The Magic Tree House is a series of children's books written by American author Mary Pope Osborne.
The series consists of two groups. The first group consists of books 1-28, in which Morgan Le Fay sends Jack and Annie, two normal children from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, on numerous adventures and missions with a magical tree house in order to help free Morgan from a spell, solve four ancient riddles to become Master Librarians, and save four ancient stories from being lost forever. The second group, referred to as the Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions," begins with book 29, Christmas in Camelot. In the Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie have quests from the ancient wizard Merlin the Magician. These books are longer than the previous 28, and some take place in fantasy realms like Camelot. Kathleen and Teddy are two apprentices who befriend Jack and Annie during their adventures, with one of these adventures being to free Teddy from a spell. The two occasionally join Jack and Annie, and when they don't, provide them support instead.
The 52nd book in the fiction series, Soccer on Sunday, was published in May 2014, along with the 29th nonfiction companion book, Soccer. The companion "Magic Tree House Fact Trackers" are co-written by Mary Pope Osborne with her husband Will Osborne or her sister Natalie Pope Boyce. They provide nonfiction background for several of the topics explored in the stories.[1] The first two Fact Checkers were published in August 2000 as companions for the first two stories, then 7 to 8 years old. In 2008 story #39, Dark Day in the Deep Sea and its fact tracker #17, Sea Monsters were the first story and fact tracker to be published simultaneously; simultaneous production has been common since.
The animated film Magic Tree House (マジック・ツリーハウス?), produced by Media Factory, premiered in Japan in October 2011[2] and was generally released there on January 7, 2012.[3]
List of Fiction Books[]
| # | Title | Published | Type | Plot Summary/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinosaurs Before Dark(UK Title:Valley of the Dinosaurs) | July 28, 1992 | In the mystery of the Tree house #1 | Jack and Annie discover the tree house and, using the magical books there, they travel back to the late Cretaceous period (65 million years ago) where they meet a Pteranodon that saves them from a Tyranosaurus Rex. Jack finds a gold medallion with the letter "M" on it. Companion book: #1, Dinosaurs. |
| 2 | The Knight at Dawn (UK title: Castle of Mystery) | February 16, 1993 | In the mystery of the Tree house #2 | In England during the Middle Ages, Jack and Annie explore a castle and meet a brave knight. Companion book: #2, Knights and Castles. |
| 3 | Mummies in the Morning (UK title:Secret of the Pyramid) | August 24, 1993 | In the mystery of the Tree house #3 | In Ancient Egypt, Jack and Annie help Queen Hutepi find her missing Book of the Dead. Companion book: #3, Mummies and Pyramids. |
| 4 | Pirates Past Noon (UK title: Pirates' Treasure!) | March 8, 1994 | In the mystery of the Tree house #4 | Jack and Annie encounter some pirates in the Caribbean Sea and meet Morgan le Fay, who turns out to be the mysterious "M". Companion book: #4, Pirates. |
| 5 | Night of the Ninjas | March 21, 1995 | In the mystery of the Magic spell #1 | Morgan le Fay is under a spell. Jack and Annie must find four magical objects to reverse the spell, with the help of a mouse named Peanut. In ancient Japan, Jack and Annie encounter ninjas and samurai and get amoonstone. Companion book: #30, Ninjas and Samurai. |
| 6 | Afternoon on the Amazon (UK title:Adventure on the Amazon) | August 29, 1995 | In the mystery of the Magic spell #2 | Jack and Annie search the Amazon rainforest for a second magical object for Morgan le Fay, which turns out to be a mango. Companion book: #5, Rain Forests. |
| 7 | Sunset of the Sabertooth (UK title:Mammoth to the Rescue) | April 14, 1996 | In the mystery of the Magic spell #3 | In the last Ice Age, Jack and Annie encounter Cro-Magnons, wooly mammoths, and a saber-toothed catwhile looking for the third object to help Morgan - a mammoth bone flute. Companion book: #12, Sabertooths and the Ice Age. |
| 8 | Midnight on the Moon (UK title: Moon Mission) | October 29, 1996 | In the mystery of the Magic spell #4 | Thirty-five years into their future (2031), Jack and Annie travel to the moon to look for the fourth object needed to help Morgan le Fay. Companion book: #6, Space. |
| 9 | Dolphins at Daybreak (UK title:Diving with Dolphins) | April 29, 1997 | In the mystery of the Ancient riddles #1 in | Set in the Pacific Ocean with bottlenose dolphins. Companion book: #9, Dolphins and Sharks. |
| 10 | Ghost Town at Sundown (UK title: A Wild West Ride) | September 16, 1997 | In the mystery of the Ancient riddles #2 | Set in the American Wild West, where Jack and Annie meet a cowboy named Slim. |
| 11 | Lions at Lunchtime (UK title:Lions on the Loose) | February 12, 1998 | In the mystery of the Ancient riddles #3 | Jack and Annie are on a mission on the African Savannah. |
| 12 | Polar Bears Past Bedtime (UK title: Icy Escape) | April 24, 1998 | In the mystery of the Ancient riddles #4 | Set in the North Pole, Jack and Annie meet an Inuit. Companion book: #16, Polar Bears and the Arctic. |
| 13 | Vacation Under The Volcano (UK title: Racing with Gladiators) | June 20, 1998 | In the mystery of the Lost stories #1 | Jack and Annie travel to Pompeii on the eve of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Companion book: #14: Ancient Rome and Pompeii. |
| 14 | Day of the Dragon King (UK title:Palace of the Dragon King) | August 11, 1998 | In the mystery of the Lost stories #2 | Jack and Annie travel to China as it was 2,000 years in their past. The Dragon King is also known asEmperor Qin. Companion book: #31, China: Land of the Emperor's Great Wall. |
| 15 | Viking Ships at Sunrise (UK title:Voyage of the Vikings) | October 20, 1998 | In the mystery of the Lost stories #3 | In medieval Ireland, Jack and Annie encounter Vikings. |
| 16 | Hour of the Olympics (UK title: Olympic Challenge!) | December 17, 1998 | In the mystery of the Lost stories #4 | Jack and Annie travel to Ancient Greece and see the first Olympic games. Companion book: #10, Ancient Greece and the Olympics. |
| 17 | Tonight on the Titanic | March 23, 1999 | In the mystery of the Enchanted dog arc #1 | Jack and Annie travel back to 1912 and are on the RMS Titanic during her fateful voyage. In this arc the two are assisted by a dog named Teddy that they must find gifts to free. Companion book: #7, Titanic. |
| 18 | Buffalo Before Breakfast | May 18, 1999 | In the mystery of the Enchanted dog arc #2 | In the American Old West, Jack and Annie encounter a Lakota boy on the Great Plains. |
| 19 | Tigers at Twilight | August 17, 1999 | In the mystery of the Enchanted dog arc #3 | Jack and Annie explore the Indian jungles of the past. |
| 20 | Dingoes at Dinnertime | March 14, 2000 | In the mystery of the Enchanted dog arc #4 | Set in ancient Australia. Jack and Annie receive the final gift and return home where Morgan removes the spell on the dog who is revealed to be a boy named Teddy who is a young magician who trapped himself under a spell. This story introduces the character of Teddy who becomes a friend and ally to Jack and Annie over later stories. |
| 21 | Civil War on Sunday. | May 23, 2000 | In the Morgan's library arc #1 | In the American Civil War, Jack and Annie encounter Clara Barton. |
| 22 | Revolutionary War on Wednesday | September 26, 2000 | In the Morgan's library arc #2 | Jack and Annie cross the Delaware River with George Washington. Companion book: #11, American Revolution. |
| 23 | Twister on Tuesday | March 27, 2001 | In the Morgan's library arc #3 | In the 1870s, Jack and Annie encounter pioneer settlement of the Midwestern prairie. They have to save a teacher and some kids before they are hit by a tornado. Companion book: #8, Twisters and Other Terrible Storms. |
| 24 | Earthquake in the Early Morning | August 24, 2001 | In the Morgan's library arc #4 | In 1906, Jack and Annie experience the San Francisco earthquake. The two are able to use what they find to inspire King Arthur to battle Mordred, although in a later book its shown that he wins without dying in these stories. |
| 25 | Stage Fright on a Summer Night | March 12, 2002 | In the Type of magic arc #1 | In Elizabethan England, Jack and Annie meet William Shakespeare |
| 26 | Good Morning Gorillas | August 23, 2002 | In the Type of magic arc #2 | In the Congo rain forest, Jack and Annie encounter gorillas. |
| 27 | Thanksgiving on Thursday | October 24, 2002 | In the Type of magic arc #3 | In Plymouth in 1621, Jack and Annie share the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians. Companion book: #13, Pilgrims. |
| 28 | High Tide in Hawaii | March 25, 2003 | In the Type of magic arc #4 | Jack and Annie travel to the Hawaii of the past and almost get caught in a tsunami. They also make two friends who share an adventure with them.
Companion book: Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters. |
| 29 | Christmas in Camelot | October 10, 2001 | In the Quest to save Camelot arc #1 | Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference. Eventually Jack and Annie break the spell over Camelot and meet the Knights of the Round Table most notably Sir Lancelot. This is also the first story where Merlin the Magician sends Jack and Annie on an adventure instead of Morgan, having learned of their abilities from Morgan Le Fay. (Note: NOTE- This is the 25th book chronologically, due to the main storyline built upon the end of "Earthquake in the Early Morning".) |
| 30 | Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve | June 18, 2003 | In the Quest to save Camelot arc #2 | Jack, Annie, and Teddy must restore order to a duke's castle, on the outer realm of Camelot, for Merlin. Jack and Annie reunite with Teddy from the Enchanted Dog arc who becomes a recurring character in the rest of the books. It is also the first book where Jack and Annie perform their own magic. Jack and Annie are able to use the power of a magic hazel twig to transform themselves back to humans from ravens and Jack is able to tap into its power to defeat the Evil Raven King by turning him into a baby raven. This new ability of theirs is likely foreshadowing of later books when they start to make magic of their own. |
| 31 | Summer of the Sea Serpent | March 9, 2004 | In the Quest to save Camelot arc #3 | Jack and Annie must retrieve the Sword of Light for Merlin for all the good of Camelot. Jack and Annie meet Kathleen who, along with Teddy, becomes a recurring character in the books, acting as their sidekick and a possible love interest for Jack. In this book Jack and Annie retrieve the Sword of Light and earn the right to wield it, learning later that the sword is in fact Excalibur and they retrieved it from Camelot's past so King Arthur can one day get it. Companion book: "Sea Monsters" |
| 32 | Winter of the Ice Wizard | September 28, 2004 | In the Quest to save Camelot arc #4 | Jack and Annie must go on a mission for the evil Ice Wizard, which is retrieving one of his eyes, in order to free Merlin and Morgan. |
| 33 | Carnival at Candlelight | March 8, 2005 | In the Using magic wisely arc #1 | Jack and Annie must go and save Venice, Italy from a flood disaster, but Merlin's instructions are confusing. The next four books are part of an arc where Jack and Annie complete missions to prove to Merlin that they can use magic wisely. |
| 34 | Season of the Sandstorms | June 26, 2005 | In the Using magic wisely arc #2 | Jack and Annie must help the caliph of ancient Baghdad spread wisdom to the world. |
| 35 | Night of the New Magicians | March 14, 2006 | In the Using magic wisely arc #3 | Jack and Annie travel to the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 in the Magic Tree House. They have to save four new magicians (Alexander Graham Bell, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, and Gustave Eiffel), before an evil sorcerer kidnaps them and steals the secrets of their magic. As it turns out, there is no evil sorcerer and the only one that shows up is Merlin himself who had wanted Jack and Annie to meet the four. |
| 36 | Blizzard of the Blue Moon | September 26, 2006 | In the Using magic wisely arc #4 | Jack and Annie travel in the Magic Tree House to the New York City of the Great Depression in 1938. They must help a unicorn under a spell. However, two evil sorcerers in training, Balor and Grinda, are up to the same challenge. In this book, Jack and Annie are given the power to make magic on their own via a magic wand. |
| 37 | Dragon of the Red Dawn | February 27, 2007 | In the Happiness arc #1 | Jack and Annie travel back in the Magic Tree House to feudal Japan to find the first of four secrets of happiness for Merlin the magician because Morgan has noticed that he does not feel well, does not eat or sleep, and is tired. To do this, they must spend the day with famous Japanese haiku poet Matsuo Basho. |
| 38 | Monday with a Mad Genius | August 28, 2007 | In the Happiness arc #2 | Jack and Annie travel back in the Magic Tree House to Florence, Italy, to find the second of four secrets of happiness. To do this, they must help Leonardo da Vinci all day, "morning, noon, and afternoon, till the night bird sings its song." Companion book: "Leonardo da Vinci" |
| 39 | Dark Day in the Deep Sea | March 25, 2008 | In the Happiness arc #3 | The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie to a deserted island, in the 1870s, looking for another secret of happiness. They get rescued by scientists on the HMS Challenger (1858), in the Atlantic Ocean, and end up helping the scientists, who are looking for a sea monster. Will they be able to help the scientist and find the secret of happiness? This book is 144 pages long, making it the longest book in the series. |
| 40 | Eve of the Emperor Penguin | September 23, 2008 | In the Happiness arc #4 | Jack and Annie go to Antarctica to try to find their last secret of happiness, but they only find penguins. Only the penguins have the answer to this question. This is the only book where it is specifically stated that Jack and Annie did not travel through time. They also use the wand to make magic twice: once to find the penguins and a second time to teleport to Mount Erebus, the only time they use its power twice. |
| 41 | Moonlight on the Magic Flute | March 10, 2009 | In the Inspiring arc #1 | Jack and Annie head to 18th-century Austria, where they must find and help a musician by the name ofMozart. Decked out in the craziest outfits they’ve ever worn—including a wig for Jack and a giant hoopskirtfor Annie, the two siblings search an entire palace to no avail. Their hunt is further hampered by the appearance of a mischievous little boy who is determined to follow them everywhere. But when the boy lets the animals out of the palace zoo, Jack and Annie have to use the only magic at their disposal to save themselves and the naughty little boy. The party is in the Summer Palace at five o'clock in the evening on October 13, 1762. When Jack and Annie use their magic flute (In Inspiring #1, 2, 3, and 4, the Wand ofDianthus changes into instruments.) Mozart makes a song called The Magic Flute. |
| 42 | A Good Night for Ghosts | July 28, 2009 | In the Inspiring arc #2 | Jack and Annie are on their second mission to find—and inspire—artists to bring happiness to millions. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, as well as discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong. Companion book: "Ghosts" |
| 43 | Leprechaun in Late Winter | January 12, 2010 | In the Inspiring arc #3 | The kids meet a leprechaun girl in their third mission to put "artists" on the right path. The leprechaun girl grows up to be Lady Gregory, a famous legendteller of the Irish lore. Can the kids save Gregory and put the third artist on the right path? This is the first time that something that one of the kids has written has been used to travel through time: the kids time travel by wishing using Jack's notes on where they are traveling to. They travel to 1862 to go to Ireland. Companion book: "Leprechauns and Irish Folklore" |
| 44 | A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time | September 14, 2010 | In the Inspiring arc #4 | The kids are whisked back to Victorian England to help famed author Charles Dickens. The kids know Charles had everything he wants. Will the kids find the thing Charles wants? The kids are thrown in jail, only to be saved by Charles Dickens! To find Charles' secret, they will need help from three ghosts and get to know Charles very, very, well. Companion book: "Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens" |
| 45 | A Crazy Day with Cobras | January 11, 2011 | In the Penny's spell arc #1 | When Penny, Merlin's beloved penguin (from Eve of the Emperor Penguin), is accidentally turned to stone by Teddy, the kids must travel to an Indian desert and find an ingredient to a spell before Merlin comes back. Jack and Annie have to escape a swarm of king cobras and meet the infamous All-Power Great Mogul. To start their quest, Jack and Annie must find an emerald rose to find the first piece of breaking Penny's spell. Companion book: #23, Snakes and Other Reptiles. |
| 46 | Dogs in the Dead of Night | August 9, 2011 | In the Penny's spell arc #2 | Jack and his sister Annie travel to Swiss Alps to get the second magical object to break the spell on the beloved baby penguin, Penny. They face a dog rescue and many other adventures. Companion book: #24,Dog Heroes. |
| 47 | Abe Lincoln At Last! | December 27, 2011 | In the Penny's spell arc #3 | Jack and Annie travel to the time of the Civil War, and they must help a friend of Abe's in order to find the third gift for breaking Penny's spell. The friend is an orphan named Sam. It's a race against time as Jack and Annie try to decide what is right. Companion book: #25, Abraham Lincoln. |
| 48 | A Perfect Time For Pandas | July 24, 2012 | In the Penny's spell arc #4 | Jack and Annie visit China during the Great Sichuan Earthquake of 2008. Companion book: #26, Pandas and Other Endangered Species. |
| 49 | Stallion by Starlight | March 26, 2013 | In the Greatness arc #1 | Jack and Annie go back to Ancient Macedonia and an adventure with Alexander the Great when he was a child and his famous stallion: Bucephalus. Companion book: #27, Horse Heroes. |
| 50 | Hurry Up Houdini![4] | August 23, 2013 | In the Greatness arc #2 | Jack and Annie meet magician Harry Houdini. |
| 51 | High Time for Heroes[5] | January 7, 2014 | In the Greatness arc #3 | Jack and Annie meet Florence Nightingale in Egypt. Companion book: #28, Heroes for All Times. |
| 52 | Soccer on Sunday[6] | May 27, 2014 | In the Greatness arc #4 | Jack and Annie travel to a soccer field in Mexico. Companion book: #29, Soccer. |
List of Non-Fiction Companion Books[]
The Magic Tree House Fact Trackers (formerly called Magic Tree House Research Guides) are non-fiction companions to the fiction books, written by Mary Pope Osborne, Will Osborne, and Natalie Pope Boyce. They were first released in 2000 by Scholastic and Random House. They provide more in-depth follow-up information on the topics in the series than already covered. As of May 2014, 29 have been published, and 2 more have been announced.
| No. | Title | Companion To: | Date Published: | Notes: | 01 | Dinosaurs | Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark | August 1, 2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Knights and Castles | Magic Tree House #2: The Knight at Dawn | August 1, 2000 | ||||||
| 03 | Mummies and Pyramids | Magic Tree House #3: Mummies in the Morning | February 27, 2001 | ||||||
| 04 | Pirates | Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon | May 22, 2001 | ||||||
| 05 | Rain Forests | Magic Tree House #6: Afternoon on the Amazon | September 25, 2001 | ||||||
| 06 | Space | Magic Tree House #8: Midnight on the Moon | February 26, 2002 | ||||||
| 07 | Titanic | Magic Tree House #17: Tonight on the Titanic | August 27, 2002 | ||||||
| 08 | Twisters and Other Terrible Storms | Magic Tree House #23: Twister on Tuesday | February 5, 2003 | ||||||
| 09 | Dolphins and Sharks | Magic Tree House #9: Dolphins at Daybreak | June 4, 2003 | ||||||
| 10 | Ancient Greece and the Olympics | Magic Tree House #16: Hour of the Olympics | June 1, 2004 | ||||||
| 11 | American Revolution | Magic Tree House #22: Revolutionary War on Wednesday | September 14, 2004 | ||||||
| 12 | Sabertooths and the Ice Age | Magic Tree House #7: Sunset of the Sabertooth | February 1, 2005 | ||||||
| 13 | Pilgrims | Magic Tree House #27: Thanksgiving on Thursday | September 1, 2005 | ||||||
| 14 | Ancient Rome and Pompeii | Magic Tree House #13: Vacation Under a Volcano | April 25, 2006 | ||||||
| 15 | Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters | Magic Tree House #28: High Tide in Hawaii | February 27, 2007 | ||||||
| 16 | Polar Bears and the Arctic | Magic Tree House #12: Polar Bears Past Bedtime | September 25, 2007 | ||||||
| 17 | Sea Monsters | Magic Tree House #39: Dark Day in the Deep Sea | March 25, 2008 | ||||||
| 18 | Penguins and Antarctica | Magic Tree House #40: Eve of the Emperor Penguin | September 23, 2008 | ||||||
| 19 | Leonardo da Vinci | Magic Tree House #38: Monday with a Mad Genius | January 13, 2009 | ||||||
| 20 | Ghosts | Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts | July 28, 2009 | ||||||
| 21 | Leprechauns and Irish Folklore | Magic Tree House #43: Leprechaun in Late Winter | January 12, 2010 | ||||||
| 22 | Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens | Magic Tree House #44: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time | September 14, 2010 | ||||||
| 23 | Snakes and Other Reptiles | Magic Tree House #45: A Crazy Day with Cobras | January 11, 2011 | ||||||
| 24 | Dog Heroes | Magic Tree House #46: Dogs in the Dead of Night | August 9, 2011 | ||||||
| 25 | Abraham Lincoln | Magic Tree House #47: Abe Lincoln At Last | December 27, 2011 | ||||||
| 26 | Pandas and Other Endangered Species | Magic Tree House #48: A Perfect Time For Pandas | July 24, 2012 | ||||||
| 27 | Horse Heroes[7] | Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight | March 26, 2013 | ||||||
| 28 | Heroes for All Times[8] | Magic Tree House #51: High Time for Heroes | January 7, 2014 | ||||||
| 29 | Soccer[9] | Magic Tree House #52: Soccer on Sunday | May 27, 2014 | ||||||
| 30 | Ninjas and Samurai [10] | Magic Tree House #5: Night of the Ninjas | September 23, 2014 | ||||||
| 31 | China: Land of the Emperor's Great Wall (announced) [11] | Magic Tree House #14: Day of the Dragon King | December 23, 2014 |
Super Editions[]
On January 6, 2015, the first Magic Tree House Super Edition will be released.[12] The super editions are longer than the original Magic Tree House books and the Magic Tree House Merlin Missions.