Book Discussion Guide

Who was Harry Houdini? by Tui T. Sutherland and John O'Brien

Can you imagine being a magician, movie star, pilot, and hero? Harry Houdini was all of these things and much more! In this book, you will read all about Houdini’s interesting childhood as an immigrant from Hungary. From a young age, it was clear that Houdini was multi-talented. As he grew older, Houdini’s love for the stage and a need to provide for his family led him to develop into a successful entertainer. You and your child will not only learn about Houdini, but many other historical figures and events that had an impact on Houdini’s life. You’ll love all the interesting graphics and insider tips on Houdini’s escape acts and life. After reading this book, your family will have deeper respect for this inventive and hard-working man.

Questions To Talk About
While Reading

Vocabulary

It's important to make sure that your child has an understanding of key words in the book. Talking about words while reading is a great way for your child to learn new words.

In this book, you might talk about these words:

second-class citizens (pg. 7)
resourceful (pg. 10)
promoted (pg. 13)
illusion (pg. 17)
apparatus (pg. 22)
dramatic (pg. 27)
insisted (pg. 30)
discouraged (pg. 32)
conquer (pg. 35)
deceiving (pg. 38)
exhausted (pg. 44)
submerged (pg. 50)
accelerated (pg. 61)
guaranteed (pg. 72)
fraud (pg. 91)

You might use a question like:

In the book, what does the word resourceful mean? How do the details on page 10 help you figure out what this word means?

Key Ideas and Themes

In addition to words, it's important to talk about key ideas and themes and how they develop over the course of the book.

Here are some examples to get you started:

1
Talk with your child about the purpose of a table of contents and how it can be used to find specific information about Harry Houdini. How does the Table of Contents help you to get a first impression of Harry Houdini’s interests, skills, and accomplishments?
2
After reading the introduction section, Who Was Harry Houdini?, talk with your child about the information the author gives about the book. How does the author introduce the book? What details are used? Ask your child, “Based on this section of the text, what do you think the main idea of this text will be?” Challenge your child to move beyond stating the topic, “Harry Houdini,” but to state the main idea as a complete sentence. “Harry Houdini was....”
3
The author says that, “Harry Houdini’s childhood is full of stories that may or may not be true.” This is very interesting indeed! Talk about what details the author gives to back up this statement.
4
On page 13, the author provides a biography of Robert Houdin (Born Jean Eugene Robert Houndin). Ask your child who Robert Houdin is and why the author includes him in a book on Harry Houdini. Ask what connections your child can find between Robert Houdin and Harry Houdini.
5
On page 34, the author states, “Now, not only was Harry ready for the world, but the world was ready for him.” What does the author mean by this statement? Be sure to encourage your child to use details from pages 32 – 34 for support.
6
On the last two pages of the text, the author reminds us of the main ideas of the text. What does Tui Sutherland want you to remember about Harry Houdini? What kinds of lessons can you learn from his life? Talk about these questions with your child and encourage him or her to go back to the text to use specific examples.

Extra Activities

1
Now that you know one important person in the world of magic, go explore more magicians on the web or at your library. You can start with the famous French magician, Robert Houdin, whom the author mentions in the text. Who knows who you’ll find next!
2
Look up some magic tricks online or at your library. Practice them as a family, and then go show your friends what you’ve learned. You can even talk about what you learned about Harry Houdini now that you’re a fellow magician!