Harry Houdini: A Magical Life

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Harry Houdini is an entertaining, readable, and extremely comprehensive
account of the life of perhaps the most famous magician of all time.
Each two-page chapter that deals with a particular time or aspect of his
life and is introduced by a quotation from Houdini himself. The text is
limited to just two-thirds of one page; the remainder is filled with
maps, diagrams, sketches, photographs, newspaper clippings, posters, and
advertisements. All are captioned, providing a wealth of additional
information and detail. A cartoon of Houdini himself (with speech
bubble) adds to the fun and provides an interesting commentary.

A timeline of events in Houdini’s life, a list of museums devoted to
his life, an index, and a website address conclude the volume. The book
is sure to appeal to young readers, for who can fail to be amazed at a
well-performed magic trick or illusion? Well-researched, colourful, and
attractively designed, with a format reminiscent of a family photo
album, Harry Houdini will be of interest to even the most reluctant
reader. Highly recommended.