Review of The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick

The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick

A coworker introduced me to The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick last year. She found a copy of this magical book in box of discarded library books.

Victor tries to escape from locked boxes and walk through walls just like the famous magician Houdini. After he is fortunate enough to meet his hero, Victor finds himself with a locked box. What will he discover if he opens it?

This book kept my fifth graders on the edge of their seats. There were multiple opportunities for students to question, predict, and infer.

You can also teach turning point to climax, and how some books leave off the resolution. This book provides rich characterization, allowing students to infer character's feelings, consider how the character changes, and to identify traits.

I spent three days with this book. The gasps and "a-ha's" were worth every moment.I discovered later that some of my students went home and looked Houdini up. They were quite fascinated. I give The Houdini Box five stars for engaging readers!

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