquez (Illustrator)

Introducing the astonishing, the unforgettable ... HOUDINI! He made himself a living legend and became the most famous name in magic. But Harry Houdini, like his acts, was fascinating and mysterious. As a child, he was often on the edge of homelessness, so he would charge crowds to watch him perform tricks he knew no one else could do. After leaving home to seek his fortune, Houdini mastered every form of magic available-- card tricks, juggling, illusions-- and travelled the world over to make a name for himself. But true stardom came to him only when he began to focus his act around daring, heart-stopping escapes. By sheer force of will, Houdini trained his body to withstand the torturous demands of the elaborate acts he created. How did he do it? Magicians never tell. Yet acclaimed author Kathleen Krull and award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez combine their talents to reveal the remarkable story of the World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Houdini really was a man of mystery. Born Erik Weiss, he grew up in Budapest and loved to show off his various talents at an early age. He learned the art of magic mostly through books. In fact, that is where he found his new name. He worked for years perfecting act after act, always wanting to better himself. Along the way, he met the love of his life, Bess, and soon she was his assistant. The book highlights many of his ups and downs, from his suspended straitjacket trick to his sadness over never having a child.

Not knowing much about Houdini, I found this book to be very informative. It includes six of Houdini's most widely known magic tricks and has beautiful and detailed oil painted illustrations to go with it. One of the most interesting parts was the "Behind the Scenes" informational page that explained how he died and some of his trade secrets. I think this is a nice introduction to Houdini, but it is not the book for a student who wants in depth look at this man of mystery. Grades 2-5

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erik Weiss enjoyed charming and amazing audiences from a young age with his acrobatic stunts. His obsession with magic began after reading a book about the French founder of modern magic. He began putting on magic shows and even changed his name to Houdini. His wife became part of the act and supported him as he practiced and developed his talent. The book describes and explores the details of some of his most famous tricks such as the milk can escape, the metamorphosis, water torture cell, and suspended strait jacket.

This book is beautifully illustrated with fun and vivid pictures that give the appearance of stepping into a real show setting. Readers will be hooked immediately as they try to unravel the secrets of his acts. I believe the story of Erik Weiss would interest both boys and girls in elementary school. At the end of the book a comprehensive bibliography is listed.

[Zai Zai · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was top notch, the information was general and a good introduction.

[Carmen Orsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the life accomplishments of Houdini. It jumps back and forth between the upbringing and famous tricks of the man originally named Erik Weiss. He was believed to be born in Hungary in 1874 and raised in Wisconsin. The book communicates that he did not come from a wealthily family, he was considered on the edge of homelessness. His interests growing up included boxing, swimming, and running. Houdini's interest in magic stemmed from a book and the name change was inspired by one of his heroes, Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin. I love how the book goes into detail about some of his famous acts including The Metamorphosis, The Underwater Handcuff Release, The Water Torture Cell, and The Suspended Straitjacket. The book does an excellent job conveying the fact that Houdini worked through obstacles to become the successful entertainer he was.

The standard I would cover in class using this book is W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. The book explores several of Houdini's interests throughout his life span. I would use this book to guide a journal entry task where students would be asked to write about a hobby of theirs that they love to participate in. Journal entries would be shared in small groups at their tables. I would also ask them to explain how this hobby might inspire them later in life or relate to a future career. This assignment would allows students to get to know one another better and to see common interests among their answers. It would also get them thinking about who they want to be when they grow up.

[Caitlin Wooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Houdini is a well known magician who lived a life no one could imagine! Houdini started off by avoiding the norm of the usual young working boy of the family. He chose to focus more on street performing in order to make his money for his family. He ended up leaving his family to better himself, he began reading every book available to educate him self. While also booking as many magic shows he could, Houdini kept himself busy. He began to gain popularity and as his popularity skyrocketed so did his abilities. He trained him self to hold his breath for long periods of time in order to be able to maintain his underwater tricks, he trained in ice baths for long periods to help him become accustomed to being in cold temperatures for long periods of time. He eventually completed high risk magic skills that were out doors and brought in lots of viewers that would cherish the unbelieveable experience for years to come. Houdini ended up dying at age 52, he let a college student punch him in the stomach to test his skills in strength, where his appendix then burst and caused an infection that later killed him.

This book really has encouraged me to have a biography section of interesting individuals in my classroom. I would love to have a corner to provoke children to learn about people. The social ability of getting to know people in books would really help encourage them to get to know each other. I think thins book would also be great for a Wax Museum type of activity. This would be used to provide the student with important information regarding Houdini and also providing them with great images to replicate when they present their final work.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by Kathleen Krull (one of my favorite authors) and illustrated by Eric Velasquez (one of my favorite illustrators), HOUDINI is an enjoyable picture book biography. The deep, rich colors (black, red, and gold) add lushness and life to Krull’s text. The text presents a summary or overview of Houdini’s life and his most famous magic tricks. The author’s note brings Houdini’s life to a close and summarizes how Houdini’s life impacted the world. A bibliography is included.

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Houdini died at age 52 on Halloween in 1926. He had been performing with a fractured ankle and appendicitis. Houdini allowed a college student to punch him in the stomach and his appendix burst, spreading infection throughout his body. Houdini died within days. After all these years, Houdini is still the most famous name in magic.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty neat. Another good picture book biography.

[Kaitlyn Steckbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fascinating! It told the story of Houdini and the mystery behind the magician, whose real name is actually Erik Weiss. Erik or Houdini was one of seven children who grew up in a very poor family. At age twelve he ran away from home and found a job in New York making neck ties. He had always been very active and loved running, swimming, and boxing; but most of all Houdini loved attention and glory. He started reading about magic and became obsessed. He got his name in honor of a hero of his who was a magician that Houdini studied, whose name was Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin. The book describes and illustrates a few of Houdini's tricks that he would perform and told how Houdini became a star, both in the streets and on the stage. He would perform life-threatening escapes from high buildings and under water. He continued to study and collect books, becoming rich in his fame while supporting his family and wife.
The story of Houdini is actually very inspirational. It describes a man who described fear as the hardest thing he had to conquer. Not only was he brave but he was also a very caring soul, who sent money home to his mother and father. He also would put on free shows at hospitals and orphanages. Houdini was definitely one of a kind!
This book would be good to read to third graders and up. I think magic would be a very interesting topic to look into for students. This book could be read while doing some sort of science experiment that almost seems like magic. They could also integrate math problems into some of Houdini's magic tricks by giving children word problems to solve. This book would also lead to a writing assignment where children must write about a time they had to overcome a fear or obstacle, just like Houdini did.

[Kaley Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun book to read. The language was exciting and it was easy to read. The pictures were exciting and drew you in. I liked that it showed Houdini's claim to fame and then the exciting things he did once famous. I liked that it read more like a story than a non-fiction book.

Purpose in the classroom:
Read aloud:This book would be good to use during a history unit. This book shows some of Houdini's greatest escapes and how he came to fame. The book is told in chronological order, so students would be able to make a timeline of Houdini's events as an activity. This book could be used during an unit of famous people or famous events.

Non-fiction elements: This book did not have a glossary, index, or bibliography. In the back there was a note to the readers about some of the things the author left out. Besides that, there is nothing that hints to non-fiction other than that it is a biography. This would not be the best choice for a non-fiction book, but it would be a good book to get students start to read non-fiction.

[Jackie Pino]

The mysterious Houdini is a man that interests children and adults alike. This children’s picture book biography travels through Houdini’s life from birth to death, with a special focus on his magic. It shows all of the hard work and study that went into Houdini’s successful career. Every few pages, there is a double page spread describing a specific, famous trick that Houdini did, along with a set of illustrations to show it from the audience’s point-of-view.
The flaw of this book is a lack of suspense. When reading about such a dramatic life, one would expect to feel excitement and suspense, but it is not there. However, the facts are still interesting. Beginning the book with his childhood gives young children a close connection to the subject and hope, as he began life in a poor family and died rich and successful. This book would be interesting for aspiring magicians or those students who have learned their first magic trick.

[Jan Rue]

Written by Kathleen Krull (2005) & illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Illustrations done by using oil paint on Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. This is a great nonfiction biography about the life of Houdini. It draws readers into the story by first showing through the illustrations what the milk can escape he did. Then goes on to tell about his life, from a child to an adult. The book talks about how he trained to long periods to perfect his stunts. It explains how he gathered crowds to come see his shows. Even today it is amazing how he was able to get himself out of anything. The after pages give further info about his life. There is a great bibliography page with books for further reading and online sources to look at. Magic has always intrigued kids and I believe they would like this books, wanting to learn more about him.

[Jess Farabaugh]

Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King written by Kathleen Krull is a biography about the great Houdini. This book takes you through the life of Harry Houdini who would charge people to watch him perform tricks to avoid homelessness. He worked very hard and traveled the world mastering every type of magic there is. The type of trick that made him most famous was his daring escapes. This is a fun and entertaining book for children to read more about the Worlds Greatest Mystery Man.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful picture book biography about Harry Houdini. High-interest for elementary students and a good length for a read-aloud. I pair this book with Brian Selznick's historical fiction short story, The Houdini Box. Harry Houdini died on Halloween, so I do these books in October with my third-graders.

[RLL52013_NicoleHill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is all about Harry Houdini's life. It discusses his birth and childhood. It explains how he became the world famous escape man. It also describes some of the tricks that Houdini performed.

Kathleen Krull is known as a biography writer. She has written an ALA Notable Book and a Horn Book Honor work. This is a great biography for children. It is appropriate for elementary and middle school grades.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that this was no ordinary man. He was a man of sheer grit and determination to be the best magician ever. "I actually live in a library," he boasted. It was the largest libary of magic in America, and eventually he hired a librarian to work for him full-time. How cool is that. The man knew his trade and he knew it well.

[Kyle Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I am a huge fan of magic, like most kids are, I can share the story of Houdini, while performing some of the easier magic tricks illustrated in the book. Great for engaging the students on a day when recess is rained out.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be good for children who are a bit older. It has a lot of harder words that many young children would not be able to pronounce let alone understand. It's factual and shows the best sides of Houdini. Many children are interested in magic so they would like this book.

[Samantha Catalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! What a great way to get kids excited about reading. The power of exploring one book, and the power within Houdini was just believing in himself "you must" is what he told himself. What a great find, so glad I read this one!

[Kaylee Gallup]

BIOGRAPHY
A story of Houdini's mysterious life and magic along with some use of the imagination.

[Megan Ekins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun read about the mystery of Houdini. The pictures were great. It was very informative and yet still an enjoyable read. I especially liked how in the end they give away some of his secrets.

[Amie Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing, colorful and life-like illustrations, demonstrating life and magic of Harry Houdini. Children will be easily drawn to the various tricks discussed and demonstrated in the book.

[Maximus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It tells me more about him

[Erica Hendrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! Great story for all ages.
*textbook

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little intro to Houdini with the new movie coming out.

[Leah Koch]

When I was in elementary school, I loved reading about Harry Houdini. This book will spark wonder and excitement in readers while providing a great example of a biography.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but didn't really capture my imagination. Didn't bring a new perspective of Houdini to me. Would be highly interesting for a young magic practicer

[Lorraine Der]

Library Catalog

[Haley Hoenke · Rating 5 out of 5]

#history