Harry Houdini for Kids: His Life and Adventures with 21 Magic Tricks and Illusions

146 Pages·2009·8.52 MB·English

by  Laurie Carlson

History/Activity Ages 9 & up
C
I A
Kids can amaze R
L
S
LLUSIONIST, ESCAPE ARTIST, MOVIE STAR, aviator, their family and O
N
and spy—Harry Houdini was all these and an friends by:
international celebrity and the world’s most
MAGICAL COIN A SLEIGHT OF HAND!
famous magician. This fascinating biography looks at Stepping through
an index card
all the facets of Houdini’s amazing life and includes
21 magic tricks and illusions for a hands-on learning
Performing an odd
experience. Houdini was an artist who created his number trick
H
a
acts carefully, practicing them for years in some cases. rr
Making a coin appear y
He performed such seemingly impossible stunts as ODD NUMBER TRICK INVENTOR!
Mind reading with
escaping several sets of handcuffs and ropes after
a secret code
jumping off a bridge into a flowing river. Kids will
learn how he devised his most legendary stunts and Making a magic box
f
o
r
will also learn the science and logic behind many of
Lifting a person
Houdini’s acts including his famous milk can escape.
with one hand
A MAGIC BOX PHYSICALLY FIT!
Laurie Carlson is the author of More Than Moccasins, Thomas
Making a talking
Edison for Kids, Westward Ho! and many other books. She is a board
professor at Western Oregon University.
And much more
Distributed by LIFT A PERSON KING OF CARDS!
Independent Publishers Group
www.ipgbook.com L AU R I E
LIFE ADVENTURES
HIS AND
CARLSON
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
WITH 21 MAGIC TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS
HIS LIFE AND
ADVENTURES
WITH 21 MAGIC TRICKS
AND ILLUSIONS
LAURIE
CARLSON
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cover and interior design: Joan Sommers Design
Cover image credits: (Left to right) Busch Circus
Carlson, Laurie M., 1952–
poster, c. 1912. Postcard of the Hippodrome, New
Harry Houdini for kids : his life and adventures
York; Private collection. Houdini, bound and chained
with 21 magic tricks and illusions / Laurie Carlson.
to a large metal wheel; Photograph courtesy of the
— 1st ed.
Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University.
p. cm.
Harry Houdini; Photograph courtesy of the Library
Includes index.
of Congress, LC-USZC4-3277.
ISBN 978-1-55652-782-1 (pbk.)
1. Houdini, Harry, 1874–1926—Juvenile
© 2009 by Laurie Carlson
literature. 2. Magicians—United States—
All rights reserved
Biography—Juvenile literature. 3. Escape artists—
First edition
United States—Biography—Juvenile literature.
Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
4. Magic tricks. I. Title.
814 North Franklin Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
GV1545.H8C33 2009
978-1-55652-782-1
793.8092—dc22
Printed in Italy
[B]
5 4 3 2 1
2008021404
TO BRIAN AND TYLER,
BOYS WITH BIG IDEAS
AND ENERGY TO MATCH.
Contents
Time Line vi 3. Becoming the
Handcuff King 32
Introduction 1
Dissolving Rings Trick 35
1. Humble Beginnings 4
Magic Knot Trick 37
Step Through a
Mind Reading with
Note Card 8
Secret Code 43
Odd Number Trick 10
4. And the Crowd
2. A Star Is Born 12 Goes Wild! 50
Linking Paper Rings 14 Magic Key Trick 52
Lift a Person with Make a Magic Box 69
One Hand 23
5. Going to Extremes 72
Four Against One 25
Milk Can Escape—Measure
Balls or Coins Trick 27 Volume Displacement 79
Build a Box Kite 85
6. Aviator, Actor . . . Spy? 92 Resources 133
Further Reading 133
Magical Money Trick 95
Web Sites to Explore 133
Write an Invisible
Message 107
Sources 134
Make a Secret Spy Safe 108
Index 135
Crack a Secret Code 109
7. Ghostbuster 110
Make Some Slimy
Ectoplasm 117
Make a Talking Board 122
Create Ghostly
Handprints 125
8. Was It Murder? 126
Farmer’s Chop Suey 129
Time Line
Ehrich Weisz born in Budapest, Hungary Weisz family moves to Appleton,Wisconsin, changes name to Weiss Weiss family moves to New York City Ehrich joins with a friend to create amagic act: the Houdini Brothers. Hebegins using the name Harry Houdini. Harry’s father dies Harry’s brother Dash replaces friend inthe Houdini Brothers; they perform atChicago World’s Fair Harry marries Bess Rahner after know-ing her for three weeks Harry and Bess, now “The Houdinis,”spend six years struggling with their act Houdinis get a big break, perform in topvaudeville theaters across the country Houdinis tour Britain and Europe Houdinis return to United States and buy a house in New York City and a small farm in Connecticut Harry begins doing handcuffed bridge jumps
4 8 7 1 2 3 3 9 0 5 7
7 7 8 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
vvii
d
Harry does the Milk Can Escape Harry is the first person to fly an air-plane in Australia—he spends three anda half minutes in the air Harry does the Chinese Water TortureCell stunt World War I begins Harry does the Vanishing Elephant actas part of a large extravaganza markingthe end of World War I TheHarry becomes a movie star when Master Mysteryopens in theaters The Funk and Wagnalls dictionaryhoudinizeincludes the word , whichmeans “to release or extricate oneselffrom (confinement, bonds, or the like), as by wriggling out” Houdini begins investigating spirit mediums In February Harry testifies before a congressional committee investigatingparanormal frauds or anyone pretendingto tell fortunes for money In October while at McGill University inMontreal, Canada, Harry is punched harin the stomach. He becomes ill and a fewdays later has his appendix removed.After another surgery, he dies onOctober 31 in Detroit, Michigan. U.S. Postal Service issues afirst-class commemorativestamp honoring Houdini
8 0 2 4 8 9 0 2 6 2
0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 0
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Houdini returned in 2002—
on a postage stamp!
U. S. POSTAL SERVICE
vviiii

introduction
H
oudini created Houdini. When question. After World War I began, he
considering the life of Ehrich found himself more determined than ever
Weisz, who would become the to be recognized as a solid citizen of the
great Harry Houdini, it’s important to United States.
note that some stories he told have been In many ways Houdini’s rise to fame
contradicted and that he often “re-created” was a result of the conditions that existed
his past for personal reasons. His birth during the era in which he lived. The
date, birthplace, childhood, and other country faced internal divisions and
details were often changed. In the late bitter conflicts between employees and
1800s Jewish immigrants faced discrimi- employers. Urban tenements were packed
nation in the United States, a condition with frustrated people, immigrants
that worsened as Houdini came to adult- continued arriving, and the country
hood and led him to smooth over his for- was in turmoil as labor unions expanded
eign roots. As a child, he was reared in a and pressed for a better quality of life.
household where no English was spo- Parades, protests, and riots were common.
ken—his parents spoke German. When Crowds gathered in the streets for a
touring in Europe, he taught himself to variety of reasons, and for Houdini,
speak other languages so he could better entertaining the mob grew naturally out
connect with the audience, and his child- of the circumstances. He would do a stunt
hood German came in handy. He also dab- as thousands gathered in the street below,
bled in speaking French, Russian, and watching for hours—something the
Danish. But his allegiance was never in public happily engaged in before moving
1