We have several Jennifers among our volunteers, and this one’s a SAHM who blogs at Snapshot about her love of books and sharing that love with her two kids (among other things).
She says she’s enjoyed the middle grade and young adult non-fiction nominees that she has read in anticipation of the short judging season. Even if the ones she’s reading don’t make the top five and reach the judging panel, she’s glad she was encouraged to pick up these great biographies and anticipates selecting future reads for herself from the juvenile biography section.
This excerpt is from her review of Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini, one of several biographies of the great illusionist to come out in recent years:
One thing that adds interest to this book is that the author is a magician himself, so he writes with a respect for the craft, and yet also with realism. He often repeats that there is no real magic, only tricks or sleights of hand, and yet, as a true magician, he never reveals the secrets. The back of the book does include a great bibliography for those interested in magic or Houdini specifically, and the author does alert the reader to which books do reveal the secrets behind the magic if that’s what interests you. It also features photos and playbills, many from the author’s own collection that have never before been published.
Read the rest.