Balto of the Blue Dawn

Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions" #26

by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)

The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system!

The magic tree house has returned and it’s taking Jack and Annie back in time to Alaska, 1925. There they meet Balto, a jet-black Siberian husky destined to save victims of the diphtheria epidemic. But the trail isn’t easy, and Balto is going to need Jack and Annie’s help!

Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #54, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #26: Balto of the Blue Dawn .

Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid?

Magic Tree Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Super A longer and more dangerous adventure
Fact Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Adventure, Middle Grade, Chapter Books

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2016

About the author

Mary 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.

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my students and they LOVED it!

"The magic tree house has returned and it’s taking Jack and Annie back in time to Alaska, 1925. There they meet Balto, a jet-black Siberian husky destined to save victims of the diphtheria epidemic. But the trail isn’t easy, and Balto is going to need Jack and Annie’s help!"

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Thought- This was a fun book. It chronicles the inspirational story that spurred the Iditarod Dogsled race in Alaska. The story is nice and kids will love it. The pages are certainly packed with excitement for younger readers. Jack and Annie are sent back to 1925 to the Alaska Territory to help Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto bring Diphtheria medication to the people of the territory. The chapters go quick and along with being enjoyable, are an easy read. I love this younger version of historical fiction. Kids get to learn about historical events while being entertained. I can see kids wanting to learn more about the Iditarod and seeking out additional information. FORTUNATELY – this is Magic Tree House and they always think of these things (see my next review below

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great children's book!

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another stand alone adventure, in which jack and Annie help the dog slead team led by Balto in 1925, when a diphtheria outbreak threatened Nome Alaska. The are given gold dust and star dust, to give them any skill they wish for to help others for 12 hours, and to make everyone forget them, as Balto is supposed to be the hero. This goes with Dogsledding and Extreme Sports: A nonfiction companion to Magic Tree House #54: Balto of the Blue Dawn

[Malorie (Firereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Annie take on a great and dangerous historical adventure in Alaska in their 54th mission. (Gee has it been that many?!) The siblings take a sled dog team through a blizzard to help deliver lifesaving medicine to a town dying from a Diptheria epidemic in 1925. During their mission they get to meet the famous sled dog Balto and his handler Gunner Kassen. This story teaches selflessness and courage in the face of overwhelming odds and that hero's come in furry, four-legged packages 😊

[Kelly Hohenstern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story about the Alaska Race of Mercy

I always enjoy the Magic Tree House stories. Osborne always puts a lot of research and work into writing a thoughtful and historically accurate story for young readers.

[Adi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Thai book it has an interesting story and I love how it just brings happiness to my heart and maybe it could to your please take the time and let your children or if you like reading books like this please try and read this.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and Annie visit the Alaska Territory of 1925 to help in the famous event when dogsled teams delivered vital medication for diphtheria patients to Nome across vast distances and blizzards. Pretty cool!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Magic Tree House books are timeless children's classics and a perfect introduction to important historical events, places, and characters. I grew up reading them, and I'm so happy the series has continued! Point of reference: The only books in the series were #1 - 12 when I first started reading these. Vacation under the Volcano was the "new book" in the series!

In this installation, Jack and Annie are sent back in time to 1925 Alaska, aware from the pamphlet they're given to help educate them about the period and place, that it's before Alaska is a state. They meet several real mushers and fictional first nations characters, Oki and his uncle, reminding us that the native peoples were a large part of the population. It doesn't take long for them to realize that the town has been stricken by a diphtheria epidemic and those in the hospital are waiting for the dogsled relay to bring the medicine. The race is on as Jack and Annie catch word that a huge blizzard is coming just as the relay is making its way to Nome.

Despite its fame at the time, the Race of Mercy is still a relatively unknown event. Most people remember Balto or the 1995 film named for him, but don't remember that there were 20 teams of brave dogs and men, or that Togo ran more of the trail with his team than any other; Balto is remembered because his team actually delivered the medicine to Nome. Togo even has a really cool backstory! .

This Youtube review of the 1995 film does an excellent job expanding on the history and comparing and contrasting it with the film, for those interested in learning more. The reviewer does a fine job detailing the stories of the mushers and dogs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXR2h...

BEST PART
Oh, and SHOUT OUT to Jack (my first literary crush) who points out to a fearful Annie that because they got a diphtheria vaccine as babies, they can't catch it.

[CRG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly story for the perfect Michigan snowstorm:)
Author’s Note: “For more than one hundred years, sled dog racing has been a favorite sport in Alaska. The most famous race in sled dog history took place in the winter of 1925, when a relay of sled teams carried a medicine to fight diphtheria from Anchorage, Alaska, up to Nome, Alaska, in less than six days. That wondrous achievement became known as the Great Race of Mercy.”
Don't hesitate to visit the old Alaska & enjoy travel time in history with Jack & Annie:)

[Anna]

The kindergartner definitely found this series more exciting last year. Since he finished the series with the currently available books (with the book before this one) he has become interested in Droon. Going back to The Magic Treehouse series now he was much less interested in it. I think he is outgrowing it - or maybe he needs to be a little older?

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Tree House Balto of the Blue Dawn. It's one of the Merlin Mission books, and let me tell you all about it!

Jack and Annie, those brave adventurers, get whisked away by the magic treehouse to a place called Nome in Alaska. But hold on, and it's not the Nome you might think of with gnomes and all – it's a real place with lots of snow and a big adventure waiting!

So, in this story, it's way back in the year 1925, and there's a big problem. A sickness is spreading, and people are getting really sick. Jack and Annie have a mission – they need to find some important medicine to help all those sick people. That's a big job!

Guess what? To get the medicine, they need to find a team of sled dogs, and the most famous dog in the team is Balto. He's like a hero dog. Jack and Annie must use their cool skills to find Balto and the other dogs. It's like being detectives in the snow!

Here's the exciting part – they find the sled dogs, but oh no, they lose the medicine in the middle of a big snowstorm. It's really scary because they're in a blizzard, and everything's covered in snow. But don't worry, Balto is a super smart and brave dog. He uses his leadership skills to find the lost medicine. Go, Balto!

This book taught me something important – to always have hope. Even when things seem really tough, like a blizzard or being scared to dance on stage, having hope can help us keep going. Like how Jack and Annie didn't give up even when they lost the medicine. I had a moment like that too. I wanted to dance on stage, but I was afraid. So, I practiced a lot and took dance lessons, and now I can dance on stage without being scared!

I really, really liked reading "Balto of the Blue Dawn." It's full of adventure, snow, and lessons about hope. If you like brave kids, cool dogs, and exciting snowstorms, you should totally check out this Magic Tree House book. It's a snowy ride you won't forget!

Check out my full review of this book on my YouTube channel. It's got everything you need to know about this amazing read.
https://youtu.be/T0EI9trclTk

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Annie are transported to Alaska in their magical treehouse. The year is 1925 and there is a sickness going around called diphtheria. The vaccine can't get there by boat, plane or vehicle because of how cold the weather is. The only way is by dog sled. There were many mushers with dog teams that relayed the vaccine from Anchorage to Nome over six days. The two famous teams were Leonhard Seppala and his dog Togo, and Gunnar Kaasan with this dog Balto. The race was called the "Great Race of Mercy" or the serum race, today they still remember that race when the hold the famous Iditarod race in Alaska every year.

Jack and Annie learn how to be professional dog mushers with their special magical dust. They learn how to handle the dogs, how to hook them up, how to lead them with musher calls and how to deal with blizzards.

[Tristan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just finished reading this to my 6 and 11 year old sons. While they can both read on their own, it's our bedtime ritual to sit together while I read aloud to them. It's my favoritetime of the day!

I always feel awful leaving less than 4 or 5 star reviews. But this book just didn't do it for us. We LOVE the story of Balto so we were very excited about book...

We all felt like there was so much dialog, it made the story feel choppy. The boys didn't stay interested. I will admit this is my first Magic Tree House book and I love the idea of the Magic Tree House. I'm definitely open to reading more of them to my children. I just felt like for the story of Balto, this book was the least exciting version.

[Shelby Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Annie and Jack set off on another adventure in their magic treehouse. They end up in Alaska 1925 and get to meet and assist Balto in delivering so much needed medicine to a sick town. They were able to help with some magical assistance from Teddy.

My response:
I've always loved Magic Tree House books and this one was no exception. The story was very sweet and a new take on the story of Balto which is a historical classic.

How I might use it:
The story of Balto is a great historic story to be told in the classroom and this book could be a great addition to a lesson plan, it could also be used in a lesson on working dogs.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been obsessed with Balto. I got in trouble for the first time at school when my kindergarten class was about to watch the movie. I had a blood blister on my middle finger and I put my other fingers down to show a friend. She told the teacher I was being mean and I had flipped her off so I wasn't allowed to watch the movie. I had to sit by the teacher's desk and read instead. It wasn't a super harsh punishment, since I loved reading already, and my teacher knew that, but I was so excited to see the movie.

[Joy Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Magic Treehouse Mystery series is a great way to inspire children to read. I loved this one as I am a big fan of Balto. The second grade classroom I read this to last week while subbing loved it! I used it as an inspiration for them to write what they thought would happen next or what they wanted to happen next. It became a great writing prompt for them and some wrote pages to let me know their thoughts. Love it!

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

audio; The always-great Mary Pope Osborne reads her well-researched, approachable and interesting Magic Tree House series, which have consistently kept my now middle-school child fascinated with history. We knew the outline of Balto's story, and had just finished reading aloud Call of the Wild, by Jack London, but Osborne's book brought the story of dogsledding and the Alaskan environment to life from a kid's perspective.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
I started this series after reading the original Magic Treehouse series. I like how this series includes not just Morgan, but Merlin, Teddy, & Kathleen, too. I like how Jack & Annie get to participate in these books a little more than the original series by using magical items. I also like how these books are longer. It is more story to enjoy. I really enjoyed this book. Would recommend.

[Daphne Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Magic Tree House that we read in a day, because we didn't want to put it down. My only issue with this book, is that my daughter asked for a dog all the way through it. Seriously, we both enjoyed reading this one. We continue to work our way through the series. The last two out have been requested, so we're nearly there.

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

FOUR STARS.
Jack and Annie went to ancient Alaska and people are getting sick.People need to deliver medicine made of horse blood.BUT.......The dog sled that was supposed to gets stuck and Annie and Jack need to get it or some people are dead.So they help The owner of Balto and save some people.

I liked the part where Annie saw the dogs because I LIKE DOGS (except for scary dogs).

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a fan of the magic tree house series

this too did not disappoint

preschoolers LOVED listening to this as an intro to chapter books as they prepared to slumber a smidge

very well articulated and engaging text

HIGHLY recommend this author & series

[Ashley Lattin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is good for 7years.I'm plan to get 19 or 16 books.the only thing that I don't like is the note .ok thanks again!

People will love this book and the note😀.I'm ok with the note.
I'm going to try out the new books
I'm sure they will love this book!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another read-aloud with the kids. They love dogs and were very interested in Balto after learning about him on an episode of Molly of Denali. Good story, spurred good discussion and taught us some history we were unfamiliar with.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. Held my daughters interest but unfortunately the facts in this book threw the story off. Everytime the kids were excited to see Balto and most famous sled dog my kid rolled her eyes. We know the true story. Togo was the real hero.

[Mary Beth Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading these books aloud to my son. I really enjoyed this one because I did not know anything about Balto and the diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska in 1925. I heard of Balto but I didn't know what he was famous for. My son really enjoyed it too.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very few children will ever live in Alaska. And none will live in Alaska in the 1920s. But those children will get a glimpse of the difficult life there in this book.

[adeservingporcupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all loved this one. There was a moment when we were really worried about Jack! The longer books take few more risks. And the kids were fascinated by the dog sleds.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my daughters first "Magic Treehouse" read. She is 5 and looks forward to reading more from the series.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible story and knowing that this actually transpired, give or take a couple changes is amazing.