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A review by nikkibd4033
The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr. AKA Houdini by Peter Johnson
4.0
John Smith, Jr. is obsessed with Harry Houdini. So much so that his friends nickname him Houdini, which you have to admit is a better name than the very boring John Smith. Houdini lives in a poor neighborhood in East Providence, where his parents worry about money, Houdini worries about local bully Angel Dmitri, and they all worry about Houdini’s older brother Franklin, a marine serving in Iraq. When a kids’ book writer visits his school, he gives Houdini some good advice, and Houdini works through all of these worries by trying to complete a novel about his life.
Houdini is a middle-grade novel with a lot of heart. The emotions of a thirteen year old with a lot on his mind are spot-on. In its scant 166 pages, a lot is going on, and there is surprising depth and development of characters. There are times when you aren’t sure the boys in this novel (Houdini and his two best friends Lucky and Jorge) are ever going to learn to do the right thing. But Franklin makes his return, and though he is damaged he is absolutely the emotional core of this novel.
One of the better middle grade books out there.
Houdini is a middle-grade novel with a lot of heart. The emotions of a thirteen year old with a lot on his mind are spot-on. In its scant 166 pages, a lot is going on, and there is surprising depth and development of characters. There are times when you aren’t sure the boys in this novel (Houdini and his two best friends Lucky and Jorge) are ever going to learn to do the right thing. But Franklin makes his return, and though he is damaged he is absolutely the emotional core of this novel.
One of the better middle grade books out there.