Shots at Sea: A Houdini & Nate Mystery

On board the Lusitania, Houdini and his protege, Nate, meet up with Theodore Roosevelt--and try to unmask the anarchist who's trying to bring him down. Shipboard action spiced with humor and a real sense of the vibrancy of history makes this a stand-out.

This second Houdini and Nate mystery is another page turner from Tom Lalicki. My 11 and 12 year-old children (a girl and a boy) enjoyed it but I think they would've gotten into it even at age eight or nine (they liked "Danger in the Dark," the first Houdini and Nate mystery). The story on its own is quite intriguing, but I really appreciated all of the information about how people lived 100 years ago being there as well. The kids were interested in that history, too. Issues are raised that are certainly relevant today as well, such as how different classes of people often don't get the same treatment. I enjoyed reading this book as much as my children. Nate is a boy both parents and children can admire . . . and we all did!