I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster

New York, NY: Doubleday & Company. Near Fine in Fine dust jacket. 1988. 1st Edition USA; First Printing. Hardcover. First Edition USA (1988) , so stated. Near Fine in Near Fine DJ: The book shows very slight spine lean; else flawless; the binding is secure; the text is clean. Free of any creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome, nearly-new copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing a minor, unobtrusive imperfection. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. Very close to "As New". The DJ is flawless; the price is intact; mylar-protected. Virtually 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo (8.5 x 5.85 x 0.65 inches) . Illustrated byTerry Riley. Language: English. Weight: 11.5 ounces. First published in Great Britain in 1978. Hardback with DJ. Lynne Reid Banks (born 31 July 1929) is a British author of books for children and adults. She has written forty-eight books, including the best-selling children's novel 'The Indian in the Cupboard', which has sold over 15 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, published in 1960, was an instant and continuing best seller. It was later made into a movie of the same name and led to two sequels, The Backward Shadow and Two is Lonely. In 1962, Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on a kibbutz, Yas'ur. In 1965, she married Chaim Stephenson (1926–2016) , a sculptor, with whom she had three sons. She lives in Shepperton, Surrey, UK. Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in many of her books. In October 2013, Banks won the J. M. Barrie award for outstanding contribution to children's arts. In 'I, Houdini' The title tells it all: Houdini is slightly pompous, no slouch when it comes to vocabulary, and has a gift for dry humor. He relates the story of his acquisition by a family and the trial runs and trouble spots that turn him into a great escapologist. The author seems to have slipped into the hide of the hamster and seems to understand these small creatures completely and creates a tantalizing journey. This is pure fun and full of slapstick exaggeration: for example, the father is a clownish bellower, especially when Houdini chews through pipes. There are dramatic moments and cliffhangers, but since this hamster's name is Houdini, readers can count on a grand finale. ; Drawings; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 127 pages .