Memories and Life Lessons from the Magic Tree House

by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the #1 New York Times bestselling series with heartfelt advice from Mary Pope Osborne's own life and her magical adventures with Jack and Annie—perfect for Magic Tree House fans of all ages!

Look for heroes, far and near. Give your gifts to the world. Have compassion for all creatures. These are just a few of the lessons that Magic Tree House fans will learn on their magical journey through this book. With quotes from the series and classic art by Sal Murdocca, Mary Pope Osborne, beloved author of the #1 bestselling Magic Tree House series, shares the wisdom she's gained from her own childhood and thirty years of whisking Jack and Annie away in the magic tree house.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Biography

144 pages, Hardcover

Published September 6, 2022

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

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhhh, this just warmed my heart. 100% joyful. A wonderful trip to my reading past and to the author's past along with gorgeous illustrations from the books that have shaped so many lives.

I first found these books when I was a Nanny and the children I took care of loved them and over the course of many years I have read and reread them for all the children who have passed through my life. It was such a complete joy to revisit them in this memoir.

Such an absolute delight, I cannot imagine anyone who would not love this book, especially if they loved The Magic Tree House as a child. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this; it was just what I needed today. Perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca - Illustrator, and Random House Children's/Random House Books for Young Readers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jocelyn Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a friend just gifted me this after going to multiple bookstores to find something magic tree house related after i raved about the books when we hung out last week. i’m convinced that there’s some sort of surprising venn diagram / high correlation/ a pipeline between MTH kids and distance runners. this book honestly slapped so hard it’s the perfect thing for me bc jack and annie still live in my head rent free. the first ever MTH book i read, i distinctly remember to this day, was book 17, tonight on the titanic. it was a sunday morning and my mom had picked it up for me from the library earlier that week and i couldn’t put it down. teddy the dog was in that book. i still encounter facts and places and ideas all the time that are related to something i once learned in a magic tree house book. anyhow, it was delightful to see how stories from mary pope osborne’s childhood influenced her magical storytelling. and the life lessons are delightful. i seriously shed a tear in the last section about honoring our loved ones. this is the only self help i unironically can fully get behind. absolutely perfect. everything i read before the age of ten has made me who i am today. nothing beats nostalgia.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Magic Tree House Series is one of my all time favorite book series I read as a kid. I was always a lover of history and lover of books so these books were perfect for me. Jack and Annie became best friends to me as a kid and I loved reading about the different adventures they went on through out history and learning new things along the way. I can not believe that it has been 30 years since the first book came out. I still remember going to the library and picking out the books. I think memories and life lessons is such a different approach to a memoir or biography. Both young and old readers and learn more about the author Mary Pope Osborne and her childhood and her family. I love the little life lesson we all can take from the series.

[Emma Yergin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short and sweet, but maybe aimed more at the readers who love magic tree house right now? I felt like she went with quantity over quality, and I wanted more depth and detail from her life.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As awesome as the Magic Tree House books are, and as seminal as they've been to several generations of readers, this book left a lot to be desired. I enjoyed the back stories that accompanied each section, but I felt like the "advice" was really just quotes from the books. Had there been more of the stories from Obsorne's childhood that inspired the stories in the book, I would have been much more engaged.

[Annie]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Memories and Life Lessons from the Magic Tree House is a beautifully written and well presented memoir with recollections and ruminations by Mary Pope Osborne, drawn from her lifelong love of travel and exploration and her experiences writing The Magic Tree House. Released 6th Sept 2022 by Random House, it's 144 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

The book is written in thematic chapters which each provide an important philosophical lesson on gratefulness, compassion, bravery (but not foolhardiness), finding helpers along the way, finding & sharing your gifts with the world, and more. They're drawn both from Ms. Osborne's own experiences as well as the 30 years of life lessons that characters Jack and Annie lived in the episodes of the Magic Tree House.

Four stars. Accessibly and gently written, its readable and positive focus will give readers a boost. The book is also beautifully illustrated by Sal Murdocca throughout. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home library, and gift-giving. Lots of very well thought out and kindly presented ideas here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kate Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I originally heard about this book, I believed it was to be a memoir by the author of a beloved children's series, going through things like topic selection, research for the books, and conception for how the series came to be.

This was not the case. Instead, this book was a collection of snippets and short stories tying in the author's personal experiences to the stories she had written.  This book did feel a bit like it was a cross between a self help book and a memoir at times, but I believe that was to engage the reader and have them think critically about the life lessons presented. Because of how reflective the writing is, I believe it is meant to be read slowly so the reader has time to truly proves and think about each topic the author mentions.

Overall, this was a thought provoking read, but not entirely what I believe the title and description advertised. This is something I believe you should be aware of before picking up this book, but it does not make it a bad book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and the illustrations are absolutely delightful - capturing a sense of nostalgia I didn't know I needed. This book is a good read,  perfect for those who want to recapture that feeling of childhood or remind themselves of the beauty, humaniry, and kindness our world too often forgets.

Thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, the Magic Tree House books were my absolute favorites as a kid. If I had to pick the book series I got hooked on first, this would be it. There was a whole row of these books at my elementary school's library. I learned so much about history and geography from these engaging books and when
the Fact Trackers came out I immediately started on those, too. One of my favorite childhood memories is when I received a stack of Magic Tree House books for Christmas. Eventually I started reading other series and books, but the series is still going strong. It's crazy to think that now my niece and nephew are starting in on these books, too.

With all that being said, this book is a mix of lessons from the series as well as memories of Mary Pope Osborne's life growing up with her siblings. Many of these lessons will resonate with readers familiar with the series, such as respecting nature, learning to stand up for others, and exploring new worlds through books. They are simple yet meaningful lessons that we can all remember, whether we are young readers just discovering the series or long-time fans. This book is a perfect edition to your Magic Tree House collection.

Now if only I could have my own Master Librarian card, I think I'll be set.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lovely homage for fans of the Magic Tree House series. Blurbs from the original books combine with illustrations and reflections from the author on her own life for a whole lot of nostalgia.

Divided into ten sections, each focused on a life lesson from the iconic books, these stories offer an unique peek behind the scenes. My kindergartener loved the original series, but I think it will be a few more years before this book can resonate with her. This book would be perfect for fans of the Magic Tree House who are a few years (or decades!) older.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!

[Tillman Fossas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a sweet book that brought me back to when I was in elementary school living vicariously through Jack and Annie’s adventures (wishing I had a magic tree house of my own!). Reading this felt like curling up on a couch with a blanket on a rainy day - comforting, cozy, and nostalgic. There was nothing profound or particularly compelling in it, so I found myself picking it up when I had a few minutes to spare here and there. I enjoyed the life connections Mary Pope Osborne made between her own life and Jack and Annie’s, and the memories it brought back for me.

[Matea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super short. I read it in one evening. But it brought back memories of my childhood and reading the Magic Tree House books. I realized that I stopped reading them after the Merlin Missions came out because I grew into longer books. But I still should go back and read them because I’ve missed out on a lot of beautiful stories. I really enjoyed the artwork throughout. I’m interested in reading an autobiography or writing craft book by Osborne because I would absolutely devour that.

[Amanda Novak]

I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley.

I love the Magic Tree House series and have read all of them. They give a great insight into different historical time periods and places. In this new book by Mary Pope Osborne, we not only get these insights from the series but also from Mary Pope Osborne's life as well! It was really interesting learning more about her life and childhood.

[Serenna LeBron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to my son while he was sick. I didn’t know what I was checking out from the library so I quickly realized that this was a spin off of a series of books. Now that we know these magic treehouse books exist, we will be reading to our children as they get a little older.

[I A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your liking of this will depend on your expectations. If you expect a general look at life lessons from the series as seen through the author's childhood life (as you should), you'll be fine. If you're looking for more of an autobiography aimed at older audiences, then this isn't the book for you.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read almost all the Magic Tree House books with my little kids, I enjoyed reading this combination of memoir and life lessons (linked to the author's memories and to texts from the Magic Tree House) with my kids . . .

[Samantha Boudreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this as an ebook from netgalley.com. Growing up reading Magic Tree House I absolutely adored this book filled with life lessons and interesting stories of Mary Pope Osborne's childhood.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to remember story moments and hear her thoughts on them or what inspired them. Also interesting to learn more about her childhood and sweet photos at the end.

[Sue Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read.

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A major trip down memory lane!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids loved this series of books! So I wanted to read it to learn more about the author. She sure made a lot of kids happy.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean rather series was my childhood, but I didn't find anything magical about this.

[Centaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, though I wish it had more content on the creation of the Magic Treehouse series itself

[Amy Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sparked the childhood wonder & adventure in me & surprised me by healing parts of me that I didn't know that needed it.

[Indra Frank · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm afraid I found the book boring and the very short autobiographical stories too short. The book bounced rapidly among various brief memories. It felt jumbled

[Angie DePompeis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a child, I loved the Magic Treehouse series. I read so many of the books in this series. It was my favorite thing to read. I would devour Pope Osborne’s books.
When I saw this book, I felt incredibly excited. I was hoping to learn about the author’s life and career. This book however is not an autobiography. I could have learned more about the author by reading her Wiki page. Yet, in this book, I did get snippets of the author’s life. This book reveals to readers childhood memories that later inspired aspects of the author’s book series. Despite not learning a ton about Mary Pope Osborne,

I really enjoyed this sweet, easy read. It felt like it could be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book to think back on life and remember various of the Magic Tree House stories. Pope Osborne tells her own story in ten lessons from her childhood that then became part of the series. Written in an easy to read format with illustrations and passages from the books. Fun gift for those who grew up reading this series.