Harry Houdini Uses His Noodle

New York City, 1907: who is that man suspended upside down from a crane? He is wearing a straitjacket, dangling precariously over the city street.  A crowd gathers below, watching and waiting with breathless anticipation.  What is this man doing?  Why is performing such a dangerous stunt?  How is this man going to escape? What if he doesn’t escape? 

Today, Reading Road Trip meets up with world-famous Hungarian-American magician and escape artist Harry Houdini.  Houdini was born on March 24, 1874. From his breakthrough act in 1899 to his death on Halloween in 1926, Houdini thrilled audiences with astonishing performances and sensational stunts.  We can learn more about how the Great Houdini freed himself from ropes, handcuffs, milk cans, and prison cells—not to mention that famous strait jacket—by wrapping ourselves up in a good book:

A Picture Book of Harry Houdini by David A. Adler presents an illustrated biography of the life of the master magician and escape artist, covering his humble upbringing and travels around the world as an adult (32 pages, RL 3.6).

Another picture book biography, Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King by Kathleen Krull, highlights the life and accomplishments of the Great Houdini (28 pages, RL 5.0).

Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman gives us a chapter book biography of the famous magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists (217 pages, RL 6.6).

 

Finally, Who Was Harry Houdini? by Tui Sutherland—a title from Lafayette School’s favorite biography series—offers an introduction to the life and amazing feats of the celebrated magician and escapologist, covering his achievements as a performer, movie star, and pilot (105 pages, RL 5.4).

When curious reporters asked how he escaped from seemingly inescapable situations time and time again, The Great Houdini simply replied, "My mind is the key that sets me free."  Keeping that mysterious quote in mind, Reading Road Trip presents an encore dramatic performance dedicated to the legendary escape artist:

No doubt about it: Harry Houdini always used his noodle… an idiom meaning he used his brain!