Cover of The Houdini Box

The Houdini Box

by Brian Selznick

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Rhode Island Children's Book AwardTexas Bluebonnet Award

The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Houdini Box is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–11
Pages
60
Reading time
about 1h 5m (est.)
First published
1991
Genre
Fantasy
ISBN-13
9780679854487

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Houdini Box→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Fantasy title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on magicians and magicians, fiction; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

magicians · magicians, fiction · escape (psychology) · conduct of life

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Houdini Box?
The Houdini Box is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Houdini Box?
It takes about 1h 5m to read The Houdini Box (60 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 65 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Houdini Box?
The Houdini Box appears on reading lists for Rhode Island Children's Book Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Houdini Box banned in schools?
The Houdini Box does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does The Houdini Box explore?
Central themes in The Houdini Box include magicians, magicians, fiction, escape (psychology), conduct of life.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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