Our Book Selection Committee loves sharing picture book biographies with families. Biographies bring history to life, giving readers insight into the challenges, choices, and forces that influenced the lives of extraordinary and ordinary, everyday heroes.
In Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician, by Barbara Rosenstock, readers not only learn about Harry Houdini’s astounding magical tricks and daring escapes but also discover how his passion for books helped shape him into the renowned performer and world-famous escape artist he ultimately became.
Books were part of Harry’s life from an early age, thanks in part to his father, a rabbi who left Hungary and came to America with his family and his books. Although financial difficulties eventually forced his father to sell his books, Harry’s love of books persisted. He learned his first magic trick from a secondhand book, by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin. From there, he went on to purchase hundreds of books on knots, magic, and handcuffs, as well as books on chemistry, spiritualism, and any other subject that caught his fancy. He ultimately acquired a personal library of more than 15,000 books.
Mar Delmar’s intricate cut-paper illustrations, with their final pages depicting Harry entwined within swirling pages of books, beautifully convey the love, inspiration, and comfort he found in reading. Because PJ Library seeks to nurture a love of books and Judaism within its readers, Houdini’s Library seemed like a perfect choice to share with families. We hope you find this book as magical as we do.
October 6, 2026