Magic Tree House
Magic Tree House is a novel series for young children written by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca. The series features two children — Jack, the serious, intelligent bookworm, and his adventurous, excitable, and imaginative younger sister, Annie — who travel to historical places using a magic tree house. The magic tree house belongs to Morgan le Fay who, in this series, is King Arthur's sister and a librarian who travels through time and space to collect books using the magic tree house.
In the first series, consisting of the first 28 books, Morgan sends Jack and Annie on numerous adventures and missions in order to help free Morgan from a spell, solve four ancient riddles to become Master Librarians, and save four ancient stories from being lost forever. After the twenty-eighth chapter book, Mary Pope Osborne started a second series called the Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions". In these missions, Jack and Annie have quests from the ancient wizard Merlin the Magician. These books are longer than the previous 28, and some take place in fantasy realms like Camelot.
All together, there are forty-two (42) fiction books named. Their titles are listed below. In addition, a number of Magic Tree House Research Guides (nonfiction companions to the series) have been written by the author, her husband Will and her sister Natalie Pope Boyce[1]. These books contain more information about the historical places and events which Jack and Annie visit in the Magic Tree House Series. Right now, seventeen (17) have been released. Two more are listed as future books, so a total of nineteen (19) are named.
There is also a Magic Tree Passport that is available on the Magic Tree House Website(www.magictreehouse.com).
The series is translated into Japanese up to Book #36, sold over 2 million copies as of March, 2008. The Japanese version has anime-like illustrations and Osborne commented "Jack and Annie look like Japanese cartoon characters!"[2]
Magic Tree House Series
| # | Title | Published | Plot Summary/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinosaurs Before Dark | July 28, 1992 | Jack and Annie discover the tree house and using the magical books there they travel back during the Late Cretaceous period (65 million years ago) where they meet dinosaurs. |
| 2 | The Knight at Dawn | February 16, 1993 | In England during the Middle Ages, Jack and Annie explore a castle and meet a brave Knight. |
| 3 | Mummies in the Morning | August 24, 1993 | In Ancient Egypt, Jack and Annie help Queen Hutepi find her missing Book of the Dead. |
| 4 | Pirates Past Noon | March 8, 1994 | Jack and Annie encounter some pirates in the Indian Ocean. |
| 5 | Night of the Ninjas | March 21, 1995 | In ancient Japan, Jack and Annie encounter ninjas and samurai. First part in the Mystery of the Magic Spell story arc. |
| 6 | Afternoon on the Amazon | August 29, 1995 | Jack and Annie search the Amazon rainforest for Morgan le Fay. Second part in the Mystery of the Magic Spell story arc. |
| 7 | Sunset of the Sabertooth | April 14, 1996 | In the last Ice Age, Jack and Annie encounter Cro-Magnons, wooly mammoths, and a saber-toothed cat while looking for the third object to help Morgan le Fay. Third part in the Mystery of the Magic Spell story arc. |
| 8 | Midnight on the Moon | October 29, 1996 | Forty years into their future, Jack and Annie travel to the moon to look for the fourth object needed to help Morgan le Fay. Fourth part in the Mystery of the Magic Spell story arc. |
| 9 | Dolphins at Daybreak | April 29, 1997 | Set in the Pacific Ocean with bottlenose dolphins. First part in the Mystery of the Ancient Riddles story arc. |
| 10 | Ghost Town at Sundown | September 16, 1997 | Set in the American Wild West. Second part in the Mystery of the Ancient Riddles story arc. |
| 11 | Lions at Lunchtime | January 12, 1998 | Set on the African savannah with lions. Third part in the Mystery of the Ancient Riddles story arc. |
| 12 | Polar Bears Past Bedtime | January 12, 1998 | Set in the North Pole. Fourth part in the Mystery of the Ancient Riddles story arc. |
| 13 | Vacation Under The Volcano | March 24, 1998 | Jack and Annie travel to Pompeii on the eve of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. First part in the Lost Stories story arc. |
| 14 | Day of the Dragon King | April 20, 1998 | Jack and Annie travel to China as it was 2,000 years in their past. Second part in the Lost Stories story arc. |
| 15 | Viking Ships at Sunrise | August 11, 1998 | In medieval Ireland, Jack and Annie encounter Vikings. Third part in the Lost Stories story arc. |
| 16 | Hour of the Olympics | October 20, 1998 | Jack and Annie travel to Ancient Greece and see the first Olympic games. Fourth part in the Lost Stories story arc. |
| 17 | Tonight on the Titanic | March 23, 1999 | Jack and Annie travel back to 1912 and are on the Titanic during her fateful voyage. First part in the Enchanted Dog story arc. |
| 18 | Buffalo Before Breakfast | May 18, 1999 | In the American Old West, Jack and Annie encounter a Lakota boy on the Great Plains. Second part in the Enchanted Dog story arc. |
| 19 | Tigers at Twilight | August 17, 1999 | Jack and Annie explore the Indian jungles of the past. Third part in the Enchanted Dog story arc. |
| 20 | Dingoes at Dinnertime | March 14, 2000 | Set in ancient Australia. Fourth part in the Enchanted Dog story arc. |
| 21 | Civil War on Sunday | May 23, 2000 | In the US Civil War, Jack and Annie encounter Clara Barton. First part in the Morgan's Library story arc. |
| 22 | Revolutionary War on Wednesday | September 26, 2000 | Jack and Annie cross the Delaware river with George Washington. Second part in the Morgan's Library story arc. |
| 23 | Twister on Tuesday | March 27, 2001 | In the 1870s, Jack and Annie encounter pioneer settles of the midwestern prairie. Third part in the Morgan's Library story arc. |
| 24 | Earthquake in the Early Morning | July 24, 2001 | In 1906, Jack and Annie experience the San Francisco earthquake. Fourth part in the Morgan's Library story arc. |
| 25 | Stage Fright on a Summer Night | March 12, 2002 | In Elizabethan England, Jack and Annie meet William Shakespeare. First part of the Type of Magic story arc. |
| 26 | Good Morning Gorillas | July 23, 2002 | In the Congo rainforest, Jack and Annie encounter gorillas.Then Jack gets jealous of Annie's bond with the Gorillas. Second part of the Type of Magic story arc. |
| 27 | Thanksgiving on Thursday | September 24, 2002 | In Plymouth in 1621, Jack and Annie share the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians. Third part of the Type of Magic story arc. |
| 28 | High Tide in Hawaii | March 25, 2003 | Jack and Annie travel to the Hawaii of the past.Then they almost get caught in a tsunami. Fourth part of the Type of Magic story arc. |
Magic Tree House Merlin Missions
Magic Tree House #29: Christmas in Camelot (Technically, this was written between books 24 and 25 as a special, but has been called a follow up to 28. Canonically, it fits between 24 and 25 also.) In this book, Jack and Annie travel from Camelot to the Otherworld, where they must save Camelot itself... not from destruction, but from being forgotten forever.
Magic Tree House #30: Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve In this mission, Jack, Annie, and Teddy must restore order to a duke's castle, on the outer realm of Camelot, for Merlin. In this book Jack and Annie reunite with Teddy from the Enchanted Dog arc who becomes a recurring charchter in the rest of the books. It is also the first book where Jack and Annie perform their own magic.
Magic Tree House #31: Summer of the Sea Serpent In this book, Jack and Annie must retrieve the Sword of Light for Merlin.... for all the good of Camelot. In this book Jack and Annie meet Kathlene who along with Teddy becomes a recurring charchter in the books.
Magic Tree House #32: Winter of the Ice Wizard In this book, Jack and Annie must go on a mission for the evil Ice Wizard, which is getting his one eye back. And if they do, he will give them back Merlin and Morgan. This was released on September 28, 2004.
Magic Tree House #33: Carnival at Candlelight In this book, Jack and Annie must go and save Venice, Italy from a flood disaster, and by doing so prove to Merlin that they know how to use magic wisely. This book came out in March 2005.
Magic Tree House #34: Season of the Sandstorms In this book, Jack and Annie must help the caliph of ancient Baghdad spread wisdom to the world, and by doing so prove to Merlin that they know how to use magic wisely.
Magic Tree House #35: Night of the New Magicians In this book, Jack and Annie travel to the Paris Expositon Universelle of 1889 in the Magic Tree House. They have to save four new magicians (Alexander Graham Bell, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, and Gustav Eiffel), before an evil sorcerer kidnaps them and steals the secrets of their magic, and by doing so prove to Merlin the Magician that they know how to use magic wisely.
Magic Tree House #36: Blizzard of the Blue Moon In this book, Jack and Annie travel in the Magic Tree House to the New York City of the Great Depression in 1938. They must help a unicorn under a spell and by doing so prove to Merlin the Magician that they know how to use magic wisely. But two teenagers, Balor and Grinda, are up to the same challenge. Can Jack and Annie save the unicorn, Dianthus, before Balor and Grinda take him away? In this book Jack and Annie are given the power to make magic on their own. This book came out on September 26, 2006.
Magic Tree House #37: Dragon of the Red Dawn Jack and Annie travel back in the Magic Tree House to feudal Japan to find the first of four secrets of happiness for Merlin the magician, because he is complaining that he does not feel well, does not eat or sleep, and is tired. To do this, they must spend the day with famous Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. It is: pay close attention to the wonders of nature all around you. This book was released in March 2007.
Magic Tree House #38: Monday with a Mad Genius Jack and Annie travel back in the Magic Tree House to Florence, Italy, and find the second of four secrets of happiness. To do this, they must help Leonardo da Vinci all day: morning, noon, and afternoon, till the night bird sings its song. This book came out on August 28,2007.
Magic Tree House #39: Dark Day in the Deep Sea The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to a deserted island, in the 1870s, trying to look for another secret of happiness. But it turns out they aren't very happy, who needs help more, Merlin, or themselves? When they get rescued by scientists on a ship, in the Atlantic Ocean, they are looking for a sea monster (it's actually an octopus), not a secret of happiness! But soon, they (Jack and Annie) fall overboard! Then they find the sea monster . . . This book is 128 pages long, making it the longest book in the series. The book and its research guide, Sea Monsters, were both released on March 25, 2008.
Magic Tree House #40: Eve of the Emperor Penguin Jack and Annie go to Antarctica to try to find their last secret of happiness. But they only find penguins! How will they be able to find a secret of happiness? Only the penguins have the answer to this question. . . .This book was released on September 23, 2008. It is also different from most Magic Tree Houses as Jack and Annie do not travel through time. This is the only time where it is specificly stated that they did not travel through time. High Tide in Hawaii and a few more may also take place in present day but it is not specificly stated unlike in this book.
Magic Tree House #41: Moonlight on the Magic Flute*** Jack and Annie go to 18th century Austria and help Mozart, but are put behind by a mischievous little boy who sets all the animals in the zoo free. Jack and Annie need to use all of magic of their disposal to help the situation. This book will be available on March 24, 2009.
Magic Tree House #42: Queen of the Nile at Noon*** On a book tour, Mary Pope Osborne asked kids which title they would like better for a book about Jack and Annie going back to Ancient Egypt. Queen of the Nile at Noon won. The other title was Noon on the Nile. Mary plans for Jack and Annie to meet Queen Cleopatra and visit the library of Alexandria. This book will come out in 2009.
Bold text==Merlin Missions Chart==
| # | Title | Date R[[
Headline text== Headline text== Headline text== Headline textMagic Tree House Research GuidesThese books are written by Mary Pope Osborne, Will Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. They were first released in 2000 by Scholastic and Random House. They are non-fiction books providing more in-depth follow-up information on the topics in the series than already covered. So far, 18 have been released.
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