Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician

Gr 2-5–This biography of Harry Houdini (Erik Weisz) covers the basics of his life and rise to fame framed by his love of books including where it originated and the vast collection he acquired. Houdini is the modern definition of grit, determination, ambition and showmanship, but this bookish aspect of his life isn’t nearly as well known. From his immigrant father’s beloved library sold to pay the rent, to learning his first magic trick from a book bought from a discount bin, Houdini’s life was intertwined with books. In his desire to master magic, he bought every book on magic he could find, and he kept every single one. As his fame grew, so did his reputation with booksellers as he visited bookshops everywhere he went. He even had a special folding bookcase that held hundreds of books that he took with him everywhere he traveled, and his home had bookcases in nearly all its 26 rooms. The more famous he became the more books he collected to the point that he hired his own personal librarian to catalog it all. After his death it was estimated that his collection contained “fifteen thousand books, fifty thousand prints, half a million cuttings and four tons of theatrical bills.” Conversational text is clear, informative, and occasionally poetic. Each of Delmar’s amazing illustrations is essentially a layered 3D diorama that was photographed. Not only do they bring a very successful and unusual visual element to the story, they also do an excellent job of supporting, expanding and enlivening the text. The back matter includes an author’s note, selected sources, online resources, and Illustrator’s note.