Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun, educational chapter books have something for everyone.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Based on 22 kid reviews
Kids say the series is a must-read for younger audiences, frequently appreciated for its educational value, entertaining adventures, and positive role models like Jack and Annie. Many reviews highlight that while the earlier books captivate young readers, some find later installments less engaging and potentially scarier, urging parents to preview those for younger children.
- educational value
- positive role models
- appropriate for young readers
- entertaining adventures
- variable quality
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The MAGIC TREE HOUSE series begins with the story of how, one day in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, 8-year-old Jack and 7-year-old Annie discover a tree house in the woods near their home. In the first 36 chapter books, the siblings go on adventures where they explore history, cultures, music, art, science, and natural phenomena by pointing to a location in a book and saying, "I wish we could go there." Along the way, they meet the owner of the tree house -- Morgan le Fay (from Arthurian legend) -- who makes them master librarians and sends them on missions. In later books called the Merlin Missions, the kids are guided by Merlin the Magician. These books are more fantastical and sophisticated, to appeal to slightly older readers.
Is It Any Good?
These books make wonderful chapter books for first and second graders (or advanced kindergartners) to read alone, or for parents of young school children to read aloud. There's something in the Magic Tree House series for every kid to learn, whether it's about nature, historical events, cultural traditions, or animals. The formula that all of the books follow may seem repetitive to parents, but kids find these books both fascinating and comforting because they know Jack and Annie will always get home safely to Frog Creek.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Morgan Missions vs. the Merlin Missions in the Magic Tree House series. How are they different? Which do you like better, and why?
Do you think these books would make a good TV show? Why, or why not?
Which books in the series do you like best? Are there places or subjects you learned about that you'd like to investigate further?
How do Annie and Jack demonstrate curiosity, and what makes them good teammates? Why are those important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Sal Murdocca
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Children's Books
- Publication date : July 28, 1992
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 8
- Number of pages : 68
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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