Common Sense Media Review
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart science-based series mixes facts and fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
\"Almost every day, something weird happens\" in Ms. Frizzle's class as a diverse group of kids -- including whiz-bang Dorothy-Ann and reluctant Arthur -- head into the Magic School Bus, which can transform into a plane, an inflatable raft and more as it travels through time and space. With their wacky but always cool teacher by their side, they go inside the Earth, explore climate change, get up close with dinosaurs, etc. There's a lot of information to absorb: Along with the story's text, kids pick up more information through the students' dialogue, their reports -- which run along the sides of the page -- and detailed illustrations, which show, for example, all the different ways neighbors produce carbon dioxide by working and traveling around their homes.
Is It Any Good?
There's a reason this has become such a long-standing hit with kids -- and parents, too! For more than 20 years, Ms. Frizzle and her class have helped break down basic scientific information into chunks that kids can easily digest and remember. The fun gimmicks -- like the ever-changing bus and Ms. Frizzle's ever-changing outfits, which reflect each book's theme -- will keep kids engaged as they devour book after book in this series. Because the books are text-heavy, they work better when kids can read them themselves; a read-aloud will simply take too long. But, parents, you should get on the bus, too. You'll be surprised at how much you can learn along the way!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their favorite fact from each book. What did you learn during the class' journey?
Would you like a teacher like Ms. Frizzle? What would be fun -- or hard -- about being in her class?
What would you own dream field trip be?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Bruce Degen
- Genre : Science
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : July 24, 1986
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 9
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback
- Last updated : March 7, 2026
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