(3) 4-6 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie travel via the magic tree house to 1925 Nome, Alaska, where a diphtheria epidemic threatens the residents. The siblings assist dogsled driver Gunnar Kaasen and his team--including famed husky Balto--in completing the last leg of the historic Great Race of Mercy to deliver much-needed medicine. Fast-paced chapters, plentiful black-and-white illustrations, and the series' signature format make this a successful installment.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This time it's Guinevere, not Merlin, who summons Jack and Annie to Camelot. They must solve a riddle, trick a band of robbers, and find a missing dragon, all to save the gravely wounded King Arthur. Another magical adventure in the popular series, this highly readable and exciting narrative is ably accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Magic Tree House series stars, Jack and Annie, have collected a ton of amazing, weird, and gross facts on their numerous trips, organized here into thirteen categories (e.g., "Birds," "Spectacular Space," "Famous Landmarks") for young readers to explore. The kids appear with their signature notebooks and guiding comments throughout. Short sentences and a jazzy layout with vivid photographs help focus and maintain interest. Ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Time-traveling siblings Annie and Jack are given a surprise mission: go on vacation. They pick Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula, hoping for a peaceful tropical holiday. Instead, they find themselves fending off shark attacks and being groomed to inherit a Mayan kingdom. The series' trademark fast-paced action and cliffhanger chapter endings propel the plot. Murdocca's black-and-white illustrations provide welcome resting places.

Reviewer: Breanna J. MCDaniel

(4) 4-6 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie travel back to 1944 to rescue their friend Kathleen in the French countryside. The siblings find their courage and quick wits are critical when magic isn't available. The text, which is geared toward middle graders, borders on lecture toward the end, but like the chapter books for younger kids, this is a creative mending of magic and history. Detailed back matter provides more information.

Reviewer: Breanna J. MCDaniel

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Siblings Jack and Annie are off on two more time-traveling adventures for Merlin the Magician. They journey to mid-nineteenth-century Egypt in search of Florence Nightingale in High Time and to Coney Island at the turn of the last century in Houdini. The series' formula, which blends magic, adventure, sibling dynamics, and history, is successful in these fiftieth and fifty-first installments. Review covers these Magic Tree House titles: High Time for Heroes and Hurry Up, Houdini!

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Stepping Stone series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie offer tips for surviving the wilderness, disasters, and menacing encounters. Some advice is practical (stay hydrated in extreme heat); some is tongue-in-cheek (if a T. rex visits, "Call the police!"). The variety of design elements (color photos, different colored backgrounds, numbered lists, paper-clipped note cards, illustrations) is lively and engaging. A working compass is embedded in the cover.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Magic Tree House Fact Trackers series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Chatty text describes the popularity, history, rules, and star players of the sport. World Cup information is outdated, but this is more than made up for by the compelling final chapter, "Soccer Changes Lives" (for example, in Sudan, rehab for former child soldiers includes learning the sport). Cartoony illustrations and black-and-white photos are included, as is research guidance. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Siblings Jack and Annie are off on two more time-traveling adventures for Merlin the Magician. They journey to mid-nineteenth-century Egypt in search of Florence Nightingale in High Time and to Coney Island at the turn of the last century in Houdini. The series' formula, which blends magic, adventure, sibling dynamics, and history, is successful in these fiftieth and fifty-first installments. Review covers these Magic Tree House titles: High Time for Heroes and Hurry Up, Houdini!

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This full-color edition of the second book in the popular series includes ten pages reprinted from the companion reference book, Knights and Castles. Color gives the story a fresh, inviting look, and the slight fantasy--in which two siblings time travel to a medieval castle--is accessible if insubstantial fare for newly independent readers.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This companion to Hurry Up, Houdini! gives step-by-step instructions for thirty-five basic magic tricks, including "The Disappearing Paper Clip," "The Missing Coin," and "The Balancing Egg." An introduction provides advice for aspiring magicians such as the importance of practice, the art of misdirection, and use of props. Tips and facts in the margins enrich the presentation; black-and-white illustrations clarify some directions. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. The magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie to China for the last object needed to save Merlin's penguin. They arrive on the day of the Great Sichuan Earthquake in 2008 and help rescue pandas at the devastated panda sanctuary. The setting is interesting and the story moves quickly, but it does require background knowledge of the Merlin Mission installments.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This time-travel fantasy begins in a mysterious treehouse filled with stacks of books. When Jack wishes to see a real Pteranodon after looking at a picture of one, he and his sister travel through time to the prehistoric past. Though formulaic, dialogue, plot, and illustrations will appeal to young readers. This edition features color illustrations and new appended material.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie travel through time to locate a magic feather that will break a spell. During their adventure, the duo uses the feather to give hope to President Lincoln. From sharing their tree house with the Lincoln sons to helping young Abe with his chores, Jack and Annie enlighten readers with their observations of a president and nation on the brink of war.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This time around, sibs Jack and Annie time-travel backward two centuries to the Swiss Alps. The snowy milieu doesn't bode well for their quest to find a rare white and yellow flower to help save Merlin's penguin. Despite stale writing, the series continues to be reliable at making history lessons mildly entertaining. Black-and-white art reinforces the text's straightforwardness.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This go-around, tree house–transported siblings Jack and Annie must remove a spell cast on Merlin's penguin, so they travel back in time to 1600s India in search of an emerald stone. Osborne delivers what she always does: a fast-paced, blandly written adventure that doubles as a history lesson. As usual, Murdocca's serene black-and-white illustrations make the fantastical seem accessible.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Magic Tree House Fact Trackers series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. This readable biography portrays Lincoln as a book lover, an inventor, and a skilled debater. Experienced chapter-book readers will enjoy learning that Lincoln's sons ran wild in the White House while crowds roamed freely in and around the presidential grounds--unimaginable today. Cartoony illustrations and black-and-white photos accompany the text. Lists of museums and DVDs are appended. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(3) K-3 Magic Tree House Research Guide series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie of the popular Magic Tree House series ostensibly narrate this educational but non-essential survey of the main reptile species, with occasional animal-rights-themed asides and interesting sidebar detours (e.g., "Why Are Birds Reptiles?"). Magic Tree House illustrator Murdocca's contributions link this book with the franchise, but the arresting black-and-white photos serve the text better. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. In Victorian England, Charles Dickens's pen is quieted by writer's block; he's also dismayed by the plight of London's child laborers. Jack and Annie use magic to create three ghosts who visit Dickens, let loose his muse, and ultimately influence his next masterpiece. Magic Tree House fans won't be disappointed by this latest installment.

Reviewer: Sarah Novogrodsky

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie must inspire a girl named Augusta living in Galway in the nineteenth century, "a time when it is not easy for girls to explore their creativity." Complicating the task is Augusta's envy; she's desperate to see the Shee (Irish fairies) but isn't able to until the kids inadvertently get her kidnapped by them. The fantastical adventure is entertaining and enlightening.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz