School Library Journal calls HOUDINI’S LIBRARY by Barb Rosenstock “a visual delight and excellent take on Houdini’s life through his love of books and learning” in starred review
★ Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician by Barb Rosenstock.
Illus. by Mar Delmar. 48p. Knopf. Feb. 2026. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780593570135. Gr 2-5.
“This biography of Harry Houdini (1874–1926), born Erik Weisz, covers the basics of his life and rise to fame framed by his love of books, including where it originated and the vast collection he acquired. Houdini is the modern definition of grit, determination, ambition, and showmanship, but this bookish aspect of his life isn’t nearly as well known. From his immigrant father’s beloved library sold to pay the rent to learning his first magic trick from a book bought from a discount bin, Houdini’s life was intertwined with books. In his desire to master magic, he bought every book on magic he could find and kept every single one. As his fame grew, so did his reputation with booksellers as he visited bookshops everywhere he went. He even had a special folding bookcase that held hundreds of books he took with him everywhere he traveled, and his home had bookcases in nearly all its 26 rooms. The more famous he became the more books he collected, to the point that he hired his own personal librarian to catalog it all. After his death it was estimated that his collection contained “fifteen thousand books, fifty thousand prints, half a million cuttings and four tons of theatrical bills.” Conversational text is clear, informative, and occasionally poetic. Each of Delmar’s amazing illustrations is essentially a layered 3D diorama that was photographed. Not only do they bring a very successful and unusual visual element to the story but they also adeptly support, expand, and enliven the text. Back matter includes an author’s note, sources, online resources, and illustrator’s note.
VERDICT: A visual delight and excellent take on Houdini’s life through his love of books and learning. Sure to be popular with book and magic lovers plus those interested in unusual illustration styles. A must-have for most libraries.”
—School Library Journal