Magic Tree House Series
By Barbara Schultz,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun, educational chapter books have something for everyone.
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Based on 11 parent reviews
entertaining and educational
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: Mary Pope Osborne
- Illustrator: Sal Murdocca
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters , Brothers and Sisters , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , 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, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 2, 2020
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