Onion Sundaes

Houdini Club Magic Mysteries #1

by David A. Adler

  

Illus. in black-and-white. When a crime wave hits the Super Big 'N' Super Friendly Supermarket, it's up to Herman "Houdini" Foster--magician, near-genius, ten-year-old kid--and his cousin, Janet Perry, to stop it. But can they solve the case of the shopping cart crook before their ice cream melts?  

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Fiction

72 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

David Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.

Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.

Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.

As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

(source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I got rid of this book a while back; it was okay, I just didn't like it enough to keep it.

[will F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the best book in the world! I love it. Get it. It is so cool! I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it. Yes I llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it!

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grades 2+. Aspiring magician Herman "Houdini" Foster and his cousin Janet help uncover the thief who is stealing money from shoppers at the supermarket.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun children's book. I can see it as fast, interesting read for this reading level.

[Maggiemyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would make a good chapter book for interventions for 3rd/4th grade students. Students could participate in solving a mystery.

[Melissa Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Integrates mysteries and magic tricks. I would say the level of writing is better than Cam Jansen but still easy to follow. The characters are more believable.