The Magic of Houdini

The Magic of Houdini

The Magic of Houdini
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 6
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.79

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		ambition, Ehrich, mayer, salary, mere, worldwide, admirers, stunts, entire, hardship, trapeze, religion, childhood, fortune, wherever, mystery
	content words:		Harry Houdini, Erich Weisz, Mayer Weisz, United States, Kansas City, New York City, When Erich, Houdini Brothers, Coney Island, Beatrice Raymond

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The Magic of Houdini
By Jane Runyon

¹     The name Houdini and the word magic mean almost the same thing. When famous magicians are discussed, the name of Harry Houdini is almost always mentioned. He was known worldwide for his famous escapes. He was chained. He was handcuffed. He was placed into straitjackets. He was hung upside down in water. He was always able to escape his bonds. What he did was powerful magic to those who watched. Houdini knew that there was no magic involved. But he never let on.

²     Harry Houdini maintained that he was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in April of 1874. Why he would say that, no one is quite sure. The truth is he was born in Budapest, Hungary, in March of 1874. His name at birth was Erich Weisz. Erich's father was a teacher of religion in Hungary. Times were tough for the Weisz family. Mayer Weisz, Erich's father, decided that his family would have a better chance if they went to America. He left Hungary first to establish a home in the United States. He found a job as a rabbi to a small Jewish temple in Appleton. His salary was a mere $750 a year.

³     Mayer changed the spelling of the family name to Weiss so that it would appear to be more American. In 1876, he had saved enough to send for his family. Erich was just a small boy when he reached his new home in Wisconsin. Mayer had a hard time keeping his job. His religious rules brought from Europe were much stricter than the people of Wisconsin wanted to follow. Mayer moved his family to Milwaukee when Erich was just eight. The family was struggling. Erich had to get his own jobs just to help the family out. He sold newspapers and shined shoes on the streets of Milwaukee.

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