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Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions" #14
A Good Night for Ghosts
Make story time a little spookier with the #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time! Every visit to the magic tree house leads to a time-travel adventure!
Jack and Annie are on a mission to find—and inspire—a musician that brings happiness to millions of people. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, and discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong.
Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #42, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #14: A Good Night for Ghosts.
Did you know that the Magic Tree House series has two levels?
MAGIC TREE Perfect for readers 6-9 who are just beginning to read chapter books—includes this boxed set!
MERLIN More challenging adventures for experienced readers ages 7-10
The Magic Tree House series has been a classroom favorite for over 25 years and is sure to inspire a love of reading—and adventure—in every child who joins Jack and Annie!
Jack and Annie are on a mission to find—and inspire—a musician that brings happiness to millions of people. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, and discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong.
Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #42, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #14: A Good Night for Ghosts.
Did you know that the Magic Tree House series has two levels?
MAGIC TREE Perfect for readers 6-9 who are just beginning to read chapter books—includes this boxed set!
MERLIN More challenging adventures for experienced readers ages 7-10
The Magic Tree House series has been a classroom favorite for over 25 years and is sure to inspire a love of reading—and adventure—in every child who joins Jack and Annie!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
325 people are currently reading
2399 people want to read
About the author
Mary Pope Osborne
526 books2,643 followersMary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will Osborne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
May 22, 2012
First, I wasn't even supposed to read this judging by its title **points up to the word 'Ghosts'**. I avoided horror things since I was young (thanks to my classmates who pranked me). And since I deeply love MTH and since it's for children, I gave it a try. And I found it exciting. Jack and Annie went to New Orleans, still on their mission to spread happiness around the world. This time it was with Louis Armstrong, the "Dipper" who is the father of Jazz music (I suppose). Ghosts were quite minor to the story and maybe just put to the title to rhyme with "A Good Night".
March 7, 2018
I really liked this!
April 24, 2015
I loooooved this book! Jack and Annie are on a mission to find Louis Armstrong and convince him to share his gifts with the world. Only it's not so easy! Louis "Dipper" Armstrong thinks he better keep his lucrative job of shoveling coal and give up playing music in the kids' band. After all he's earning 15 cents an hour! Dipper is a really funny character and my kids loved him. This was one of the best in the series so far. I'll take a literary trip to New Orleans anytime!
May 15, 2020
This installment in the Magic Tree House series had a lot going on. Jack and Annie travel to New Orleans in 1915 to convince a teenage Louis Armstrong to share his gift of music with the world. Along the way, the kids learn about the birth of Jazz, face the realities of the Jim Crow south, and encounter an band of ghost pirates. They also totally break the unwritten rules of time travel stories.
At some points the story suffered from trying to cram too much into it. The ghost scene was actually not that necessary. But the interactions between Jack and Annie and young Louis Armstrong are great, and the story is loaded with excellent musical details. The use of Armstrong's song titles for the chapters is a nice touch.
This is one of the more ambitious Jack and Annie stories, and one of the best.
At some points the story suffered from trying to cram too much into it. The ghost scene was actually not that necessary. But the interactions between Jack and Annie and young Louis Armstrong are great, and the story is loaded with excellent musical details. The use of Armstrong's song titles for the chapters is a nice touch.
This is one of the more ambitious Jack and Annie stories, and one of the best.
February 16, 2017
Honestly this book is not at all what I thought it was going to be. However it was a very pleasant surprise. I was expecting a haunting story for kids when in reality I got historical fiction about the jazz age with a tad bit of time travel. I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised and loved the more facts sections of the story and that each chapter title was actually songs of Louis Armstrong's early recordings. I also loved that any kid reading this will also learn s little about how the blacks were treated in the early 1900s. I just cant say enough to good things! Everyone should read this and I will definitely be on the look out for some of the other books in the magic tree house series.
February 21, 2021
A great read for kids introducing them to jazz music and Louis Armstrong.
March 9, 2017
“A Good Night for Ghosts” is another fantastic book by Mary Pope Osborne. I read this book for the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre, but this book could also be classified as Historical Fiction, for the main characters, Jack and Annie, travel back in time, to 1915, to New Orleans where segregation was still prominent. Jack and Annie got to witness firsthand the differences in society between then and now. At one point in the book, Jack and Annie were riding in a “streetcar” and noticed that the blacks were sitting in the back and the whites were sitting up front. Both Jack and Annie couldn’t believe that people were treated so differently back in the day based on the color of their skin. This would be a good book for a read-aloud in the 3rd grade, because I could teach about the road to desegregation and equality. Aside from that, this book also teaches about determination, perseverance, and encouragement, which are all great qualities that the characters in this book have; and that is why “A Good Night for Ghosts” is a wow book for me.
Jack and Annie’s mission was to find Louis Armstrong, a young 14-year-old boy who liked to play music in the streets, and help him bring his gifts to the world. Louis Armstrong, nick named Dipper, was a young boy who worked hard in order to take money home to his family. Dipper enjoyed singing and blowing his horn the most, but his priority was his family’s happiness. Dipper had a chance to sing and play his instrument in the “All Saint’s Day” parade but passed it up because he was determined to keep his steady job so he could provide for his family. Jack and Annie, knowing that Dipper is the King of Jazz in the future, persevered when Dipper wasn’t determined to sing on the Mississippi showboat. Jack and Annie didn’t give up even though Dipper had said countless times that all he wanted to do was work so that he could help his family. Eventually, after much encouragement from Jack and Annie, Dipper agreed to go sing on the showboat and share his gift with the world.
Jack and Annie’s mission was to find Louis Armstrong, a young 14-year-old boy who liked to play music in the streets, and help him bring his gifts to the world. Louis Armstrong, nick named Dipper, was a young boy who worked hard in order to take money home to his family. Dipper enjoyed singing and blowing his horn the most, but his priority was his family’s happiness. Dipper had a chance to sing and play his instrument in the “All Saint’s Day” parade but passed it up because he was determined to keep his steady job so he could provide for his family. Jack and Annie, knowing that Dipper is the King of Jazz in the future, persevered when Dipper wasn’t determined to sing on the Mississippi showboat. Jack and Annie didn’t give up even though Dipper had said countless times that all he wanted to do was work so that he could help his family. Eventually, after much encouragement from Jack and Annie, Dipper agreed to go sing on the showboat and share his gift with the world.
August 31, 2017
3.5 Such a good story. I've never read or listened to any of The Magic Treehouse books and this was a treat. I had no clue what it was about, but I was so happy to learn it was about encouraging Louis Armstrong to share his gift of music with the world. It spoke to me on several levels and now I can have many open-ended conversations with my kids too. I quickly made a Louis Armstrong station on my Pandora and it was so neat to share that aspect with them too. Fun, thoughtful story.
April 21, 2025
Read solely for fun as part of my New Orleans themed reading, it brought back a lot of nostalgia for this series. This one also would have been 5 stars when I was reading this series as a kid solely for the ghost factor.
March 5, 2024
Another beautiful story by Ms. Osborne
October 28, 2020
Gut zu lesen, vielseitiger Inhalt, leider viel zu wenig Piratenspuk. Ich werde es mir merken für zukünftige klassenlektüren - greift viele wichtige Themen auf 👍
January 31, 2015
This book was about a brother and sister named Jack and Annie.the book that I read was #42.it was really good to me because it had adventure,some action parts,and some parts that was funny.Anyway,this story was about a tree house that was magic.It can some how take both of them back in time.their 2 friends named Freddie and Kathleen.Kathleen is a sister of seals.their was some parts that had to include the book and movie of Merlin from the movie "King Arthur".Kathleen and Freddie gave Jack and Annie a quest to find Louis Armstrong,and try to prove to him that he is the king of jazz.so Freddie and Kathleen give them a magic trumpet.Jack and Annie can only use it once when they are in trouble.
The magic tree house takes them bake in time to 1901.louis Armstrong is a teenager at that time.they meet him and he becomes friends with Jack and Annie because he likes being friends with everybody.then a storm struck. Armstrong's friends Big nose,happy,little Mack i guess,and the rest of the gang go with the three friends.Jack isn't scared of ghosts,but the gang want to prove that he is scared.So they pretend that they are the ghosts.For safety the go into a haunted house or some kind of cafe is haunted by a pirate ghost.But the gang doesn't know that yet.
When the three friends think they are in trouble Annie blows the horn and the gang falls down the stairs.Then the pirate ghost shows up.All of the children scream in horror. Armstrong plays the trumpet and the ghosts start dancing out the door.
and that's the story of book #42.
the End
The magic tree house takes them bake in time to 1901.louis Armstrong is a teenager at that time.they meet him and he becomes friends with Jack and Annie because he likes being friends with everybody.then a storm struck. Armstrong's friends Big nose,happy,little Mack i guess,and the rest of the gang go with the three friends.Jack isn't scared of ghosts,but the gang want to prove that he is scared.So they pretend that they are the ghosts.For safety the go into a haunted house or some kind of cafe is haunted by a pirate ghost.But the gang doesn't know that yet.
When the three friends think they are in trouble Annie blows the horn and the gang falls down the stairs.Then the pirate ghost shows up.All of the children scream in horror. Armstrong plays the trumpet and the ghosts start dancing out the door.
and that's the story of book #42.
the End
February 6, 2015
A Good Night for Ghost was written by Mary Pope Osborne. It's 109 pages long. It's a fantasy book.
Jack just wanted to sleep but Annie wanted to go on another adventure. So they went to the tree house and Teddy and Kathleen were there. They told them about their mission. They had to help Louis Armstrong find his future. So they went to New Orleans. They didn't know were he was so they asked people and they finally found him. He was hauling coal with a trailer and an ox. o they helped him finish that and then he went to his next job hauling bananas. So they helped him with that too. Then they went and got something to eat and he said that he had no time for playing music. Then after they ate it started raining so they went and found shelter with some of Louis' friends and then his friends left and they started to hear noises. Then some ghost popped out. So Annie played the magic trumpet, and they went away. Then Louis realized that he could still have some time for playing music. So he went on a steam boat that night and player music, and Jack and Annie went back home.
I like this book I plan on reading more in this series too.
Jack just wanted to sleep but Annie wanted to go on another adventure. So they went to the tree house and Teddy and Kathleen were there. They told them about their mission. They had to help Louis Armstrong find his future. So they went to New Orleans. They didn't know were he was so they asked people and they finally found him. He was hauling coal with a trailer and an ox. o they helped him finish that and then he went to his next job hauling bananas. So they helped him with that too. Then they went and got something to eat and he said that he had no time for playing music. Then after they ate it started raining so they went and found shelter with some of Louis' friends and then his friends left and they started to hear noises. Then some ghost popped out. So Annie played the magic trumpet, and they went away. Then Louis realized that he could still have some time for playing music. So he went on a steam boat that night and player music, and Jack and Annie went back home.
I like this book I plan on reading more in this series too.
February 20, 2010
My little guy was right when he said I'd love this one. There are many stories in this series that connected with my heart, but none more so that this tale about Loiis Armstrong. Maybe this will help yet another generations discover this wonderfully talented man and his music, as I've tried to introduce him to my boys. What a heartfelt joy this book is to me.
If you have yet to discover it, my favorite collaboration Louis did was a series of albums with Ella Fitzgerald. They are my number one favorites in the world. Give it a try if you have not experienced the joy they produced together, with her smoothest of smooth voices and his rough, gravely tones, having fun and swinging, and creating masterpieces.
If you have yet to discover it, my favorite collaboration Louis did was a series of albums with Ella Fitzgerald. They are my number one favorites in the world. Give it a try if you have not experienced the joy they produced together, with her smoothest of smooth voices and his rough, gravely tones, having fun and swinging, and creating masterpieces.
October 30, 2013
My 5 yr old is becoming a voracious reader and his teacher recommended this series so I picked up a few from the library. My son loves it. Magic and fun and adventure rolled into a chapter book that's easy to read, yet challenging enough that he's not bored. We just started the Pizza Hut book it challenge where he has to read 240 mins a month and then he gets a free personal pan pizza. He's loving it, and already has said these are the books he wants to read for the challenge. Overall a great step into chapter books for the advanced reader.
May 29, 2010
I thought that it was okay. It seemed like they were trying to teach a history lesson rather than write an interesting book for children. It was my first magic tree house book and I probably wont' read any more. I know a lot of kids really like them but my kids didn't though it did hold my 3 and 5 year old attention but that could have been because I was letting them stay up while I read to them.
February 24, 2012
I am so LOVING this series! From dinosaurs to knights, ninjas to ghosts. These books are so much fun!!!! This time, we went back to New Orleans during the birth of jazz. Music surrounds in this story. Louis Armstrong plays his part quite nicely. The rhythm and heart of jazz come out in this exciting installment. =)
December 22, 2013
The lesson I learnt from this book is never quit something you love.
April 10, 2020
In the magic treehouse series, not only in Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie found a magic treehouse. They soon discovered that in the magic treehouse there were lots of books and when they point to a picture in the book and make a wish to go there the magic treehouse just magically transports them there! They soon learned that the treehouse belongs to Morgan Le Fay from Camelot. Jack and Annie have helped Morgan with a humongous amount of missions in all places and time periods with the help of the magic treehouse. However in Merlin Missions it is not however Morgan that sends them on these missions. It is Merlin, a fantastic magician. During Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie make two friends named Teddy and Kathleen. They soon completed four missions that showed they could properly handle magic. On those missions, they were given a book of ten magic rhymes to use on four missions. Each rhyme can only be used once. Since they succeeded in those four missions, they were given the Wand of Dianthus. A magic wand that could create magic. Soon Merlin was not well, and not cheerful at all. Jack and Annie found four secrets of happiness for him, and now he is happy again. However the biggest thing that cheered him up was a little penguin Jack and Annie had gotten from their last mission to find the last secret of happiness for Merlin. That mission had taken place in Antarctica. Last mission they helped Mozart and in this mission they are going to help Louis Armstrong.
In this book Jack and Annie visit the treehouse as usual, and realize it is back! Inside, they see their friends Teddy and Kathleen. They greeted each other warmly, and then Teddy and Kathleen said what they were going to do on this mission. They said that they had to help Louis Armstrong bring Jazz to the world. Then they gave them a research book, and Kathleen started to throw their sliver flute in the air and it turned into a trumpet. Teddy and Kathleen also said that while someone played the trumpet, the other has to sing along. Whatever that person sings, it will come true! However this trumpet can only be used once when great danger arrives. Soon Teddy and Kathleen left. They left Jack and Annie with the research book and the magic trumpet. Since Jack and Annie wanted to complete their mission, they pointed at the research book, and wished to go there. The magic treehouse magically appeared at the place where their mission was taking place. To bring Jazz to the world, Jack and Annie knew they first had to find Louis Armstrong. At first, they had a little bit of trouble with finding him, but soon with a little help from the research book they managed to find him! Soon Louis Armstrong says he needs to go work with coal for money. Since Jack and Annie’s mission was to help him bring Jazz to the world, they decided to stay with him so they offered to help him. After Jack and Annie helped him with the coal, and after they had a meal together they worked on helping Louis Armstrong more. Jack and Annie helped him haul bananas and wash dishes. Then they decided to go to a restaurant to get dessert. On their way, there was a storm! They decided to seek shelter in a Blacksmith Shop. However soon they heard noises. In the research book, it says this place is really haunted and it is! They used their magic trumpet, but soon they realized it was just Louis Armstrong’s pals trying to scare them! Soon they really saw ghost in the Blacksmith Shop! They tried to open the door so they could escape the shop, but it was stuck! Soon more and more ghosts arrived, and they could do nothing but watch them. The trumpet? They already used up all the magic when Louis Armstrong’s friends were trying to scare them! Nothing can save them now! Even if they escape the ghosts, how are they going to convince Louis Armstrong to bring Jazz to the world when he is so busy working for money?
In this book Jack and Annie visit the treehouse as usual, and realize it is back! Inside, they see their friends Teddy and Kathleen. They greeted each other warmly, and then Teddy and Kathleen said what they were going to do on this mission. They said that they had to help Louis Armstrong bring Jazz to the world. Then they gave them a research book, and Kathleen started to throw their sliver flute in the air and it turned into a trumpet. Teddy and Kathleen also said that while someone played the trumpet, the other has to sing along. Whatever that person sings, it will come true! However this trumpet can only be used once when great danger arrives. Soon Teddy and Kathleen left. They left Jack and Annie with the research book and the magic trumpet. Since Jack and Annie wanted to complete their mission, they pointed at the research book, and wished to go there. The magic treehouse magically appeared at the place where their mission was taking place. To bring Jazz to the world, Jack and Annie knew they first had to find Louis Armstrong. At first, they had a little bit of trouble with finding him, but soon with a little help from the research book they managed to find him! Soon Louis Armstrong says he needs to go work with coal for money. Since Jack and Annie’s mission was to help him bring Jazz to the world, they decided to stay with him so they offered to help him. After Jack and Annie helped him with the coal, and after they had a meal together they worked on helping Louis Armstrong more. Jack and Annie helped him haul bananas and wash dishes. Then they decided to go to a restaurant to get dessert. On their way, there was a storm! They decided to seek shelter in a Blacksmith Shop. However soon they heard noises. In the research book, it says this place is really haunted and it is! They used their magic trumpet, but soon they realized it was just Louis Armstrong’s pals trying to scare them! Soon they really saw ghost in the Blacksmith Shop! They tried to open the door so they could escape the shop, but it was stuck! Soon more and more ghosts arrived, and they could do nothing but watch them. The trumpet? They already used up all the magic when Louis Armstrong’s friends were trying to scare them! Nothing can save them now! Even if they escape the ghosts, how are they going to convince Louis Armstrong to bring Jazz to the world when he is so busy working for money?
July 31, 2023
A Good Night for Ghosts! It's a Merlin Mission in the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie go on another super cool adventure, and this time, they meet a really awesome kid named Louis Armstrong!
Let me tell you, Louis Armstrong is the friendliest and kindest kid you'll ever meet. He's so nice that he considers everyone his friend, even Jack, and Annie! How cool is that? I wish I could be his friend too, but he says he already considers me one, and I'm totally happy with that!
So, Jack and Annie travel to New Orleans on All Saints' Day. It's the spookiest day of the year! They have a daring plan to help a ghost named Darnell. But don't worry. These ghosts are friendly and not scary at all!
The best part is that Louis Armstrong plays a magical song for the New Orleans ghosts. It's so amazing, and I wish I could hear it for real! He's a super-talented musician, and his music makes everything even more special.
There's this line in the book where Louis sings, "I've got these cold heart blues, and I am very confused, and I'm just about to lose my mind." It's not a rhyme, but it's so powerful and touching. Louis's music is full of emotions, and it's like magic that touches your heart.
I totally recommend this book if you love music and adventure. It's a great story, and it made me feel happy and excited while reading it. Mary Pope Osborne is an awesome writer, and I wonder how she comes up with such cool ideas!
Oh, and you know what? When you buy a book, the author gets money, and that's how they can write more awesome stories. So, supporting authors is a way of showing appreciation for their hard work. Just like Louis Armstrong worked hard on his music and became a famous musician!
This book teaches us the importance of hard work too. If you work hard and never give up, you can achieve amazing things, just like Louis did with his music. So, let's always remember to work hard and believe in ourselves!
In conclusion, A Good Night for Ghosts is a must-read book! It's full of music, adventure, and life lessons. I had so much fun reading it; I'm sure you'll love it too! Happy reading!
If you're a fan of this book, you won't want to miss my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/ykTuKh8Zvvc
Let me tell you, Louis Armstrong is the friendliest and kindest kid you'll ever meet. He's so nice that he considers everyone his friend, even Jack, and Annie! How cool is that? I wish I could be his friend too, but he says he already considers me one, and I'm totally happy with that!
So, Jack and Annie travel to New Orleans on All Saints' Day. It's the spookiest day of the year! They have a daring plan to help a ghost named Darnell. But don't worry. These ghosts are friendly and not scary at all!
The best part is that Louis Armstrong plays a magical song for the New Orleans ghosts. It's so amazing, and I wish I could hear it for real! He's a super-talented musician, and his music makes everything even more special.
There's this line in the book where Louis sings, "I've got these cold heart blues, and I am very confused, and I'm just about to lose my mind." It's not a rhyme, but it's so powerful and touching. Louis's music is full of emotions, and it's like magic that touches your heart.
I totally recommend this book if you love music and adventure. It's a great story, and it made me feel happy and excited while reading it. Mary Pope Osborne is an awesome writer, and I wonder how she comes up with such cool ideas!
Oh, and you know what? When you buy a book, the author gets money, and that's how they can write more awesome stories. So, supporting authors is a way of showing appreciation for their hard work. Just like Louis Armstrong worked hard on his music and became a famous musician!
This book teaches us the importance of hard work too. If you work hard and never give up, you can achieve amazing things, just like Louis did with his music. So, let's always remember to work hard and believe in ourselves!
In conclusion, A Good Night for Ghosts is a must-read book! It's full of music, adventure, and life lessons. I had so much fun reading it; I'm sure you'll love it too! Happy reading!
If you're a fan of this book, you won't want to miss my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/ykTuKh8Zvvc
February 12, 2018
This is a typical Magic Tree House book but I had a moment while reading it that set it apart for me. Throughout the book Jack and Annie, two white kids, are running around with Dipper (the adolescent Louis Armstrong), a black child. Initially I thought Osborne was going to ignore racial issues in order to focus on the adventure, which I found strange based on my experience with her other books in the series. I wondered if maybe she thought this issue was just too big to deal with for the scope of the book. I’m happy to say I was wrong, and although some could say that it wasn’t enough (can we ever write enough on this subject?) it fit into the book very well without being forced or awkward.
As the children finally part ways, Jack and Annie getting on a street car, Annie wants Dipper to ride with them so they can be together a bit longer. Dipper tells them about segregation; he would not be allowed in the front of the streetcar and they should not sit in the back. The siblings are appalled and rush to tell him that things “get better” and that an African-American man will one day run for President and be elected. The book was published in 2009. Reading it to my son in 2018, over a year into the presidency of a hateful, racist, capitalist, white man, my voice caught as I read those words and tears came to my eyes.
From the book:
“It’s really, really hard to explain, Dipper,” said Jack. “But just know this: one day things are going to change. Everybody will sit together on trains and buses and planes.”
“And one day an African American man will run for president of the United States,” said Annie. “And millions of people - people of all colors - will vote for him.”
“And he’ll win!” Said Jack.
Dipper laughed and shook his head. “Okay, now I know I’m dreaming,” he said, “but I really like this dream.”
As the children finally part ways, Jack and Annie getting on a street car, Annie wants Dipper to ride with them so they can be together a bit longer. Dipper tells them about segregation; he would not be allowed in the front of the streetcar and they should not sit in the back. The siblings are appalled and rush to tell him that things “get better” and that an African-American man will one day run for President and be elected. The book was published in 2009. Reading it to my son in 2018, over a year into the presidency of a hateful, racist, capitalist, white man, my voice caught as I read those words and tears came to my eyes.
From the book:
“It’s really, really hard to explain, Dipper,” said Jack. “But just know this: one day things are going to change. Everybody will sit together on trains and buses and planes.”
“And one day an African American man will run for president of the United States,” said Annie. “And millions of people - people of all colors - will vote for him.”
“And he’ll win!” Said Jack.
Dipper laughed and shook his head. “Okay, now I know I’m dreaming,” he said, “but I really like this dream.”
March 19, 2019
Overall, an acceptable, but not favorable volume in the series.
The Good:
- uses a historical figure and setting that is more recent and concrete
- Dipper is a well rounded character with clear motivation for his actions and reasons to resist Annie and Jack's whinging :)
- good sense of atmosphere and setting
- fun way to learn a bit about jazz and New Orleans
The Bad:
- lazy conflict resolution, even for this series (Why would Annie and Jack show Dipper his future?)
- the promised ghosts were underwhelming and not important to the story at all
- secondary characters irrelevant and forgettable; this is a story about Annie, Jack and Dipper - no one else matters
- many cultural references that will be difficult to explain to ESL students or readers
The Ugly:
- the issue of racial segregation is shoehorned in at the end of the story, without any previous markers at any earlier point in Annie and Jack's journey through New Orleans
- the fact that Dipper is African American does not matter until the author is ready to get on her soapbox and comment about the "Jim Crow" laws through her characters
-this ending reminds me of the flop of an ending to Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"
Overall:
"A Good Night for Ghosts" is not a good choice for a book to read in the Magic Tree House series. A more Jazz focused title would have better reflected the actual story. The issue of racial segregation of that time should have been introduced earlier in the story, rather than dumped in during the final chapters. One can only assume the author did this to create a talking point for educators and readers. Thanks, but no thanks.
The Good:
- uses a historical figure and setting that is more recent and concrete
- Dipper is a well rounded character with clear motivation for his actions and reasons to resist Annie and Jack's whinging :)
- good sense of atmosphere and setting
- fun way to learn a bit about jazz and New Orleans
The Bad:
- lazy conflict resolution, even for this series (Why would Annie and Jack show Dipper his future?)
- the promised ghosts were underwhelming and not important to the story at all
- secondary characters irrelevant and forgettable; this is a story about Annie, Jack and Dipper - no one else matters
- many cultural references that will be difficult to explain to ESL students or readers
The Ugly:
- the issue of racial segregation is shoehorned in at the end of the story, without any previous markers at any earlier point in Annie and Jack's journey through New Orleans
- the fact that Dipper is African American does not matter until the author is ready to get on her soapbox and comment about the "Jim Crow" laws through her characters
-this ending reminds me of the flop of an ending to Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"
Overall:
"A Good Night for Ghosts" is not a good choice for a book to read in the Magic Tree House series. A more Jazz focused title would have better reflected the actual story. The issue of racial segregation of that time should have been introduced earlier in the story, rather than dumped in during the final chapters. One can only assume the author did this to create a talking point for educators and readers. Thanks, but no thanks.
September 25, 2018
Jack and Annie are going back on another mission - but this time to New Orleans in 1915. During this time period, most of the south was still segregated. Jack and Annie were off looking for Louis Armstrong who was a 14-year-old boy who played music in the streets. Louis's nickname is "Dipper" and he played his music to make money for his family. Jack and Annie need to convince Dipper to go play on a Mississippi Showboat but he is very hesitant because he needs a steady job to provide for his family. Since Jack and Annie travel back in time, they already know that Louis is the "King of Jazz" but they need to keep his motivation up. This would be an awesome book to read aloud to a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom and also talk about segregation in the south.
October 26, 2020
The second chapter book that I completed reading to my son Reuben. A Good Night for Ghosts was the first experience I had with the "Magic Tree House" series as this one is #42. The plot centers on Jack and Annie being transported by their magic treehouse (is this kind of like Dr. Who) to 1915 New Orleans where they meet up with Jazz legend Louis Armstrong and have to persuade him to share his gift of music with the world. There is a whole sequence where pirate ghosts show up and dance around which illustrates some rather random elements of the story. At its heart though, this fictional work does communicate some of the history surrounding Armstrong in an entertaining way to talk with kids about.
November 3, 2020
My youngest son said that this was his favorite book do far of the entire series which we've read out loud to this point. He said it was heart-warming.
I think the true magic in these books is the joy of reading with a child and seeing their excitement.
It was really fun to revisit New Orleans, which is where my husband is from, and to read about familiar things like gumbo and beignets (although the author calls them donuts) which we make at home. We also looked up Louis Armstrong and watched some videos and listened to some of his music. I have an older son who is a big jazz fan, and my youngest immediately recognized the style of the music and Armstrong's voice.
I think the true magic in these books is the joy of reading with a child and seeing their excitement.
It was really fun to revisit New Orleans, which is where my husband is from, and to read about familiar things like gumbo and beignets (although the author calls them donuts) which we make at home. We also looked up Louis Armstrong and watched some videos and listened to some of his music. I have an older son who is a big jazz fan, and my youngest immediately recognized the style of the music and Armstrong's voice.
July 1, 2021
Another fun adventure in which Jack and Annie have to inspire a young Louis Armstrong to share his music, this time with the help of a magic trumpet. They also learn about segregation a bit at the end, and encounter a pirate ghost. Disappointingly, the fact tracker to this is Ghosts: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts rather than something about Louis Armstrong, or Jazz music, or even Louisiana.
March 8, 2024
This was a fun adventure, it drew a stark picture of how hard it is to make a living in the arts; Jazz music in this story.
The actual ghost encounters were thrilling, and I didn't expect that.
It's also another example of racism told in an age-appropriate way; what I found interesting is the timelessness of Jack and Annie's timeline.
In this book they expressly talk about an African American becoming the President of the United States; Barack Obama, however the very early books of the Magic Tree House, published in the early 1990s, would have aged Jack and Annie 20 years, yet they have really only aged a few years, their age last mentioned in the Wizard of Winter Merlin Mission.
The actual ghost encounters were thrilling, and I didn't expect that.
It's also another example of racism told in an age-appropriate way; what I found interesting is the timelessness of Jack and Annie's timeline.
In this book they expressly talk about an African American becoming the President of the United States; Barack Obama, however the very early books of the Magic Tree House, published in the early 1990s, would have aged Jack and Annie 20 years, yet they have really only aged a few years, their age last mentioned in the Wizard of Winter Merlin Mission.
January 5, 2019
In this book, Jack and Annie complete another Merlin mission. They let Louis Armstrong to spread his music gifts to the world. They help Louis Armstrong to catch up the river boat on Mississippi River. The story I like most is when they have desert.And before that Louis Armstrong sings nonsense words and he sings skit-dat-de-dat,skit-dat-de-doo.Then they see Louis Armstrong’s friends :Little Mack,Happy and Big Nose Sidney. Happy doesn’t look happy, and Little Mack doesn’t even look little at all. And big nose Sidney doesn’t even have a big nose. I love this!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
No I am not the demographic for this. But I was searching for jazz books, saw this, got nostalgic, and picked it up. I haven't read a Magic Tree House book in more than a decade, but lemme tell ya: they hold up. I remember reading these and feeling like I was learning so much history and having fun at the same time. This particular one followed Louis Armstrong in New Orleans. It talked about segregation and there were even some ghosts. Overall it was a good reading experience. I might actually pick up more don't judge me.
March 1, 2025
For a story titled “A good night for ghosts” there really wasn’t much ghosts. They only really appeared in one chapter which is a bit disappointing. Ghosts aside I did enjoy the story. I really enjoy jazz music and having a magic treehouse story with a focus on a historical jazz figure is awesome. It’s a good conversation starter when it comes to black history. The story was easy to follow and very enjoyable. Although I do have to subtract a star for the whole ghost thing. The books called a good night for ghosts there should be more ghosts involved!
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