A Spotlight for Harry

January 1, 2010
Gr 2-4-Harry Houdini's life was interesting and full of examples of persistence and dedication to his craft. Unfortunately, not many of them are represented in this brief chapter book. In this story, Ehrich Weiss, the son of a rabbi, attends a small circus and is inspired by the tightrope act. He goes home eager to try it for himself and soon learns the secret. Then he tries another stunt with disastrous results. He loses his front teeth, but learns an important lesson. The book contains a few true facts about Weiss's childhood and mentions his early interest in locks and performing. The writing, though fluent, is a little didactic. Children will see through the thinly veiled preaching about being polite, persistent, and careful. Black-and-white drawings, some full page, appear throughout. A better fictionalized account of Houdini's life is Kathryn Kilby Borland and Helen Ross Speicher's "Harry Houdini: Young Magician" (Aladdin, 1991). In it, the lessons arise from the story rather than being superimposed on it. It also gives much more factual information about Houdini's life."Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2009
Grades 2-4 Kimmels latest Stepping Stone title (A Horn for Louis, 2006, and A Picture for Marc, 2008) presents a childhood episode from the life of magician and escape artist Ehrich Weiss, aka Harry Houdini. Kimmel describes the Weiss familys visit to the circus, where a performer walks on a tightrope and hangs from a rope using only his teeth. Harry and his younger brother try to re-create these feats, resulting in falls, bruises, and the loss of Harrys two front teeth. Kimmel, who does not identify Ehrich as Houdini until the final pages, builds up to this reveal with much foreshadowing, emphasizing Weiss fascination with locks, his willingness to practice a skill, and his appreciation for the secrets behind great illusions. Madsens pencil sketches (not viewed in final form) portray key events in the story and help to break up the text for emergent readers. More inspirational than informational, this should spark interest in more factual titles, including Elizabeth MacLeods Harry Houdini: A Magical Life (2005).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)