Magic Tree House: #13-16

by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie are back with four more adventures in one audiobook collection.This time, Jack and Annie must race against time to find an ancient library before it's buried in ash, take on a book burning emperor, escape a Viking invasion, and witness the first Olympics in ancient Greece.

Genres: Childrens, Juvenile, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction

Audio Cassette

First published March 1, 2002

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

[Nicole Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved these as a child. Taught both history and imagination.

[Riley Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

These four are are a little edgier than previous books. Jack and Annie are on a mission to discover lost stories. The first book is Pompeii as the Volcano is erupting and they are saved by Hercules. Book 14 they go back to Ancient China and the Dragon King who is burning books in the time of the great wall, they are saved by magic silk. Book 15 they save an Irish Monk's story before raiding Vikings and are saved by a sea serpent. The last book they go to the ancient Olympics to save a women's writing and are saved by a Pegasus. I know I shouldn't be annoyed by the mythical saviors in a series about a magic treehouse, but it feels like this is where the series takes an odd turn. Still a cool way to learn about the ancient world.

[amandalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

Continuing this series as my son adores it. I mostly just wonder logistical issues as I read. Like why Morgan is sending two CHILDREN on pretty dangerous missions. Why isn’t she the one going on these missions? And what is she really doing with all these books? And how can Jack and Annie understand anyone? Are the kids magically fluent in foreign languages? Or are the citizens fluent in English? The books they collect are in foreign languages, which the kids cannot read, so?

I guess I could just enjoy these books for what they are.

[Yurika K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was a really modern story.
Going back to China, Really exciting! Making me have goosebumps.

[Julie Ivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was scary and fun drama and light !

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

E loves these books! This was a fun read to supplement our unit on Ancient Greece. I was surprised when Plato showed up and I actually learned a few things, too.

[Stacey Orlando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Annie decide to go for a walk in the woods when they came across a mysterious tree. They decide to enter the treehouse and saw it filled with many books. Jack picks up a book with dinosaurs on the cover and wishes that he could see a dinosaur for real. The book then transports the siblings to the land of the dinosaurs, thousands of years ago. The two encounter a flying dinosaur and Annie gives him the name Henry. Annie and Jack decide to venture around dinosaur land and see all the many creatures. They run into a huge tyrannosaur and they run back to the tree house hoping they can get away from this scary creature. Once they arrive, Jack realizes that he left his backpack behind in the valley of the anatosauruses. Jack decides to be brave and run back into the treacherous land and retrieve the book. He gets stuck in a path with the T-rex, but Henry saves the day. Jack hops on his back and flies him back to the tree house where they find a book about Pennsylvania where he wishes to go back. The tree house returns the two siblings home safely and they both agree not to say a word as to what just happened but to go back to the tree house the next day.

The Magic Treehouse series is something I can remember reading vividly as a child. These books made you want a treehouse, and if you already had one then you never left it.The interesting thing is that the author did an amazing just differentiating the stories in the series. These books take you from dinosaurs times, to meeting ninjas and pirates, to experiencing an earthquake. I think the main thing children can get out of reading not only the one I read, but any of the Magic Treehouse books is entertainment. The books take a child's mind to all kinds of dream worlds that they may have already visited on their own. I am not exactly sure how I would use these as a lesson per say, but I think these would be a great series to have in the classroom for children to read on their own, or maybe read to them as a treat.

On a side note, I did a small amount of research and found that The Magic Treehouse series has a webpage. It offers games, a library, and many other useful tools children can use while reading the books. I think it is interesting that through this website, the stories can become interactive.
http://www.magictreehouse.com/

(just chose any of the Magic Treehouse covers to write this review)

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book is fun but every book following is a carbon copy with slightly different variations. Tedious after reading volume 5! Even my kids asked me to quit reading and choose something else. Glad I bought 'em at a yard sale. : )

[Prairie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I have begun listening to the audio versions of this 50+ book series in the car. We listen wherever we go. We love it and have learned together many new things about people, and places from all over the world.

[william edmonds]

I love it

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good chapter books to read to your kids.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are pretty simple in plot and writing, but the content is interesting for the kids. They enjoy learning about new places.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I won't list each individual book but we also read this entire series to my 5 year old and it's a favorite. This one is educational as it weaves in non-fiction with the fictional story.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Magic Treehouse series is great for kids. Kaitlyn and I have read about 20 of them this summer! Just ask me anything about Jack and Annie.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both of my older boys love all of these books. I think my oldest has read almost all of them and now my 2nd child is loving them as well!

[Jamie]

Molly is enjoying this series!!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any of the Magic Treehouse books are top-notch for elementary school readers! We read almost everyone one of them during second and third grade.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I read #15: Viking Ships at Sunrise, but I guess I could have.

[Emma]

I read these when I was little!

[Carolyne]

kind of boring

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED the series when I was a kid, and I still do! I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy / adventure books!! :)

[Aarong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is varey intresting book. I rile lict it. The carcters run in to som truble,and ride a fling hors.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great collection for the classroom.. two young children find through magic and history connections to their own lives

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great collection of stories for the early reader inspires independance

[Bea]

Only day of the dragon king

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books were so good! :)

[Alberto Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls loved this adventure series in audiobook. And what could be better than fun for the whole family while commuting to uneventful places?

[Jordan Brophy-Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these. Fabulous way to introduce subjects to children. We've used these stories as a gateway to learn about a dozen new subjects already.

[Rittik Mitraf5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a adventure filled storybook so i enjoy it.