Description:
Harry Houdini, born Ehrich Weiss, never did anything by half measure. Once he decided to become a magician, he became the King of Cards, the Prince of Air, the Genius of Escape, and Professor H. Houdini. And why not? He could walk through walls, defeat any lock, make elephants disappear with the snap of his fingers, and pick up needles with his eyelids!
Or could he? Fact or fiction? Legend or liar? We will never know for sure. But here in all its riveting glory is Sid Fleischman's witty and insightful biography of magic's greatest showman, daredevil, and escape artist ever-the Great Houdini!
Brief description:
Sid Fleischman (1920-2010) wrote more than sixty books for children, adults, and magicians. Among his many awards was the Newbery Medal for his novel The Whipping Boy. The author described his youth as a magician and newspaperman in his autobiography The Abracadabra Kid.
Review Quotes:
Fleischman looks at Houdini's life through his own eyes, as a fellow magician. Guarding the secrets, yet entertaining readers, he tells the rags-to-rags story of a poor Jewish boy named Ehrich Weiss, who longed to be like his idol, French magician Robert-Houdin...Fleischman's tone is lively and he develops a relationship with readers by revealing just enough truth behind Houdini's razzle-dazzle to keep the legend alive...Engaging and fascinating.
-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"