The Magician and the Spirits

June 1, 2017
There was a time, not long ago, when many people believed that death was no barrier to staying connected with loved ones. The idea was enthusiastically embraced by none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the logically minded Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle saw nothing illogical in the ability of psychic mediums to connect the grief-stricken with their lost relations. A true believer and zealous evangelist for spiritualism, Conan Doyle believed such phenomena as automatic writing, frenzied trances, disembodied voices, levitating tables, ghost photography, and oral expulsions of ectoplasm were real and perfectly rational. Conan Doyle's friend Harry Houdini was dubious. The most renowned magician and escape artist of his time knew plenty about tricking audiences, and his investigations into these spiritual phenomena convinced him that mediums used trickery and illusion to dupe people like his friend. Noyes' engaging narrative explores how Houdini's public crusade to expose spiritualism as bunk and mediums as frauds strained his relationship with Conan Doyle. The account is illustrated with archival material and densely populated with odd, outrageous characters such as D.D. Home, whose levitation acts saw him sailing out windows feet first, and Eva C. who expelled "ectoplasm" from her mouth during seances. Sidebars take readers down numerous, entertaining detours. A compelling true story of magic, ghosts, science, friendship, deception, feuding, and sleuthing told with great flair. (photos, source notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from July 1, 2017

Gr 6 Up-Harry Houdini is best remembered as a magician and escape artist, but he also spent more than half his life tirelessly investigating mediums and seances-charlatans in disguise. Noyes's narrative blends the history of the spiritualism movement in the early 20th century with a biographical account of Houdini. Early in Houdini's career, between 1897 and 1899, he and his wife Bess performed as mediums and mind readers, but he later wrote that he regretted "trifling with the hallowed reverence which the average human being bestows on the departed." Influenced by the loss of his beloved mother in 1913 and his ongoing debate with friend and avid spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Houdini embarked on a mission to debunk spiritualism, which by 1924 "had become a full-on crusade." Noyes stresses that Houdini believed in an afterlife and probably hoped that communication with the dead was possible but he never found legitimate evidence. Since magic acts and fraudulent seances made use of many of the same methods, Houdini was adept at discovering trickery, which he exposed most notably in a 1924 lecture tour. Houdini is portrayed as a likable figure, motivated by his compassion for grieving people and respect for the deceased. The title has an appealing layout with frequent sidebars, copious photographs and archival theater posters, and a page border that subtly contributes to the book's Victorian flavor and spooky mood. Although some passages are a bit dry, the read is overall intriguing and likely to hook students. VERDICT Fans of magic, mystery, and debates on the supernatural will devour Noyes's take on Houdini.-Magdalena Teske, Naperville Public Library, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 Plenty has been written about Houdini's iconic escape routines and stage magic, but in this biography, Noyes focuses on a lesser-known facet of his career: his mission to debunk spiritualists. After his mother died, Houdini wanted to believe in the possibility of contact from beyond the grave. But his career gave him singular insight into tricks mediums deployed during seances, and, angered by the thought of mediums swindling grief-stricken people, he became determined to reveal the fakery of spiritualism. While describing Houdini's campaign to unmask fraudulent mediums, Noyes offers compelling tidbits about the many ways spiritualists performed their tricks, and helpful historical context for the popularity of spiritualism. Houdini's feud with avowed spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle is particularly fascinating, though the details of their clash get a bit lost. Still, there's plenty of intriguing information here, often in eye-catching inset boxes with additional background, and Noyes' attention to Houdini's outsize personalitya key component of his campaign against spiritualistsadds compelling depth. A worthwhile addition to any nonfiction section, and ideal for kids intrigued by historical oddities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)