The Houdini Box Ages 6-11

A chance encounter with Harry Houdini leaves a small boy in possession of a mysterious box--one that might hold the secrets to the greatest magic tricks ever performed.
The Houdini Box

By Brian Selznick

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

Edition: illustrated

Published by Random House Children's Books, 1991

ISBN 0679814299, 9780679814290

56 pages

A fervent admirer of Houdini, ten-year ......-old Victor tries to emulate his feats, but to no avail: getting out of locked trunks and holding his breath for 5000 seconds are beyond his powers. Spying Houdini himself in a railroad station, he ... more » begs for his secrets and is promised a letter. Eventually, it arrives: "A thousand secrets await you. Come to my house...." But it's the day of Houdini's death; the grieving widow hands Victor a locked box with the initials E.W. Unable to open the box, and concluding that it couldn't have belonged to the great magician anyway, Victor forgets it until years later when, playing baseball with his son Harry, the ball happens to land on Houdini's grave and he learns his original name: Ehrich Weiss. And that night, Victor at last succeeds in escaping from his grandmother's trunk. Selznick illustrates his first book with vigorous, carefully composed b&w drawings; his faces express emotion with subtlety and quiet humor. The offbeat story is smoothly told; whether children will be pleased by the understated denouement with its ghostly overtones remains to be seen. In any case, it's an interesting debut, handsomely produced. A historical note is appended.

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.
From Publishers Weekly
In his first book for children, Selznick presents the compelling story of Harry Houdini, the magician who amazed the world with his great escapes. While Houdini circles the globe performing one incredible stunt after another, Victor, a young devotee, goes through his own rigorous magician's training at home--locking himself in closets, holding his breath under water, walking into walls. This counterpoint is a witty, effective device, and Selznick's deadpan text makes the most of it. It seems that Victor will never become a magician, until one day, after a chance encounter with his hero, he receives a special box that just might contain the secrets of Houdini's success. In his arresting, informative blend of fact and fiction, Selznick splendidly captures the sense of wonder that surrounded Houdini. Equally impressive are his evocative drawings; by turns droll, touching and downright silly, they bring added vitality to a captivating book. More than anything, however, this ambitious work teaches the importance of faith and the ability to believe in the impossible. Ages 6-11.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5, Ages 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-- Ten-year-old Victor has no success emulating his hero, Harry Houdini; no matter how hard or often he tries, he just can't escape from a locked trunk, or hold his breath underwater for 5000 seconds, or run through walls. Then he meets the magician himself in a crowded train station, and some time later receives a mysterious locked box engraved with the initials "E. W." Victor can't imagine who E. W. is and, disappointed, puts the box away. Years later, after Victor grows up and has a son of his own, he learns that Houdini's real name was Ehrich Weiss; he rushes home, opens the box, and that night, while his wife and child lie asleep, he locks himself in the trunk--and escapes in less than 20 seconds. Crosshatched pencil drawings expertly capture the story's droller moments, as well as Victor's changing expressions; details of dress and furnishings, plus dramatic posters on the endpapers, give this a period look and, appropriately, a slightly sentimental flavor. A capsule biography of Houdini is appended. This brief story has an appeal beyond its reading level. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Amazing Felix Ages 4-8

The Amazing Felix
By Emily Arnold McCully
Edition: illustrated Published by Putnam's, 1993
ISBN 0399224289, 9780399224287
32 pages
Journeying from 1920s New York to London aboard a fancy ocean liner, Felix finds himself in trouble with his father, a world-famous pianist, when he does not practice his music but spends his time learning magical tricks from Senor Presto, the magician.

An old-fashioned tale of kids making ...... their not-so-ordinary way among the rich and famous. En route to Europe in the 20's, Felix--enjoined by his concert-pianist Papa to ``Practice, practice''--despairs of ever playing as well as sister Fanny; but he does learn some prestidigitation from a magician aboard ship. In England, while Papa plays a command performance, Fanny and three other children ("cousins of a duchess'') get trapped in a castle tower. Following the sound of music, Felix runs for help; then, while Papa interrupts his playing to rescue the frightened children, Felix mollifies and amuses his audience, finally making the delightful discovery that Papa wants to learn to palm a coin, too ("With your fingers, it ought to be a cinch,'' Felix allows). It's an unlikely but satisfying fantasy, with handsome pictures of the elegant ocean liner and country house, and lush impressionistic settings accented with the dramatic black of pianos and tuxedos--while Felix's chance to advise Papa to "practice, practice'' makes the perfect denouement. (Picture book. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) ... more » Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

Caldecott winner McCully ( Mirette on the High Wire ) captures the elegance of the 1920s with sprightly prose and effervescent illustrations. Felix's famous pianist father departs for a world tour, leaving behind the instructions ``You must practice.'' Sister Fanny throws herself into a Bach fugue while Felix doubts his talents and feels ``a surge of joy--and a clap of dread!'' at the thought of seeing his father again. Aboard a fancy ocean liner, however, he discovers a new pastime and hopes to impress his father with a magic trick or two. As it happens, he saves Fanny from the cold clutches of a castle tower and wins hearts with his sure-handed magic performance. The story is weakened by a single ill-defined but pivotal moment, yet is otherwise well paced and filled with snatches of warm humor and insight. With McCully's subtle but expert use of color, water shimmers aqua, ladies' gowns rustle. Finely tuned for the most part, it is unfortunate that the female characters are less than inspiring. Mother barely features and Fanny gets nothing for all her practice and perseverance. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
BooklistFrom Booklist, 1993, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
/*STARRED REVIEW*/ Ages 4-8. Felix and his sister, Fanny, board an ocean liner with their mother for the voyage to England, where the family will be reunited with the father, a concert pianist on a world tour. Admonished by the father to "practice, practice, practice" until he sees them again, Fanny dutifully practices piano for hours, but Felix's imagination is caught by a shipboard magician, who teaches him a magic trick and offers the same advice his father gave. "Practice, practice, practice." Later, when the lack of piano practice puts Felix on the spot, his skill as a magician saves him from revealing his ineptness as a musician. As in her Caldecott-winning Mirette on the Highwire (1992), McCully handles watercolors with facility and panache, using impressionistic dapples of color to delineate forms. The 1920s settings on board ship and in an English castle lend themselves to a variety of intriguing illustrations, but even more impressive are her subtle characterizations of adults and children. McCully's original story, with its involving pictures and sense of childhood concerns, is an especially fine choice for reading aloud. (Reviewed Oct. 1, 1993) Carolyn Phelan.