I don't typically enjoy middle grade novels. There isn't usually enough going on to immerse myself. But this one actually pulled me in. I just wish it wasn't such an obvious serious opener.

I got this book through Goodreads first reads.
Harry, Billie and Arthur run magic tricks. We first meet Harry as he’s trying to escape from being chained up before the train arrives. When Herbie, their magician friend, disappears after a show the three friends decide to save him and figure out what exactly happened and who took him.
Harry is a bit obnoxious; in fact I hated him about midway through the book. He really doesn’t listen to Billie and Arthur. If anything although I like Harry by the end, I’m not convinced that he’s really changed or learned to listen to his friends, he often does things and then has to explain himself afterword, but although he feels bad that he acted without listening or stopping to explain he does the same thing again. The friendship was cute, sorry that sounds like I’m making that sound like a bad thing, it’s not but you know how it is friendships are always kind of cute with that class gap.
I liked the book it was a pleasant enough read, even if I don’t remember why I wanted to read it. The ending surprised me; I did not expect the mystery to be explained or resolved in that way. I had also completely forgotten about Arthur’s problem. It was a good book, and so action packed, some times I felt like I should have been running to keep up with those kids.
I have one issue, and that is that it centres around a young Houdini, I can't help but think that the book would have been just as good if it had been about some random child instead of being so far from the truth about Houdini that it is best to just forget who he is. I understand the point but I can't help but think that a fictional account of the childhood a young Houdini should have a stronger link to his actual childhood.

*I have to say that I won this in a Goodreads advanced reader giveaway!*

This was an exciting book, full of action! Something I would not have picked up had I not won it from Goodreads, but I'm SO glad I did! I have it in my classroom and am recommending it (and lending it!) to my students! The fast pace and adventure/mystery will surely keep them engaged. I love that there is also a lesson about not being selfish/working together. The strong friendship is something my students will be able to relate to, as will the idea of being an outsider.

I really enjoyed this one, and can't wait for the next! Thanks to the author and Goodreads!

The Magician's Fire was a very fast paced read. I enjoyed imagining Houdini as a kid with a group of friends who loved magic too. There was a very obvious lesson that Harry learned by the end of the book that was being repeated very often throughout the book. I liked what his friends contributed to the group and the story. This could have been a tad less obvious but I still enjoyed this for what it was. It makes me want to know more about Houdini.

The idea of a middle-grade fiction about Harry Houdini is really good, but I'm not sure the author used (or possibly even did?) any research on Houdini's real life; the book makes statements about the character Harry's life that not only aren't accurate, but actually contradict the facts of the real Houdini's childhood. Which for me defeats the point of historical fiction. And incidentally, the changes also remove references to Judaism from the character's life story, which is disappointing because I was hoping to add to my list of Jewish kidlit.