I, Houdini

April 1, 1988
The title tells all: slightly pompous, no slouch when it comes to vocabulary, and with a gift for dry humor, Houdini relates the story of his acquisition by a family and the trial runs and trouble spots that turn him into a great escapologist. The author of The Indian in the Cupboard and The Return of the Indian has slipped into the hide of the hamster and seems to understand these small creatures completely and creates a tantalizing journey. This is pure fun and full of slapstick exaggerationfor example, the father is a clownish bellower, especially when Houdini chews through pipes. There are dramatic moments and cliffhangers, but since this hamster's name is Houdini, readers can count on a grand finale. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 10-up.

May 1, 2003
A trio of titles by Lynne Reid Banks, author of The Indian in the Cupboard, makes a reappearance. For I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, illus. by Terry Riley, "Banks has slipped into the hide of the hamster and seems to understand these small creatures completely, creating a tantalizing journey," wrote PW when the book was released in the U.S. in 1988. "The title tells all: slightly pompous, no slouch when it comes to vocabulary, and with a gift for dry humor, Houdini relates the story of his acquisition by a family and the trial runs and trouble spots that turn him into a great escapologist." In The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. by Victor Ambrus, readers meet 14-year-old Dakin, who at age 10 set herself three goals: to go to the farthest-away mountain, to see a gargoyle, and to marry a prince. She hears a voice from the mountain calling her, and her quest is set in motion. When The Fairy Rebel was published in America in 1988, PW called it a "comfortable, old-fashioned read" about the "naughty but courageous" fairy Tiki, who defies her queen to give a childless couple a baby. A fierce conflict ensues when the fairy ruler tries to exact revenge.