American Tall Tales

When Jack and Annie don the magic baseball hats given to them by Morgan, they find themselves back in 1947 as batboys. There they learn a lot about the game, a player named Jackie Robinson, and how history was made. Readers may also want to find out more in the accessible nonfiction companion, Baseball (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker) (opens in a new window) which introduces more about the people and players of the period.

In this latest installment of the ever-popular Magic Tree House series, Jack and Annie go to New Orleans on All Saint’s Day in 1915 to find a young musician named Louis Armstrong. Music, mystery, and ghosts combine for another riveting quest for the sibling adventurers.

Where and how the Olympics began is explored in this factual companion to Hour of the Olympics (in the Magic Tree House fantasy series in which siblings Annie and Jack time travel). The informational book stands alone or can augment the novel (for 6-9 year olds) as they explore the origins of the Olympics.

Jack and Annie head to a Venice of long ago on a mission for Merlin to save the city from a devastating flood. History and time travel in this Magic Tree House book meld for an imaginative, informative jaunt.

Louisa May Alcott briefly worked as a nurse during the Civil War before becoming ill herself. In this Magic Tree House fantasy, Jack and Annie travel back to the Civil War, meeting Clara Barton and help nurse the soldiers wounded in battle.

Jack and Annie are transported back to Normandy, France, when Europe is in danger of falling to the Germans and the D-Day invasion is about to begin. Though necessarily simplified, this adventure gives an age appropriate introduction to WWII. “Track the Facts” concludes this “super edition” of the popular Magic Tree House series.

Travel back to the 19th century with Jack and Annie on another Magic Tree House mission for Merlin — this one involving the South Pacific, sea travel with early scientists, and the search for a sea monster.

Time-traveling siblings, Jack and Annie, are celebrating their 20th anniversary in print. Join them on their first fantastic Magic Tree House adventure to the time of dinosaurs. The occasion is celebrated with new illustrations, updated dino info, and a letter from the author.

Travel with Annie and Jack to the city of Edo in 17th century Japan on a Magic Tree House Merlin mission to find one of the secrets of happiness. The siblings spend an exciting day with the wise and respected teacher, Basho, using their research skills for a fast-paced, informative, and fantastic adventure.

Annie and Jack find themselves in remote and frozen Antarctica in contemporary times on a mission to save a small orphan — and Merlin himself. In this Magic Tree House story, fact combines with fantasy though readers can learn more about the place and its inhabitants in a companion volume, Penguins and Antarctica: A Magic Tree House Research Guide (opens in a new window).

Realistic watercolors present the summer celebration a boy shares with his family on the 4th of July. The day’s activities range from a pet parade and games to a barbeque and concert. The patriotic performance concludes with fireworks, after which the family returns home, tired but happy. The story is inspired by an actual community gala.

Annie and Jack go back in time to Camelot to a haunted castle to find the Stone of Destiny. Their Magic Tree House quest involves lots of spooky things as well as an apprentice wizard, Morgan LeFay’s nephew.

Hawaii is home to no less than 8 national parks where magic abounds in natural wonders such as the Volcanoes National Park. In this Magic Tree House installment, Jack and Annie are instructed to find a “special magic” in old Hawaii. They find it in Hawaii’s beauty and the drama of natural disasters!

Annie and Jack travel back in time to the first Olympic games to retrieve a lost story, in this Magic Tree House story. There they learn a lot about what girls were — and were not — permitted to do in Ancient Greece.

Jack and Annie are transported back in time to 1900. No one in Galveston, Texas, believes that a devastating hurricane is about to hit. What can be done to save the residents? This satisfying addition to the series may be enhanced with the Magic Tree House Fact Checker: Texas (opens in a new window).

Annie and Jack travel to a long-ago Ireland to inspire Augusta to share her creativity with near calamitous results. How the sibling team solves the problem and achieves their mission is a worthy addition to the appealing Magic Tree House series.

Jack and Annie share what they’ve learned about survival throughout their time travel adventures. They provide tips when lost in the wilderness, how to make it through a natural disaster and more. Practical advice even for unlikely events (such as surviving on spiders) adds another entertaining though factual “what-if” element.

When others ran from trouble, eight foot tall Mose Humphreys ran toward it as an extraordinary New York City firefighter. This larger-than-life story is actually a tall tale, an urban legend based on a real firefighter who lived in the 1840s. Text and illustration combine to create a fast-paced celebration of heroism and the man who earned the gratitude of an entire city.

This lively, informative companion volume to Eve of the Emperor Penguin provides more particulars about the Antarctica and its inhabitants. This book, as well as others in the series, will encourage children to want to learn more.

This companion volume to Annie and Jack’s colonial adventure (Thanksgiving on Thursday in the Magic Tree House (opens in a new window)), provides information about those who arrived on the Mayflower, what they confronted, and more. Illustrations enhance the accessible information, as do occasional asides from Jack and Annie.

In this Magic Tree House story, Jack and Annie’s vacation in the glorious waters off Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula doesn’t turn out quite like they expect. An encounter with sharks and with a Mayan girl plus a bit of magic create another satisfying, fantastical adventure in the series. A companion book, Sharks and other Predators (opens in a new window) helps readers separate fact from fiction.

In this Magic Tree House book, siblings Jack and Annie time travel to ancient Greece to help Alexander the Great, successfully read by the book’s author.

Join siblings Annie and Jack on their first eight magical adventures as read by the author.

In this Magic Tree House story, Annie and Jack travel back to an earlier time to a one-room school house on the prairie in 19th century America. Not only do they learn about pioneer life, but they also brave a tornado to save the teacher and her students.

Find out more about tornadoes and other major storms in this research guide that augments information introduced in Twister on Tuesday. This book, as well as others in the series, are strong enough to stand alone.