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Author Dan Gutman is probably best known for his super-silly My Weird School books, which follow the adventures of a bunch of elementary school kids and the wacky grown-ups in their lives. But his latest novel, Houdini and Me, tones down the silliness while cranking up the suspense.
The story joins 11-year-old Harry Mancini on a death-defying adventure. While he’s in the hospital recovering from a close call with a train, Harry receives a mysterious flip phone among the gifts of flowers and candy. He doesn’t expect it to work—and he definitely doesn’t expect it to receive text messages from Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist whose former New York City home Harry now shares with his mother. Harry is skeptical…then excited…to be communicating with Houdini. But when the magician asks him to do something completely outrageous, Harry isn’t sure it’s a good idea.
Weaving together fact and fiction, the author builds a suspenseful and mystifying story while sprinkling it with historical facts and anecdotes about the legendary escape artist—and plenty of pictures, too. After all, since Harry is growing up in Houdini’s former home, he’s done his research. He might even be just a little bit obsessed with his home’s former resident. He knows just about everything there is to know, and he’s quick to share the information with anyone who will listen. And his conversations with Houdini reveal even more information about his life and his tricks. So while Harry’s story will grab young readers’ attention, it might also encourage them to spend some time exploring more of Houdini’s story.
This isn’t really the kind of story that you might expect from the guy behind the super-silly adventures of A.J. and his friends at Ella Mentry School. Though the author’s sense of humor and lighthearted tone do sometimes shine through, Houdini and Me is more detailed, more carefully plotted, and more mysterious—and a little more serious, too. Admittedly, it might take readers a little longer to become engrossed in the story; it takes a while to build up to the action and suspense, and it feels like it’s over a little too quickly. But the charming main character and the mystical story of a legendary magician make it a book that will entertain readers of all ages.
For fans of magic, history, or mystical mysteries, Houdini and Me has a little bit of everything to offer—all written with a hint of the author’s lighthearted humor. If you’re expecting his signature silliness, you’ll be in for a surprise—but young readers will enjoy the suspense and the slight eeriness of this supernatural tale.
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