The Houdini Box

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The Houdini Box

• By Brian Selznick

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Vocabulary

• Houdini is a magician.
• Person who writes for magazines.
• Person who performs tricks.

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Answer

• b. Person who performs tricks.

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Vocabulary

• The animals are trying to escape from the zoo!
• Come in.
• Break loose.

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Answer

• b. Break loose.

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Vocabulary

• The shoppers were bustling.
• Scurrying
• Chattering

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Answer

• A. scurrying

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Vocabulary

• The car appeared from over the hill.
• Came into view
• Stayed in one place

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Answer

• B. Came into view

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Vocabulary

• We visited the Washington monument.
• Memorial
• Head quarters

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Answer

• A. Memorial

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Vocabulary

• The cookie crumbled.
• Stuck to the floor
• Fell to pieces

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Answer

• b. Fell to pieces

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Vocabulary

• The food vanished from the Thanksgiving table.
• disappeared
• darkened

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Answer

• a. disappeared

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Comprehension Questions
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Comprehension

• What did Victor and Houdini have in common?
• They wanted to travel.
• They had a box with their initials on it.
• They liked to perform magic tricks.

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Answer

• c. They liked to perform magic tricks.

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Comprehension

• Victor was upset because he could not
• Locate his mother at the train station.
• do the things that Houdini did.

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Answer

• b. Do the things that Houdini did

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Comprehension

• Right after Victor learned about each one of
  Houdinis tricks, he
  
• Tried to do what Houdini had done.
• told his Aunt Harriet the secret.

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Answer

• a. Tried to do what Houdini had done.

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Comprehension

• Houdini probably promised to write Victor a
  letter be he was
  
• Worried that Victor would get in trouble.
• Impressed with Victors determination.

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Answer

• b. Impressed with Victors
• determination.

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Comprehension

• What is the most likely reason the author wrote
  this selection?
  
• To entertain with a story about a boy that wants
  to be a magician.
  
• to persuade children to do magic tricks for
  their friends.

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Answer

• a. To entertain with a story about a boy that
  wants to be a magician.

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Comprehension

• What kind of person is Victor?
• Helpful because he did a lot of chores around the
  house.
  
• Daring because he approached Houdini at the train
  station.

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Answer

• b. Daring because he approached Houdini at the
  train station.

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Comprehension

• Victor was so excited after reading Houdinis
  monument because he
  
• Had always wondered what Houdinis real name
  was.
  
• Realized the box that he was given as a boy had
  belonged to Houdini.

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Answer

• b. Realized the box that he was given as a boy
  had belonged to Houdini.

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Comprehension

• What happed after Victor played ball with his
  son?
  
• He went to visit Houdini.
• He found Houdinis box in the attic.

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Answer

• b. He found Houdinis box in the attic.

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Comprehension

• In what way was Victor the same at the beginning
  and the end of the story?
  
• He was excited about magic.
• He took a train to visit someone.

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Answer

• a. He was excited about magic.

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Comprehension

• Why did Mrs. Houdini cry when she read the letter
  that Victor showed her?
  
• She was sad because her husband had just died.
• She was angry because she had to give Houdinis
  box away.

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Answer

• a. She was sad because her husband had just died.

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Good luck on your test!Make sure you double
check your answers!