January 26, 2009

Review: Houdini by T. J. Banks


Courtesy of Publishing Works


One day while walking near a college campus apartment David heard an unbelievably loud meow coming from a tiny kitty that fit in the palm of his hand. He was abandoned in one of the apartments when the semester was over. David convinces his friend Jim Leonard and his daughter Jill to adopt him and the kitty with no name was smuggled onto a plane for the ride home.

Once home Jill still couldn’t figure out what to name the kitty until the next morning when he mysteriously escaped out of the box he was in and Houdini was officially named. Houdini spent his days on the Leonard farm, chasing squirrels, basking in the warmth of the dryer vent and playing with the numerous cats and toms on the farm.

One day while seeking shelter from the wind Houdini sneaks into a hole on the under carriage of Mr. Leonard’s car and when he wakes up and gets out of the car to look around he gets left in the drug store parking lot. Houdini goes through a rough few days and eventually finds shelter but will he find his way home to Jill?

I’m not embarrassed to say that Houdini made me cry. The story is told mostly from his point of view and it was super cute but a little sad in some parts. Overall the book is a good story for kids and there is a great message at the end about disabilities. I recommend Houdini for readers aged 9-12 and cat lovers of all ages.