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The Magic School Bus #3

Inside the Human Body

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Talk about a change of plans! Ms. Frizzle and her class are on the Magic School Bus headed for a museum. They have been studying how the body turns food into energy, and now they are going to see an exhibit on the human body. Things seem fine until they stop for lunch. A strange mishap causes the bus to shrink and then be swallowed! Ms. Frizzle's class is suddenly inside a real human body!

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

83 people are currently reading
3717 people want to read

About the author

Joanna Cole

488 books204 followers
Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
14 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2012
The second non-fiction book I chose to review was The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole.The Magic School Bus series are science fiction books. There are true facts in the books but it is also impossible to have the adventures that the class have.There are books about entering a human body, traveling through the solar system, visiting inside a beehive, and traveling back in time to see the dinosaurs, just to name a few. This book starts off with Ms. Frizzle's class learning about the human body. They are all worried because Ms. Frizzle is the weirdest teacher at school and her lessons can be weird. The next day, the class goes on a field trip to the science center to learn all about the human body. After lunch, Ms. Frizzle decides to take the class on another field trip. She pushes a button in the bus and the bus and the class start shrinking and spinning very quickly. They end up being eaten by somebody in their class and travel all through his body. First, they travel down the esophagus and land in his stomach. In the stomach, the class learns all about the digestion track. Next, comes the small intestine that are lined with blood vessels. They travel through the blood vessels all the way to the heart. They learn all about the chambers of the heart. From the heart, they travel to the lungs. After the lungs, they went to the brain. The brain is full of nerve cells that are constantly sending messages to every body part we have. They exited the brain by sliding down the spine. The spine is what keeps our bodies upright. From the spine, they travel down to the legs. In the legs, they all got back onto the bus and made there way to the nasal cavity. Luckily, the student sneezed and they were blown right out of the nose. At the end of the day, the class went back to the classroom and made a life size drawing of the human body with many details. All in all, everyone had a great day of learning. This book is for intermediate and advanced readers. The book is jammed packed with a lot of information but it can be confusing for younger readers. Every inch of the page is covered in words or pictures. There are a lot of colors on every page. There are word bubbles and thinking bubbles on most of the pages which makes it a bit squished together.The lines and shapes are all blended together. On a page, there is also little pieces of notebook paper filled with even more facts. The illustrations are very lifelike creating a nice medium for the pages. I do recommend this book but with caution. There is a ton of information throughout the whole book which is wonderful but it can get very confusing. Along with the actual story, the students are also talking to one another through word bubbles. So the book is very useful for scientific purposes but it is also jumbled with all the words and pictures.
Profile Image for Caroline.
78 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2025
Bought this for baby George for when he’s older but of course I had to read it and I will be counting this on Goodreads
Profile Image for Shanna Gonzalez.
427 reviews42 followers
August 3, 2009
The Magic School Bus is a popular, fun-filled science series in which a class of public-school students, led by the eccentric Ms. Frizzle, goes on magical field trips to new and unusual places. In this episode, their school bus shrinks to miniature size to be swallowed by one of the students. The rest of the class explores the inner workings of his body -- his intestines, circulatory system, nervous system, and respiratory system (at which point they are sneezed out and resume normal size). The action moves at a lively pace, with comic-book-style commentary by members of the class (we often skip the commentary for reading aloud, although it does provide an opportunity for discussion). At the end of each book, the class participates in a traditional review session of what they have learned, and the authors include a brief question-and-commentary section. Cole and Degen succeed quite well in making an elementary-level science lesson fun.

This series inspired a television program, which in turn inspired a second book series of significantly lesser quality. I recommend the original series, except for In the Time of the Dinosaurs, which includes a lot of evolutionary theory.
Profile Image for Dianna.
1,953 reviews43 followers
January 14, 2020
Will I be any less of a book nerd if I say that I like the TV adaptations of this book better than the book?

Don't get me wrong: the book is fun and educational, and my son loved it. I love how much it has going on—the story, the little speech bubbles, and the reports.

But the TV series splits the human body episodes into at least three, and it gives more opportunity for further detail—instead of just flying through the body, the shows can go into details like how the digestive system works, or how the body fights an illness.
Profile Image for Siobhan.
5,010 reviews597 followers
August 1, 2015
A wonderful read from my childhood, one I’d certainly suggest for other youngsters. Whilst it is not my all-time favourite childhood read I can still recall all the details of this one meaning it certainly left a lasting impression upon my young mind.

And isn’t that what we want with children’s books, for them to leave a positive lasting impression?
39 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2017
Personal Response
I think The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body is an interesting book. My favorite part was when they were inside Arnold’s stomach, and a student said the stomach is like hamburger mush. My little sister, Esthur, thought that was funny too. She knew more than I thought she would. When Esthur told me that blood is actually blue, I was surprised she knew that.

Plot
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body is about a class who was learning how the human body functions. They went on a field trip, by secretly secretly shrinking the bus into one of the students, Arnold’s food. When Arnold ate the food, the whole class landed in his stomach. They learned how the digestive system works. They also learned how blood vessels work, when the class was traveling back up the body. When they finally got into the brain they learned that nerve cells constantly receive messages and control the senses. At last, they got out by entering the nose, and Arnold sneezing the school bus out.

Characterization
The main character in The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body is Ms. Frizzle. I think of her as a very strange and unique teacher. The reason why I think that is because, she drives a magic school bus to unique places. Another character is Arnold, the boy who swallows the school bus. He isn't even aware that the class is traveling around inside of him.

Setting
The setting in the story takes place in school. It also takes place in Arnold's body. The time and place it took in, was probably around 15 years ago from our time because of the way they dress.

Theme
The theme for The Magic School Inside the Human Body is the quest for discovery. The reason why I think that, is because the whole class went into Arnold’s body and discovered how the human body works.

Recommendation
I recommend The Magic school Bus Inside The Human Body for kids between the ages of five through ten. This is the age when they wonder what goes on inside our body. It will tell them how our senses work and digest food.
Profile Image for Andy Zach.
Author 10 books98 followers
August 17, 2020
Here we go on the strangest trip yet--the Magic School Bus goes inside one of the students of the class. That's very meta.

They travel down the digestive system, into the blood stream, the heart, and then the brain. Then they climb down the spinal column, into the muscles and back into the blood stream where they meet the bus again.

Driving the bus into the nose, Ms. Frizzle exits via a violent sneeze, and they're back at school.

Just another normal day, with Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus.
Profile Image for Mari.
34 reviews6 followers
September 22, 2024
So cute! Fun way to learn about the human body. Wish I had a teacher like Miss Frizzle 😆
Profile Image for Brandi Henry.
42 reviews1 follower
October 17, 2025
listened to this on audiobook for a class assignment and forgot just how much fun magic school bus was!
Profile Image for Aneesa.
1,848 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2021
So many words! But I learned a lot. I have never experienced The Magic School Bus before and am glad to now.
158 reviews6 followers
April 25, 2021
Before I started elementary school, I knew about The Magic School Bus. Important book series from Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, this collection of science adventures introduced me at an early age to many scientific concepts important to our everyday life, our world, and how objects around us work.

For each book, a different science topic. And in all of them, the same main protagonist. Mrs. Frizzle and her mysterious school bus. A machine ruined in appearance, but magical in its tools. Indeed, every time she takes her class on a field trip, the bus transforms itself and its passengers into explorers who discover the mysteries of our world. Having at their hands advanced technology and tools that would make jealous the most envious inventors, this class experiences incredible adventures where they learn new subjects; alongside us readers who discover their stories.

In this book, third volume in The Magical School Bus series, a new topic. The human body; and all its organs that make us function and live our everyday routine. As always, Frizzle and her class will go on a field trip. In appearance, she drives them to the museum. But in reality, she gives them quite a surprise. For this time, they shall enter a human body and discover its working process. As to whose body it will be, that is for you to find out. But of the adventure’s evolution, it shall explore multiple organs. In a summarised report, unlike the television series which took many episodes to do that; exploring the bodies of different people during different storylines. And during this field trip, the human body host reacts to his current activities and situation. Some of which affecting the class’s experience inside that body, others related to the human organ explored at that moment. Which makes this book a double adventure for the readers.

Through this story, we explore amazing details about our body. Amongst these details, important informations that can be helpful for biology students or anybody who want to grasp new facts about our body functions and organs. And as the author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen worked with an Associate Professor from the John Hopkins University School of Medecine, what we get are precise informations about our body. Scientific infos written in a comprehensible language so that everyone can understand the subject. With clear images that help educate readers and understand our organs’ work process.

For the prose and story, it is told from the class’s point of view. Speaking in unison; sharing a same common voice. Alongside extra comic book bubbles where, in the illustrations, characters talk to each other.

As for the artwork, it is done in watercolours with pen, alongside colour pencils, gouache, and ink. And within each of them, we are presented the classroom, the protagonists, and their adventures. All under great illustrations that cover either the entire page, or two pages if an action occurs on a long wide scope view or if it evolves progressively. With sometimes parrallel actions drawn on another page to explain what the human body host is doing while at the same time, the students and Mrs. Frizzle analyze its organs.

Now for the book’s editions, you might have either paperback or hardcover versions, but also huge volumes that teachers can use to present to a wide group. So depending on the type of volume you want, you can check with your book store if they offer it or not. As for me, I have a paperback edition and the printing is well done. The text is printed at a proper size; easy to read for all readers. Including adults for it presents basic informations about the subjects involved and can be a good reviewer for people who might have forgotten some of their science basics. Especially for the other books that deal with big topics like astronomy, beehives, dinosaurs, Earth, famous scientists, etc.

In sum, this book, alongside this series, is a great success from Scholastic and its two artists. A valuable educational material alongside an awesome story to read while learning about our world.
27 reviews
April 21, 2014
I loved this book! They are always so creative and Ms. Frizzle is a crazy character that I think younger kids will love. I would use this book with 3-4th grade because it is a fun book, but the content is a little too advanced for the really young ones to understand like blood cells and the chambers of the heart.
The cover of the book shows the bus and the kids going through something in the body which would draw kids in because it seems very unrealistic and like an adventure. There are end pages too that have things on them from different books like a planet from outer space, a toucan, and a cloud for weather. The pictures in this book are great because they are so detailed. They are two page spreads that show what everyone is doing. All of the kids express their personalities through their thoughts, Ms. Frizzle explains things, and it really illustrates what parts of the body they are going through. The text in this book is fun to read because all the characters talk. This is a book that could be read aloud but I think kids need to read it on their own too to be able to get the full effect of the illustrations because it is so detailed. It also has science information on some of the sides.
I liked that in the back of this book it had questions relating to what they should have just learned from the book and on the next page they can check to see if their answers were correct.
I think these books are also fun to do because you can enhance the learning with a video since the magic school bus was made into a cartoon series. I always enjoyed these books and learned more from them than I realized. The information is presented in a fun way that makes it feel like you arent even learning, just reading a good story!
13 reviews
November 16, 2021
This book is about Ms. frizzle's class accidently gets swallowed by Arnolds, a student, and the rest of the class go through Arnold's body and learn about the human body. They see and learn about the stomach, intestines, the bloodstream and everything about the body. The whole class doesn’t know that they are in Arnold's body so they all are upset he is not there to see it all. They get lost and don’t know how to escape, they think really hard and go through the respiratory system and escape through Arnold’s nose.
This book is a hardcover matte finished squared graphic novel. The illustrations look more realistic than a normal book. The cover is super colorful and detailed, it's an illustration of the school bus and all the students and Ms. Frizzle inside Arnold’s body. The title is in a funky font and is super colorful and eye catching. Each page the text is somewhere different, the text location was not consistent. There was dialog and even an interactive book with most of the narration and text in text bubbles as if the characters were saying it. The font stayed consistent except for the narration bubbles with the characters. The inside of the body was detailed and colorful also. I really liked and enjoyed this book because it brought back memories of when I would read this book and watch the episodes in class when I was younger. I think these books are super beneficial for young children because they are entertaining and educational which is the ideal type of book when kids are learning. I do really enjoy graphic novels because they bring more interactiveness to the story and can make them more kid friendly and can be the reason why young kids will read.
Profile Image for Shana Weber.
33 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2020
The Magic Schoolbus is a fun-filled series of books that are both educational and captivating, and students of all ages will love. Miss Frizzle is a strange teacher, and when students find out they are learning about "Inside the Human Body", it's nothing like they thought it would be. When the students find out they are going on a field trip to learn about cells, they instead take a field trip into one of their classmate's body. Throughout their field trip, the students begin to realize they are actually inside a body going through the esophagus, stomach, and intestine, learning about each part of the body. They learn about digestion, red blood cells, the lungs, the brain and so much more! The students make their way out of Arnold's body, without actually knowing they were inside of him, now knowing so much more information about the inside of a human body. I absolutely adore the Magic Schoolbus books, which are very educational both within the text and the illustrations. To this day I remember reading these books in school, which taught me so many things scientific things like in this book. Students are sure to love this book and they will be wishing they had a teacher like Miss Frizzle to take them on some super cool field trips.
Profile Image for Steven.
12 reviews3 followers
May 2, 2012
Like many this is an American book, but unlike lots of others it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Far beyond the differences between English and American children this book opens up a plethora of learning opportunities for primary school aged children.

The book immediately draws you in with beautiful imagery and well designed characterisation, using both good language and comedy appropriate to primary aged children.

The story follows a class who have a magical teacher, she manages to shrink their school bus and instead of going on the planned trip they end up inside the body of one of the children in the class.

This idea allows children to enjoy reading and learn all about the human body in a very simple, fun and accessible way. The fantastic illustrations not only support the story but add to in to end.

A fantastic book, well done Joanna Cole I really love your books.
27 reviews
January 23, 2015
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body is a children's book. A class of elementary students is on a field trip when they stop for lunch.Their bus shrinks down and they are swallowed, so they get a real look at the inside of the human body. The students experience what happens inside of people during digestion. Ms. Frizzle's class is never a normal one. The book is a good way for younger kids to learn science in a fun way.

Ms. Frizzle is the teacher in The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body. She is not your typical teacher who students think is lame and boring. Ms. Frizzle is a fun, sometimes crazy person. She is very enthusiastic about science.
I recommend this book to boys and girls in elementary school. I think kindergarten to third graders would be best, but other age groups may enjoy it as well. I gave this book three stars, because it is an entertaining read.
16 reviews
November 6, 2016
It is part of the Magic School Bus series. Check out my review on Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth to find out more about the series. In this one, Ms Frizzle shrinks the school bus and goes inside Arnold's body. They learn how the human digestive system, nervous system, circulatory system and how muscles work.
I liked it because it was funny that Arnold could feel them inside his body. I learned about the human body, it is educational and funny.
Profile Image for Sean Harding.
5,756 reviews35 followers
January 17, 2021
Book three of the Magic School Bus series and this one takes us into the human body, once again turning education into something which entertains as well and teaching.
A very well done books giving quite a lot of detail about the human body in this short book.
548 reviews
March 25, 2021
Magic School Bus grabs the attention of little minds. This was a fun read that was not only entertaining, but filled with great facts about the human body. Worked out well with our Human Body study this year.
Profile Image for Catherine.
56 reviews
September 30, 2007
THIS BOOK WAS ALSO GOOD AND IT WAS ADVENTUREST AND IT TEACHES YOU THINGS!!!!
40 reviews
April 22, 2021
These books are great and I would have them in my classroom because then I could show the show as well and it would be fun.
41 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2021
The Magic School Bus books have always been a hit and still are. They teach children valuable lessons in a fun and imaginative way. I highly recommend them!
7 reviews
December 3, 2024
It's a fascinating tale about Ms. Frizzle and her class going on a field trip inside a person after their magical school bus shrinks and Arnold is eaten by it by accident. The story talks about their interesting trip through the brain, the gut system, and the circulation system. It also gives glimpses into how these organs work. The thing I liked most about the book was how well it combined science, adventure, and humor. It makes even hard ideas fun and easy to understand for kid. The main ideas of the book were being interested in nature and how body functions are linked to each other. The theme of interest is clear in the way that Ms. Frizzle and her students are excited about every finding and see every moment as a chance to learn. Different organs, like the heart pumping blood and the stomach breaking down food, work together to keep the body running. This stresses the idea of connectivity. These themes make people think about how complicated and amazing the human body is.
This book is mostly informational with a fun twist.
Reading this book could help kids understand how the body's main parts and processes work and how important it is to take care of their health. For example, it uses fun language to explain digestion and encourages people to eat well. It also teaches the basics of biology in a way that is fun to look at and fun to play with. I thought this book was amazing because it was so fun to read that I didn't even notice how much science I was taking in. It is clever how the story is both fun and educational at the same time.

Dialogue and telling stories with pictures were two of the writing techniques that the author used in this book. These writing techniques improved the quality of the work by making the information easier to understand and more interesting. The students' conversations with Ms. Frizzle are funny and interesting, which helps the kids feel like they are a part of what they are learning. Some of the things that Arnold does and the questions the students ask are like things that real kids would think, which makes the content important. Storytelling through pictures is very important, and detailed pictures make the journey come to life. The pictures not only help you understand the science better, but they also make the story more interesting. For example, seeing the class move through blood veins makes the circulation system exciting and real. I think this book is anti-bias because it celebrates the fun of learning and supports including everyone in science classes. Science is for all, as shown by the wide range of kids in Ms. Frizzle's class who come from different backgrounds. The book encourages readers to be interested and work together. It additionally sets down boundaries so that learning is fun and easy for everyone.
30 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2018
Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole is part of the series, The Magic School Bus. It all starts when the students begin learning about the human body in Ms. Frizzle's class. They knew that something was about to happen, their teacher was a strange one. The kids are apprehensive and sure enough, they begin 'experiments on their bodies the next day' and are soon told they are going to take a field trip! Little do they know that they are about to make their way through an actual human body! As the field trip takes an unexpected turn, the students dive deep into their friend Arnold's body and travel through his digestive system, his heart, etc. What better way to get some hands on knowledge!

I absolutely loved this book. I grew up watching the Magic School Bus shows but I had no idea that there were book as well! The books were FILLED with gorgeous, bright illustrations that was incredibly appealing. The sides of the pages were full with information about the body and notes and scribbles that gave the reader more insight as to the human systems and how they work. So not only are kids thoroughly enjoying this crazy story of a class taking a field trip inside their friends body, they're also learning alot! I would suggest this book to second graders and up because even if they might not comprehend ALL of the science aspects of the book, they should still be able to read and enjoy and/or can be read the book by an adult who can understand some concepts better. All in all, a great book!
8 reviews
December 8, 2025
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to shrink down and travel inside your own body?

This Informational book follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as they travel throughout the human body in the magic school bus. They go through the digestive system, bloodstream and all other parts of the body as Ms. Frizzle teaches the class about humans and how certain things work.

The major theme throughout this book would have to be learning but then I could also say curiosity but they kind of play hand in hand together. As it shows how the class discovers the body piece by piece in a fun and engaging way.

Children reading this book can learn how different organs function and how important it is to take care of their bodies. And tell their parents something about the human body that they might not know. They can also learn about science and how that plays a role in the body and how it functions.

The two literary devices the author used were personification and visual imagery. Personification was used mainly on the bus itself as it moves not like a bus it stretches, bends and there’s even some facial reactions on the bus also. Visual imagery is seen throughout the book as the author describes what the class sees inside the body, and the illustrations bring those descriptions to life

I would say this book is anti-bias as it supports all children by making science available and encouraging the reader to stay curious.
636 reviews2 followers
January 24, 2019
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body / by Joanne Cole; illustrated by Bruce Degen-- New York: Scholastic, c1989 (Magic School Bus #3) Rating 3 stars

The adventures of Ms Frizzell and her Magic School Bus quickly became favorites in the world of children's literature. And here we are 30 years later and kids still love them.

This title tells the story of how bodies get energy from food as the kids on the school bus shrink to microscopic size and enter Arnold's body through his mouth, down the esophagus, and through many other parts of the body until they exit through the nose with a sneeze.

A fun science book shown through first hand experiences - great for all ages especially reluctant readers. And who can resist the charming Ms Frizzell and her school topic coordinated wardrobe. (Some of the outfits may give prediction to other past and future stories.)

The book has three stortlines: 1) the standard text like a regular story, 2) story through pictures and dialogue balloons, and 3) school reports in the margins. I read the book through three times focusing on each separate storyline.

I actually learned something about the human body I didn't know -- I thought blood entered the heart once but it enters it twice -- blood goes into right side of heart and then to the lungs to get oxygen before coming back to left side of the heart and then to the brain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews

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