Magic Tree House

The Magic Tree House is an American series of children's books written by American author Mary Pope Osborne. The original American series is illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca, although other illustrators have been used for foreign-language editions.

For the 2011 anime film, see Magic Tree House (film).
The Magic Tree House
AuthorMary Pope Osborne
IllustratorSal Murdocca (US)
Ayana Amako (Japan)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's historical fantasy
PublisherRandom House (US)
Media Factory (Japan)

The series consists of two groups. The first group consists of books 1-28, in which Morgan Le Fay sends Jack and Annie Smith, two normal children who are siblings from the fictional small town of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, on numerous adventures and missions with a magical tree house. The second group, referred to as the Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions," begins with book 29, Christmas in Camelot. In the Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie are given quests by the ancient wizard Merlin the Magician. These books are longer than the previous 28, and some take place in fantasy realms like Camelot. Kathleen and Teddy are two apprentices who befriend Jack and Annie during their adventures, with one of these adventures being to free Kathleen from a spell. The two occasionally join Jack and Annie, and, when they don't, provide them support instead. During Super Edition #1, Teddy sends them on a mission instead of Morgan or Merlin. The companion "Magic Tree House Fact Trackers" are co-written by Mary Pope Osborne with her husband Will Osborne or her sister Natalie Pope Boyce.

In the beginning, Mary Pope Osborne wrote the books with Morgan sending the children on missions. Then she switched over to them being sent on missions by Merlin. About 10 years later, in 2014, she switched back to writing only the books with Morgan sending them on missions. These books were, again, much shorter.

Series background

After graduating college, Osborne and a friend went traveling.[1] Osborne spent time in Crete and traveled through Iraq, Iran, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Pakistan.[2] The trip came to an end when Osborne experienced blood poisoning in Nepal requiring her to stay in a hospital for a couple of weeks where she read The Lord of the Rings.[1] Remarking on her travels Osborne said, "That journey irrevocably changed me. Experience was gathered that serves as a reference point every day of my life. I encountered worlds of light and worlds of darkness — and planted seeds of the imagination that led directly to my being an author of children's books."[2]

Osborne's travels and experiences have factored largely into her own writing, while her writing has allowed her to experience some of the thrills of traveling. As she said, "Without even leaving my home, I’ve traveled around the globe, learning about the religions of the world."[3]

Osborne's writing career began "one day, out of the blue"[3] when she wrote Run, Run As Fast As You Can in 1982. The book itself is semi-autobiographical in nature, according to Osborne: "The girl was a lot like me and many of the incidents in the story were similar to happenings in my childhood."[3] The book served as the starting point for Osborne's writing career. Her early work received mixed reviews.[4][5] Her work includes young adult novels, picture books, retellings of mythology and fairy tales, biographies, mysteries, a six part series of the Odyssey, a book of American Tall Tales, and a book for young readers about the major world religions.

Osborne says that she can work on Magic Tree House up to 12 hours a day and seven days a week[6] and has used space at shared office space, The Writer's Room.[7] She has modeled her writing after Hemingway by trying to be simple and direct[6] and is "noted for writing clear, lively, well-paced prose in both her stories and her informational books."[2]

Magic Tree House books

According to its official website, Magic Tree House Books are for beginning chapter book readers.[8]

Arc Number Title First printed Companion book
The Mystery of the Magic Tree House (#1) #1 Dinosaurs Before Dark (UK Title: Valley of the Dinosaurs) July 28, 1992 #1, Dinosaurs
Plot: Jack and Annie discover the tree house and, using the magical books there, they unwittingly travel back to the late Cretaceous period (65 million years ago) where they meet a Pteranodon that saves them from a Tyrannosaurus rex. Jack finds a gold medallion with the letter "M" on it.
The Mystery of the Magic Tree House (#2) #2 The Knight at Dawn (UK title: Castle of Mystery) February 16, 1993 #2, Knights and Castles
Plot: In England during the Middle Ages, Jack and Annie explore a castle and meet a brave knight.
The Mystery of the Magic Tree House (#3) #3 Mummies in the Morning (UK title: Secret of the Pyramid) August 24, 1993 #3, Mummies and Pyramids
Plot: In Ancient Egypt, Jack and Annie help Queen Hutepi find her missing Book of the Dead.
The Mystery of the Magic Tree House (#4) #4 Pirates Past Noon (UK title: Pirates' Treasure!) March 8, 1994 #4, Pirates
Plot: Jack and Annie encounter some pirates in the Caribbean Sea and meet Morgan le Fay, who turns out to be the mysterious "M".
The Mystery of the Magic Spell (#1) #5 Night of the Ninjas March 21, 1995 #30, Ninjas and Samurai
Plot: Morgan le Fay is under a spell. Jack and Annie must find four magical objects to reverse the spell, with the help of a mouse named Peanut. In ancient Japan, Jack and Annie encounter ninjas and samurai and get a moonstone.
The Mystery of the Magic Spell (#2) #6 Afternoon on the Amazon (UK title: Adventure on the Amazon) August 29, 1995 #5, Rain Forests
Plot: Jack and Annie search the Amazon rainforest for a second magical object for Morgan le Fay, which turns out to be a mango.
The Mystery of the Magic Spell (#3) #7 Sunset of the Sabertooth (UK title: Mammoth to the Rescue) April 14, 1996 #12, Sabertooths and the Ice Age
Plot: 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 - a mammoth bone flute.
The Mystery of the Magic Spell (#4) #8 Midnight on the Moon (UK title: Moon Mission) October 29, 1996 #6, Space
Plot: Thirty-five years into their future (2031), Jack and Annie travel to the moon to look for the fourth object needed to help Morgan le Fay.
The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles (#1) #9 Dolphins at Daybreak (UK title: Diving with Dolphins) April 29, 1997 #9, Dolphins and Sharks
Plot: Set in the Pacific Ocean with bottlenose dolphins.
The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles (#2) #10 Ghost Town at Sundown (UK title: A Wild West Ride) September 16, 1997 #38, Wild West
Plot: Set in the American Wild West, where Jack and Annie meet a cowboy named Slim.
The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles (#3) #11 Lions at Lunchtime (UK title: Lions on the Loose) February 12, 1998 N/A
Plot: Jack and Annie are on a mission on the African Savannah.
The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles (#4) #12 Polar Bears Past Bedtime (UK title: Icy Escape) April 24, 1998 #16, Polar Bears and the Arctic
Plot: Set in the North Pole, Jack and Annie meet an Inuk.
The Mystery of the Lost Stories (#1) #13 Vacation Under The Volcano (UK title: Racing with Gladiators) June 20, 1998 #14, Ancient Rome and Pompeii
Plot: Jack and Annie travel to Pompeii on the eve of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
The Mystery of the Lost Stories (#2) #14 Day of the Dragon King (UK title: Palace of the Dragon King) August 11, 1998 #31, China: Land of the Emperor's Great Wall
Plot: Jack and Annie travel to China as it was 2,000 years in their past, ruled by the Dragon King, or Emperor Qin.
The Mystery of the Lost Stories (#3) #15 Viking Ships at Sunrise (UK title: Voyage of the Vikings) October 20, 1998 #33, Vikings
Plot: In medieval Ireland, Jack and Annie encounter Vikings.
The Mystery of the Lost Stories (#4) #16 Hour of the Olympics (UK title: Olympic Challenge!) December 17, 1998 #10, Ancient Greece and the Olympics
Plot: Jack and Annie travel to Ancient Greece and see the first Olympic games.
The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog (#1) #17 Tonight on the Titanic March 23, 1999 #7, Titanic
Plot: Jack and Annie travel back to 1912 and are on the RMS Titanic during her fateful voyage. In this arc, the two are assisted by a dog named Teddy that they must find gifts for so he can become human again.
The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog (#2) #18 Buffalo Before Breakfast May 18, 1999 N/A
Plot: In the American Old West, Jack and Annie encounter a Lakota boy on the Great Plains.
The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog (#3) #19 Tigers at Twilight August 17, 1999 N/A
Plot: Jack and Annie explore the Indian jungle to find a gift from a forest far away. Along the way, they work together to save a tiger from a steel trap.
The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog (#4) #20 Dingoes at Dinnertime March 14, 2000 N/A
Plot: Jack and Annie explore in the Australian Outback to find the gift from a kangaroo. Along the way, they helped a joey and a koala bear escape a wildfire. As soon as Jack and Annie receive the final gift and return home where Morgan removes the spell on the dog who is revealed to be a boy named Teddy, a young magician who trapped himself under a spell causing him to become a dog.
The Mystery of Morgan's Library (#1) #21 Civil War on Sunday May 23, 2000 N/A
Plot: In the American Civil War, Jack and Annie encounter Clara Barton.
The Mystery of Morgan's Library (#2) #22 Revolutionary War on Wednesday September 26, 2000 #11, American Revolution
Plot: Jack and Annie travel back in time and cross the Delaware River with George Washington.
The Mystery of Morgan's Library (#3) #23 Twister on Tuesday March 27, 2001 #8, Twisters and Other Terrible Storms
Plot: In the 1870s, Jack and Annie encounter pioneer settlement of the Midwestern prairie and must save a teacher and some kids before they are hit by a tornado.
The Mystery of Morgan's Library (#4) #24 Earthquake in the Early Morning August 24, 2001 N/A
Plot: In 1906, Jack and Annie experience the San Francisco earthquake. The two are able to use what they find to inspire King Arthur to battle Mordred, although in a later book it is shown that he wins without dying in these stories.
The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes (#1) #25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night March 12, 2002 N/A
Plot: In Elizabethan England, Jack and Annie meet William Shakespeare.
The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes (#2) #26 Good Morning Gorillas August 23, 2002 N/A
Plot: In the Congo rainforest, Jack and Annie encounter gorillas.
The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes (#3) #27 Thanksgiving on Thursday October 24, 2002 #13, Pilgrims
Plot: In Plymouth in 1621, Jack and Annie share the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians.
The Mystery of Morgan's Rhymes (#4) #28 High Tide in Hawaii March 25, 2003 #15, Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters
Plot: Jack and Annie travel to the Hawaii of the past and almost get caught in a tsunami. They also make two friends who share an adventure with them.
Learning from Heroes (#1) #29 A Big Day For Baseball August 1, 2017 #37, Baseball
Plot: Jack & Annie are whisked back to Brooklyn's Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947, to witness Jackie Robinson's Major League debut.
Learning from Heroes (#2) #30 Hurricane Heroes in Texas August 7, 2018 #39, Texas
Plot: The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to Galveston, Texas circa 1900, where they find out that a big storm is coming.
Learning from Heroes (#3) #31 Warriors in Winter January 8, 2019 #40, Warriors
Plot: When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back to the early 100s AD, they find themselves in a Roman camp.
Learning from Heroes (#4) #32 To the Future, Ben Franklin July 9, 2019 #41, Benjamin Franklin.
Plot: The magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back to meet Benjamin Franklin, only to cause a time paradox when he returns to their time with them.
Animal Rescues (#1) #33 Narwhal on a Sunny Night January 7, 2020 #42, Narwhals and Other Whales
Plot: When the magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to Greenland, they find out that their mission is to save a narwhal.
Animal Rescues (#2) #34 Late Lunch With Llamas July 7, 2020 #43, Llamas and the Andes
Plot: After their last rescue mission back in Greenland, The Magic Tree House takes them into Llama Territory in South America.

Magic Tree House Merlin Mission books

Magic Tree House Merlin Mission Books 1-27 were written for more advanced readers. They are more challenging adventures for readers ages 7–10.[8] The Magic Tree House Merlin Missions were originally ordered sequentially, starting at Book #29 (Christmas in Camelot). With the 25th anniversary re-prints, the books have been separated into their own distinct series and re-numbered starting at Merlin Mission #1.[8]

Original # Merlin Mission # Title Published Story Arc Plot Summary/Notes
29 1 Christmas in Camelot October 10, 2001 In the Quest to save Camelot arc #1 Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference. Eventually Jack and Annie break the spell over Camelot and meet the Knights of the Round Table most notably Sir Lancelot. This is also the first story where Merlin the Magician sends Jack and Annie on an adventure instead of Morgan, having learned of their abilities from Morgan Le Fay.
30 2 Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve June 18, 2003 In the Quest to save Camelot arc #2 Jack, Annie, and Teddy must restore order to a duke's castle, on the outer realm of Camelot, for Merlin. Jack and Annie reunite with Teddy from the Enchanted Dog arc who becomes a recurring character in the rest of the books. It is also the first book where Jack and Annie perform their own magic. Jack and Annie are able to use the power of a magic hazel twig to transform themselves back to humans from ravens and Jack is able to tap into its power to defeat the Evil Raven King by turning him into a baby raven. This new ability of theirs is likely foreshadowing of later books when they start to make magic of their own.
31 3 Summer of the Sea Serpent March 9, 2004 In the Quest to save Camelot arc #3 Jack and Annie must retrieve the Sword of Light for Merlin for all the good of Camelot. Jack and Annie meet Kathleen who, along with Teddy, becomes a recurring character in the books, acting as their sidekick. In this book Jack and Annie retrieve the Sword of Light and earn the right to wield it, learning later that the sword is in fact Excalibur and they retrieved it from Camelot's past so King Arthur can one day get it.
32 4 Winter of the Ice Wizard September 28, 2004 In the Quest to save Camelot arc #4 Jack and Annie must go on a mission for the evil Ice Wizard, which is retrieving one of his eyes, in order to free Merlin and Morgan.
33 5 Carnival at Candlelight March 8, 2005 In the Using magic wisely arc #1 Jack and Annie must go and save Venice, Italy from a flood disaster, but Merlin's instructions are confusing. The next four books are part of an arc where Jack and Annie complete missions to prove to Merlin that they can use magic wisely.
34 6 Season of the Sandstorms June 26, 2005 In the Using magic wisely arc #2 Jack and Annie must help the caliph of ancient Baghdad spread wisdom to the world.
35 7 Night of the New Magicians March 14, 2006 In the Using magic wisely arc #3 Jack and Annie travel to the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 in the Magic Tree House. They have to save four new magicians (Alexander Graham Bell, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, and Gustave Eiffel), before an evil sorcerer kidnaps them and steals the secrets of their magic. As it turns out, there is no evil sorcerer and the only one that shows up is Merlin himself who had wanted Jack and Annie to meet the four.
36 8 Blizzard of the Blue Moon September 26, 2006 In the Using magic wisely arc #4 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. However, two evil sorcerers in training, Balor and Grinda, are up to the same challenge. In this book, Jack and Annie are given the power to make magic on their own via a magic wand.
37 9 Dragon of the Red Dawn February 27, 2007 In the Happiness arc #1 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 Morgan has noticed 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 haiku poet Matsuo Bashō.
38 10 Monday with a Mad Genius August 28, 2007 In the Happiness arc #2 Jack and Annie travel back in the Magic Tree House to Florence, Italy, to 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." Companion book: #19, "Leonardo da Vinci"
39 11 Dark Day in the Deep Sea March 25, 2008 In the Happiness arc #3 The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to a deserted island, in the 1870s, looking for another secret of happiness. They get rescued by scientists on HMS Challenger (1858), in the Atlantic Ocean, and end up helping the scientists, who are looking for a sea monster. Will they be able to help the scientist and find the secret of happiness? This book is 144 pages long, making it the longest book in the series. Companion book: #17, Sea Monsters
40 12 Eve of the Emperor Penguin September 23, 2008 In the Happiness arc #4 Jack and Annie go to Antarctica to try to find their last secret of happiness, but they only find penguins. Only the penguins have the answer to this question. This is the only book where it is specifically stated that Jack and Annie did not travel through time. They also use the wand to make magic twice: once to find the penguins and a second time to teleport to Mount Erebus, the only time they use its power twice. Companion book: #18, Penguins and Antarctica
41 13 Moonlight on the Magic Flute March 10, 2009 In the Inspiring arc #1 Jack and Annie head to 18th-century Austria, where they must find and help a musician by the name of Mozart. Decked out in the craziest outfits they've ever worn—including a wig for Jack and a giant hoopskirt for Annie, the two siblings search an entire palace to no avail. Their hunt is further hampered by the appearance of a mischievous little boy who is determined to follow them everywhere. But when the boy lets the animals out of the palace zoo, Jack and Annie have to use the only magic at their disposal to save themselves and the naughty little boy. The party is in the Summer Palace at five o'clock in the evening on October 13, 1762. When Jack and Annie use their magic flute (In Inspiring #1, 2, 3, and 4, the Wand of Dianthus changes into instruments.) Mozart makes a song called The Magic Flute.
42 14 A Good Night for Ghosts July 28, 2009 In the Inspiring arc #2 Jack and Annie are on their second mission to find—and inspire—artists to bring happiness to millions. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, as well as discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong. Companion book: #20, Ghosts
43 15 Leprechaun in Late Winter January 12, 2010 In the Inspiring arc #3 The kids meet a girl in their third mission to put "artists" on the right path. She is sad because she believes in leprechauns and faerie, but cannot find any. The girl grows up to be Lady Gregory, a famous legend teller of the Irish lore. Can the kids save her from sadness and put the third artist on the right path? This is the first time that something that one of the kids has written has been used to travel through time: the kids time travel by wishing using Jack's notes on where they are traveling to. They travel to 1862 to go to Ireland. Companion book: #21, Leprechauns and Irish Folklore
44 16 A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time September 14, 2010 In the Inspiring arc #4 The kids are whisked back to Victorian England to help famed author Charles Dickens. The kids know Charles had everything he wants. Will the kids find the thing Charles wants? The kids are thrown in jail, only to be saved by Charles Dickens! To find Charles' secret, they will need help from three ghosts and get to know Charles very, very, well. Companion book: #22, Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens
45 17 A Crazy Day with Cobras January 11, 2011 In the Penny's spell arc #1 When Penny, Merlin's beloved penguin (from Eve of the Emperor Penguin), is accidentally turned to stone by Teddy, the kids must travel to an Indian desert and find an ingredient to a spell before Merlin comes back. Jack and Annie have to escape a swarm of king cobras and meet the infamous All-Power Great Mogul. To start their quest, Jack and Annie must find an emerald rose to find the first piece of breaking Penny's spell. Companion book: #23, Snakes and Other Reptiles
46 18 Dogs in the Dead of Night August 9, 2011 In the Penny's spell arc #2 Jack and his sister Annie travel to Swiss Alps to get the second magical object to break the spell on the beloved baby penguin, Penny. They face a dog rescue and many other adventures. Companion book: #24, Dog Heroes
47 19 Abe Lincoln At Last! December 27, 2011 In the Penny's spell arc #3 Jack and Annie travel to the time of the Civil War, and they must help a friend of Abe's in order to find the third gift for breaking Penny's spell. The friend is an orphan named Sam. It's a race against time as Jack and Annie try to decide what is right. Companion book: #25, Abraham Lincoln
48 20 A Perfect Time For Pandas July 24, 2012 In the Penny's spell arc #4 Jack and Annie visit China during the Great Sichuan Earthquake of 2008. Companion book: #26, Pandas and Other Endangered Species
49 21 Stallion by Starlight March 26, 2013 In the Greatness arc #1 Jack and Annie go back to Ancient Macedonia and an adventure with Alexander the Great when he was a child and his famous stallion: Bucephalus. Companion book: #27, Horse Heroes
50 22 Hurry Up Houdini![9] August 23, 2013 In the Greatness arc #2 Jack and Annie meet magician Harry Houdini.
51 23 High Time for Heroes[10] January 7, 2014 In the Greatness arc #3 Jack and Annie meet Florence Nightingale in Egypt. Companion book: #28, Heroes for All Times
52 24 Soccer on Sunday[11] May 27, 2014 In the Greatness arc #4 Jack and Annie travel to a soccer field in Mexico. Companion book: #29, Soccer
53 25 Shadow of the Shark June 23, 2015 none While on a vacation from Morgan and Merlin, Jack and Annie accidentally travel back in time over a thousand years to ancient Mayan times and meet sharks and Mayan warriors. In this book, Jack and Annie accidentally go to the right place but the wrong time due to pointing to the wrong illustration. Companion book: #32, Sharks and Other Predators
54 26 Balto of the Blue Dawn January 5, 2016 none Jack and Annie meet Balto, a jet-black Siberian husky in Alaska, 1925. Companion book: #34, Dogsledding and Extreme Sports
55 27 Night of the Ninth Dragon July 26, 2016 none Jack and Annie must help save Merlin, Morgan, Teddy, and Kathleen (trapped in Avalon) and King Arthur (injured) when invaders threaten Camelot. Companion book: #35, Dragons and Mythical Creatures

Magic Tree House Super Edition books

On January 6, 2015, the first Magic Tree House Super Edition was released. It is 183 pages long. The super editions are longer than the original Magic Tree House books and the Magic Tree House Merlin Missions.

# Title Published Story Arc Plot Summary/Notes
1 Danger in the Darkest Hour January 6, 2015 none The first Magic Tree House Super Edition is called Danger in the Darkest Hour. [12] It was reprinted as World at War, 1944 in 2017.

Jack and Annie going back to World War II shortly before D-Day to rescue Kathleen from behind enemy lines. It also features the first time they have had to deal with a situation using their own talents and with no help from magic since the Merlin Missions began. Companion book: #36, World War II

Non-fiction books

The Magic Tree House Fact Trackers (formerly called Magic Tree House Research Guides) are non-fiction companions to the fiction books, written by Mary Pope Osborne, Will Osborne, and Natalie Pope Boyce. They were first released in 2000 by Scholastic and Random House. They provide more in-depth follow-up information on the topics in the series than already covered.[13] As of July 2020, 43 have been published. The first two Fact Trackers were published in August 2000 as companions for the first two stories, then 7 to 8 years old. In 2008 story #39, Dark Day in the Deep Sea and its fact tracker #17, Sea Monsters were the first story and fact tracker to be published simultaneously.

No. Title Companion To: Date Published:
1 Dinosaurs Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark August 1, 2000
2 Knights and Castles Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn August 1, 2000
3 Mummies and Pyramids Magic Tree House #3: Mummies in the Morning February 27, 2001
4 Pirates Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon May 22, 2001
5 Rain Forests Magic Tree House #6: Afternoon on the Amazon September 25, 2001
6 Space Magic Tree House #8: Midnight on the Moon February 26, 2002
7 Titanic Magic Tree House #17: Tonight on the Titanic August 27, 2002
8 Twisters and Other Terrible Storms Magic Tree House #23: Twister on Tuesday February 5, 2003
9 Dolphins and Sharks Magic Tree House #9: Dolphins at Daybreak June 4, 2003
10 Ancient Greece and the Olympics Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics June 1, 2004
11 American Revolution Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday September 14, 2004
12 Sabertooths and the Ice Age Magic Tree House #7: Sunset of the Sabertooth February 1, 2005
13 Pilgrims Magic Tree House #27: Thanksgiving on Thursday September 1, 2005
14 Ancient Rome and Pompeii Magic Tree House #13: Vacation Under a Volcano April 25, 2006
15 Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters Magic Tree House #28: High Tide in Hawaii February 27, 2007
16 Polar Bears and the Arctic Magic Tree House #12: Polar Bears Past Bedtime September 25, 2007
17 Sea Monsters Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #11: Dark Day in the Deep Sea March 25, 2008
18 Penguins and Antarctica Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #12: Eve of the Emperor Penguin September 23, 2008
19 Leonardo da Vinci Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #10: Monday with a Mad Genius January 13, 2009
20 Ghosts Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #14: A Good Night for Ghosts July 28, 2009
21 Leprechauns and Irish Folklore Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #15: Leprechaun in Late Winter January 12, 2010
22 Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #16: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time September 14, 2010
23 Snakes and Other Reptiles Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #17: A Crazy Day with Cobras January 11, 2011
24 Dog Heroes Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #18: Dogs in the Dead of Night August 9, 2011
25 Abraham Lincoln Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #19: Abe Lincoln At Last December 27, 2011
26 Pandas and Other Endangered Species Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #20: A Perfect Time For Pandas July 24, 2012
27 Horse Heroes[14] Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #21: Stallion by Starlight March 26, 2013
28 Heroes for All Times Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #23: High Time for Heroes January 7, 2014
29 Soccer[15] Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #24: Soccer on Sunday May 27, 2014
30 Ninjas and Samurai Magic Tree House #5: Night of the Ninjas September 23, 2014
31 China: Land of the Emperor's Great Wall Magic Tree House #14: Day of the Dragon King December 23, 2014
32 Sharks and Other Predators Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #25: Shadow of the Shark June 23, 2015
33 Vikings Magic Tree House #15: Viking Ships at Sunrise September 22, 2015
34 Dogsledding and Extreme Sports Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #26: Balto of the Blue Dawn January 5, 2016
35 Dragons and Mythical Creatures Magic Tree House Merlin Missions #27: Night of the Ninth Dragon July 26, 2016
36 World War II Magic Tree House Super Edition #01: World at War, 1944 March 14, 2017
37 Baseball Magic Tree House #29: A Big Day for Baseball August 1, 2017
38 Wild West Magic Tree House #10: Ghost Town at Sundown January 2, 2018
39 Texas Magic Tree House #30: Hurricane Heroes in Texas August 7, 2018
40 Warriors Magic Tree House #31: Warriors in Winter January 8, 2019
41 Benjamin Franklin Magic Tree House #32: To the Future, Ben Franklin July 9, 2019
42 Narwhals and Other Whales Magic Tree House #33: Narwhal on a Sunny Night January 7, 2020
43 Llamas and the Andes Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas July 7, 2020

Legacy

Mary Pope Osborne's books have been named to a number of the Best Books of the Year Lists, including, School Library Journal, Parents’ Magazine, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and Bank Street College.[2] She has received honors from such organizations as the National Council of Teachers of English, The Children's Book Council, and the International Reading Association.[2] She received the 1992 Diamond State Reading Association Award,[2] 2005 Ludington Memorial Award from the Educational Paperback Association[16] and the 2010 Heidelberger Leander Award.[17] She has also received awards from the Carolina Alumni Association,[18] the Virginia Library Association[2] and in spring 2013 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[19]

Ms. Osborne served two separate terms as president of the Authors Guild and also chaired its Children's Book Committee.[2] She has since traveled extensively in the states and throughout the world, visiting schools and speaking on issues related to reading and books. In 2011, she attended the International Tokyo Film Festival for the premier of the Magic Tree House anime file and visited schools in the tsunami-hit area of Japan.[20] The film grossed 5.7 million dollars; Osborne donated all her proceeds into her educational works.[21]

She was profiled on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams for her continued efforts to get books into the hands of underserved children on a Magic Tree House themed tour bus.[21] She spoke of the pressure she feels as an author that children look up to, "for a child to value someone who writes books is so extraordinary."[21]

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Magic Tree House series in 2012, Ms. Osborne created a Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures Program. Ms. Osborne's mission with Classroom Adventures is to inspire children to read and to love reading[22] while simultaneously helping kids to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.[21] Free of charge, the program provides a set of online educational resources for teachers and allows for Title 1 schools to apply for free Magic Tree House books.[22] Under Classroom Adventures, Ms. Osborne, in partnership with the First Book organization in Washington, DC, has donated hundreds of thousands of Magic Tree House books to underserved schools.[23]

Adaptations

Magic Tree House Children's Theatre

The Magic Tree House brand has taken on other forms. A full-scale musical adaptation was created by Will Osborne and Randy Court; Magic Tree House: The Musical, premiered in September 2007.[24] Osborne hoped that it would have the same kind of kid and adult appeal as The Lion King or Mary Poppins.[24] Based on the Magic Tree House book Christmas in Camelot, the Musical has toured nationally[24][25] and had a cast album.[26]

A planetarium show; "Magic Tree House: Space Mission", also created by Will Osborne, is produced and presented exclusively at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[27]

In 2011, Will Osborne collaborated with New Orleans composer Allen Toussaint and "Ain't Misbehavin'" co-creator Murray Horwitz to write "A Night in New Orleans", a musical adaptation of Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts about the life of Louis Armstrong. The show features an ensemble cast and live jazz band. It premiered in 2012 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and was shown free to every Newark 4th grade student.[28]

Magic Tree House Kids Shows are theatrical adaptations of selected titles in the Magic Tree House series designed specifically for performance by kids.[29] To date, children's shows have been created by husband and wife playwright and composer team Randy Courts and Jenny Laird[30] in collaboration with Will Osborne based on the following Magic Tree House books: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Pirates Past Noon, A Ghost Tale for Christmastime,[30] A Night in New Orleans, and Stage Fright on a Summer Night, a new children's show based on the life of William Shakespeare, set to premiere at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre in October 2017.[25]

Film adaptation

The animated film Magic Tree House (マジック・ツリーハウス), produced by Media Factory, premiered in Japan in October 2011[31] and was generally released there on January 7, 2012.[32]

In 2016, Lionsgate acquired the film rights with a script by Will Osborne and Jenny Laird. The movie will primarily contain plot elements from Book 29, "Christmas in Camelot."[33]

References
  1. Mazzucco-Than, C. (2007). Mary Pope Osborne. Guide to Literary Masters & Their Works, 1. Retrieved from ebscohost.
  2. "Mary Pope Osborne." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2006. Accessed 15 Mar. 2018.
  3. "Random House Children's Books Presents Mary Pope Osborne" (PDF). Random House Children's Book. Random House. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  4. Cooper, Ilene (1 Oct 1996). "Love Always, Blue". Booklist: 750.
  5. Sutherland, Zena (Jan 1984). "review of Love Always, Blue". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: 94.
  6. La Gorge, Tammy (13 April 2008). "Taking Young Readers on a Magical History Tour". New York Times. p. CT6.
  7. "For Writers, a Place to Work in Peace: The Room in the Village offers a haven from disturbance. 'There's a sense that you matter and that writing matters.'". New York Times. 30 January 1988. p. 17.
  8. "Celebrating 25 Years – Magic Tree House". www.magictreehouse.com.
  9. Osborne, Mary Pope (2013). Hurry up, Houdini!. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780307980472. OCLC 816027002.
  10. Osborne, Mary Pope (2014). High Time for Heroes. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780307980496. OCLC 840464294.
  11. Osborne, Mary Pope (2014). Hurry up, Houdini!. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780307980533. OCLC 857879351.
  12. "Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: Danger in the Darkest Hour".
  13. "Magic Tree House The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles Boxed Set #3: Book 9-12 (Magic Treehouse Series): "Meet the writer: Biography"". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  14. Osborne, Mary Pope (2013). Horse Heroes. Paw Prints. ISBN 9781451786026. OCLC 81160106.
  15. Osborne, Mary Pope (2014). Soccer. Random House. ISBN 9780385386296. OCLC 857879358.
  16. "Mary Pope Osborne Ludington Award". Educational Book & Media Association. Educational Book & Media Association. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  17. "Heidelberger Leander". leseleben (in German). Association for the promotion of language and reading culture in children. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  18. "Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award". UNC General Alumni Association. UNC General Alumni Association.
  19. "Steve Case, four others, to receive honorary degrees at Commencement". The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Archived from the original on 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  20. Gallagher, Chris (23 October 2011). ""Magic Tree House" film premieres in Japan". Reuters. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  21. Vierra, Meredith (13 December 2012). "Magic of Mary: 'Magic Tree House' author rocks kids' socks off". Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  22. Raynor, Madeline (21 February 2017). "Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne on the books' 25th anniversary". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  23. Lodge, Sally (10 October 2013). "Magic Tree House Reading Buddies Week Rolls Out". Publisher's Weekly. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  24. Rizzo, Frank (14 September 2007). "'Tree House' Magic Shows". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  25. "Magic Treehouse Study Guide" (PDF). Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  26. Jones, Kenneth (5 June 2007). "Cass Morgan, Donna Bullock Sing on Magic Tree House Studio Cast Album". Playbill. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  27. "100 Great Children's Books | 100 Years". The New York Public Library. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  28. Catton, Pia (15 Oct 2012). "Gateway to the Arts: Newark's Case for Crossing Over". Wall Street Journal (Eastern ed.). p. A.24.
  29. Driscoll, Molly (27 July 2012). "'Magic Tree House': Author Mary Pope Osborne looks back". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  30. Meyers, Joe (17 December 2013). "Warner Theatre presents Dickens musical premiere". CTPost. Hearst Media. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  31. "TIFF 上映作品: マジック・ツリーハウス (Films: The Magic Tree House)" (in Japanese). Tokyo International Film Festival. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  32. "Magic Tree House Books' 2012 Film Confirmed as Anime". Anime News Network. 2011-03-08. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
  33. McNarry, Dave (4 February 2016). "'Magic Tree House' Movies in Development at Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
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