The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr. AKA Houdini

For fans of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee , Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars , and Jack Gantos's Joey Pigza Books comes a hilarious and poignant slice-of-life novel from critically acclaimed author and poet Peter Johnson. When an author comes to speak to his class in a rundown area of Providence, Houdini decides to make money by writing his own novel. Houdini chronicles his life as he and his friends start a leaf-raking business, befriend Old Man Jackson (a Vietnam War veteran with a seriously intimidating dog), and get even with the neighborhood bully, Angel. But it's hard to find a way to write about his dad losing his job or his brother, Franklin, who is first reported missing in action in Iraq and then still seems to be missing when he comes home. No matter what, Houdini and his friends rely on one another to figure out how to do the right thing. And Houdini discovers that writing and thinking about his friends and family lets him get to know them in completely new ways.

Product details

• Authors: Peter Johnson
• Publisher: Harper Collins Usa
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 8 to 12
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 29.07.2014
• EAN: 9780061988912
• ISBN: 978-0-06-198891-2
• No. of pages: 192
• Dimensions: 130 mm x 194 mm x 10 mm
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books > Non-fiction books / Non-fiction picture books > Mankind; Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: siblings, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Abuse, JUVENILE FICTION: Family / Siblings, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Friendship, JUVENILE FICTION: Readers / Chapter Books, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Violence, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Bullying, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Runaways, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Sexual Abuse, JUVENILE FICTION: Social Themes / Strangers, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories