I agree with the other customer reviewers: something about this series of books appeals enough to 2nd grade readers that they will read them on their own -- and ask for more. I read one of the books to make sure it was suitable for my son and I found it remarkably lacking in substance -- I'm grateful I don't have to read them aloud! My 7-year-old son reads a Tree House book in one or two sittings and he doesn't balk when I ask him to read aloud to his 3-year-old brother. Now the 3-year-old is crazy for them, too, and carries the books around and quotes passages from them. All I can say is: I wish I had stumbled on this Osborne chick's gold mine first.

As a grandparent I am responsible for the education of five of my grandchildren and provide advice on the education of other children. One of my granddaughters managed to make it to third grade in the Huntsville school system without knowing how to read or knowing the alphabet. ( This is how I originally got involved.) She had straight As. There is nothing wrong with her except being cute and lively. Her teachers let her do whatever she wanted because she was so cute and sweet. I have spent from the third grade to the sixth grade trying to teach her to read using every technique under the sun. Nothing worked including hooked on phonics. Then I stumbled on the Magic Tree House series when she entered sixth grade. I started with book one and we have read about eight of the books. Yes, there is some repetition of Jack said Annie said. But she enjoyed the stories and stuck with it. We started in September and now she is bringing home sixth grade books and successfully reading them with a little help. Before she could not read three words in a row. She is now able to read her social studies book and her science book. The Magic Tree House series helps children make it over what appears to be a stumbling block for many: the transition from reading very simple kindergarden and first grade books to reading actual books with plots and real stories. Parents who are having problems in this department could do much worse than look to the Magic Tree House series.

Yeah! A series of books that will captivate all of my children from the youngest (age 6) to the oldest (age 12), so we can still enjoy our bedtime "group read." And even better - one that I enjoy reading to them! Oh, and it gets even better - the books even teach about different times and places in history! (I have to add a recommendation for you of my favorite new parenting book: Perfect Parenting: The Dictionary of 1000 Parenting Tips - very helpful!)

I am a fourth grade teacher and I have just completed this book. Tonight on the Titanic not only uses fantasy (treehouse going to another time) but throws a little history in with it (historical fantasy). I can't wait to begin my unit on famous ships and shipwrecks. Mary Pope Osborne also captures an element of suspense that children will love. Even I was worried that Jack and Annie would become trapped on the Titanic and never return home! This book will promote not only reading but encourage history as well. My advice to any primary educator is to become familiar with the Magic Tree House Series and use it in your daily curriculum!

I was delighted reading this book because even though it was about history it amused me. It had a lot of details about the Titanic. For example it sunk at 2:20. I recommend this book if your looking for simple reading.
Jack and Annie have to help people from the past. When you read this book you feel like you're in their journey on the Titanic. I even thought they were going to get stuck on a sinking ship. It's amazing how a book can frighten me. I can't wait to read the other books in this series!

Tonight on the Titanic is a good book if you like on the edge of your seat books.I know that it kept me on the edge of my seat!Jack takes a lot of notes and that is a good trait to have.Annie is very adventurous and risk-taking.Tonight on the Titanic is a fact-filled,yet fantasy book.This book is very fact-packed book.I love this book because I love the movie about the Titanic about the Titanic.It's just like the book,Tonight on the Titanic.This book is going to be my favorite book forever!William and Lucy are good people because they were nice and gaveAnnie and Jack the wacth.They listened to Jack and Annie about the Titanic,not like the men who were playing cards.The people that built the ship said the ship was unsinkable,but it wasn't.I think it's a good idea to put lifeboats that can fits EVERYBODY on the ship into them.I recomened kids ages 7-11 to read the whole series of the Magic Tree House books.

I've now read 21 Magic Tree House books to my son, and he truly has enjoyed them all. In this series, the author employs a creative time travel portal - siblings Jack and Annie visit exotic times and places through the books they discover in Morgan le Fay's enchanted tree-top bookmobile. My son particularly enjoyed following Jack and Annie on their adventures in Pompeii (featuring Hercules), outer space, under water, and the Wild West (where he learned the song Red River Valley). He's reveled at accompanying Jack and Annie when they've met pirates, ninjas, knights, mummies, and Eskimoes. Conversely, as a parent that frequently reads children's books aloud, I've often been disappointed with the books' repetition, limited vocabulary, and uninspired plot development. Fortunately, that was not the case with Mary Pope Osborne's most recent tree house installment, Civil War on Sunday. Like her other books, Osborne offers young readers an intriguing view of a complex subject, in this case the Civil War. She also introduces Clara Barton and provides some insight into the birth of the Red Cross. As is often the case, Jack and Annie learn a difficult lesson in compassion. But the Civil War on Sunday goes deeper. Rather than serving as mere interlopers in significant chains of events, here, for the first time, Osborne actually makes Jack and Annie relevant to the thread of history. (Sorry, but I can't explain how without spoiling the story.) This minor adaptation goes a long way, particularly towards keeping a young reader's attention through the closing chapter. (Even four-year-olds quickly discern that the concluding chapters in most of these books - once the Tree House returns to Frog Creek - are not very entertaining.) This is Osborne's most complete effort, and I hope she continues her series in this new direction.

"Civil War On Sunday" is where the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to the Civil War, and they become nurses helping a famous nurse, named Clara Barton. The "ambulence" is neat, and meeting John, the drummer boy, and later learning he was Jack and Annie's great-great-great-grandfather was a big surprise to me. What also surprised me is that Mrs. Osborne had more that 20 books. But now that doesn't surprise me since her books are so wonderful! So enjoy reading this.

I bet a lot of people have heard of the Magic Tree House series. Well I really like book #21 Civil War on Sunday. It is about Jack and Annie go back to the Civil War. They help some people and meet some people along the way of helping people.

My favorite part was when Annie and Jack were in the tent with the wounded drummer boy John. What they did for him was very nice. They were nice to cheer him up.

I would recommend this book for K-4. You might need to read it out loud to a kindergartner, first graders could get through it with some help, it is just right for second graders, but for third and fourth grade it might not be much of a challenge.

This book has 21 others in its series. The next book will come out in May of 2001. These great series of books can also help teach many different things. This book was written by Mary Pope Osborne.

Mary Pope Osborne has created a magical tale around her Master Librarians. Jack and Annie must travel back in time to save at least one bamboo book from the emperor's bonfire. The emperor is afraid that books are a threat to his power. During their adventure, Jack and Annie interact with characters from an ancient Chinese legend and observe history as it is happening. Jack describes many authentic Chinese artifacts and habits. These tidbits of Chinese hisory stimulate a desire to learn more about the Chinese culture. This easy-to-read tale will captivate children from ages six through twelve who wish to enjoy a good story and get a small dose of Chinese history.

I like the part when the soldiers shoot arrows at Jack and Annie. I liked it when they wished to go to China. I like each book being different.

It's not often that I find a book that I actually enjoy reading aloud to my children. Most books, even kids books, have long, descriptive passages or paragraph upon paragraph of exposition which are boring to listen to and tough to read aloud without me getting dried out.

However, the Magic Treehouse Books are quick reads that are easy to dramatize. Main characters Jack and Annie have distinct personalities that are fun to give voice to. Jack is the serious scientific type. With his signature "Oh, man!", he is the perfect counterpoint to younger, impetuous sister Annie. ("Hi!")

While it's not necessary to start with the first book of the series (Ms Osborne does a commendable job of filling in the back story in each book w/o slowing down the narration), I recommend starting with book one since there are elements that build in each consecutive book. (Who is the mysterious M?)

The Treehouse books also offer contemporary vocabulary (but not to the point of being ridiculous), cool settings and fun drawings.

But the best thing about these books? Even my oh, so cool ten year old will sit down and listen.

"Indiana Gothic" closely resembles the plot of any number of soap operas or prime time dramas, except this "plot" really happened in early 20th century America. Pope Brock takes a long-held family secret and turns it into a riveting drama of adultery, jealousy, and murder. Young up-and-coming politician Ham Dillon becomes involved with his wife's older and married sister, fathers her child, and ultimately dies for it at the hands of her tortured husband. The ensuing trial of his brother-in-law and its use of the insanity plea only climaxes a local history that never fails to entertain.

Since this story was a closely kept secret in Brock's family, he is forced to create various key conversations between the participants. In fact, Brock's ill-chosen use of rather florid language to capture these dialogues almost turns this book into a novel.

What saves this from becoming just another interesting piece of period fiction is Brock's indepth look into the local politics of small town America at the turn of the century. Fortunately, the trial itself was well-documented, and this adds a ring of authenticity to the book. Brock also obviously researched the myriad aspects of daily life during this time period and he uses this knowledge to ground the events in a realistic environment. Despite Brock's need to "fabricate" significant conversations, this book does eventually succeed as an important piece of local history.

This book was in my favorite section of the library: "True Crime," Dewey Decimal #364.1523. It would make a mighty fine Soap Opera too! Passion and murder in "fin de siecle" Indiana.

As the author explains in his preliminary "Note To The Reader:" " The story you are about to read lay buried in my family for a long time. It concerns the true circumstances of the death of my great-grandfather, Ham [Albert Hamlet] Dillon, and it was kept secret from most of us, his descendants, for nearly eighty years. ... What follows is a true story, reconstructed. No plot points have been jiggered to make it a better tale. However, much of the record is fragmentary, of course - including the courtroom testimony - or missing altogether. Ultimately, the facts formed a line of buoys in a sea of my own imagination." Vii -Viii

It's a vivid voyage, and Brock masterfully reinvigorates folks from 100 years ago. The attempted suicide in the outhouse is particularly poignant (and probably pungent.)

This reviewer won't pre-tell the whole tale-wouldn't it lessen your enjoyment if I did? You'll have to read it yourself to find out what Kellogg's Corn Flakes have to do with any of this! But here's an excerpt from the reconstructed transcript of the murder trial, wherein the Defendant is claiming "temporary insanity." The sad state of "psychiatry" in that era is either laughable, or makes one want to reach for the Prozac.

The Defendant's treating physician is testifying, offering a diagnosis of "Neurasthenia." (Don't go running for your current copy of the DSM - this "illness" is no longer diagnosed.)
"Neurasthenia, what's that?"
"Well," said the doctor, growing expansive, "it's a new sort of disorder that's arisen just in the past decade or two, mostly here in the United States. Actually we ought to be a little proud of how many cases there are, because you might say it's an indicator advanced civilization - caused by the general movement in our society now away from physical labor and toward mental labor. Naturally it's more common in offices than in outdoor work. More common in men than women because men are required to use their brains more." (p. 301)

Earlier, another doctor had told the Hales: "It's not the criminally insane or the hopeless alcoholics or the ones who think they're the King of Siam - who do you think the largest group of mentally disturbed [institutionalized]people is? Farm wives." (p. 166)

Res Ipsa Loquitur. (Also known as: Well, duh! The thing speaks for itself.) Living in those harsh conditions, with so little respect, might make anyone go a little "crazy!"

I wish there were pictures of the major players. There is no description of the cover photo. I presume that the gentleman is Ham. But is the woman Allie or Maggie?

If tales of murder and mystery are your thing, or if you're into historical novels that transport you to another era, you'll LOVE this book. But more important, even if you're not interested in works of that ilk, you'll STILL love this book-- simply because it's so beautifully written. As so many others at this site have commented, it's a real page turner ... and who can't resist that? And the "story" is made even more engrossing because Brock makes it so rich in detail. I have also read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," which is somewhat similar, but found Brock's book to be far more engaging. He is a very gifted writer, so don't miss out on this terrific read! (I actually missed my subway stop once while reading it, as I was so "carried away.")

Loren Pope has been involved in college advising for many years. He is very well informed and a careful researcher, as any reader will see in this book. This guide is the first to really do justice to the many outstanding liberal arts colleges we have in the Midwest. Pope does, however, have some very firm opinions on the purpose and nature of college education. According to Pope, a college is a small community of scholars dedicated to teaching undergraduates -- the liberal arts college ideal. Any other type of higher education -- universities, more vocationally oriented institutions -- gets bashed in this book. Pope also places some limits on the range of colleges he is willing to cover -- no single-sex schools for instance. I often recommend this book to students and parents at the private school where I teach, but always with caveats. It is best used in conjunction with more comprehsive gudies -- Fiske or Insider's, for instance.

This book was a key factor in college selection for our seventh child to attend college. Without it, she would probably be at a top-name university which is best suited for graduate students, and not the community of learning of a small liberal arts school. What's more, she was offered merit scholarships (not need-based) from 7 of 8 of the schools on Pope's list to which she applied. (The so-called "top" universities give very few merit-based scholarships). She is in her second year at the College of Wooster, and I believe that she is happier and receiving a better college experience than she would have at Duke, where she was also accepted. The only drawbacks are that very few have heard of these schools, and the nearly-universal "conventional wisdom" fails to recognize the important truths that Loren Pope's books explain. His book "Looking Beyond the Ivies," was also helpful. This book may turn your college search upside down!

No question about Loren Pope's credentials or about the quality of infomation in this book, but I don't understand the animosity towards Ivy League schools that the book generates. There are plenty of "A" students who would find Harvard an even richer experience than some of the excellent colleges (some the same size as undergraduate Harvard College) that Pope recommends. A student with strong curiosity may well arrive at college-application time--and at college, too--without any clear idea of a major. At an Ivy League college, the number of majors available, because of deep resources, is large. Also, I could not relate to the lack of community and lack of warmth that Pope sees in the Ivy League. I could not help but wonder how much time Pope and some of the critics of the Ivies have actually spent on those campuses--recently. There still exists an unfortunate stereotype, not valid for over 25 years now, that the Ivies are places of privilege, snobbery, and distant professors. There is also a cruel myth that these schools chew up "nice kids," especially from small towns or rural areas, and spit them out.

....

I am suggesting that the We vs. Ivies attitude that Pope and some of his readers are fostering is a disservice to SOME kids, who would get a real bang out of four years at Yale or Dartmouth. The Ivies are not the schools they were 25 years ago; they are even more diverse in student population and potential studies, and they are still characterized by friendly kids and faculty--and world-class facilities. Please do not fall into the traditional ...animosity that might lead you to dismiss them out of hand. Yale might be exactly the dream experience for you or your son or daughter.

This book was an okay book! This book is about these kids named Annie and jack. Jack and Annie go to Egypt and in a pyramid. When they go inside the pyramid, Jack and Annie have to find the book of the dead. Now you will have to read the book to find out about the rest of the book.

In this book there's one girl named Annie and a boy named Jack that are in a tree house.They imagine that they are in Egypt and they end up in Egypt. Then they see a parade of people going to a pyramid .They meet a queen and the queen asks Jack and Annie if they can help her. In the pyramid Jack and Annie have to find a book that the queen lost. I like this book because they go in a pyramid. They see a ghost queen and they get lost. You wonder if they will get out. The author is trying to teach about pyramids in Egypt. You should read it.

I like this book because all I check out in the library is about mummies and I would like to go to Egypt someday. I like this book because two little kids, Jack and Annie, go to a pyramid and find a Queen Mummy. At first they are scared and then they are not. The mummy needs their help to go to the next level of the underworld and they try to solve a puzzle. If you like mummies it's a great book to read!

Peggy Grahame is an orphan who is sent to live with her cranky uncle in his old family estate, Rest-and-be-Thankful. She makes one friend on the trip,a British scholar studying in America. But when she gets to Rest-and-be-Thankful, her Uncle Enos says that her friend, Pat, can never enter the house again. Peggy can't figure out why Pat isn't allowed, and she is lonely without any friends. The plot thickens when ghosts from the Revolutionary War start visiting Peggy. She is visited by four ghosts in all, and each time she is visited she learns a new piece of a complicated history of the house.

It is an awesome book, with a happy ending. It is very well written, and you get really close to the characters. It is a little slow at the beginning, and sometimes the plot lags when you get to Peggy. Peggy's story isn't quite that interesting, but the ghosts's stories are great. Also, when you are reading it, keep in mind that this was written in 1958, so some of the ideas are a little outdated. But overall, this was a very interesting read. The Sherwood Ring is written for kids 9-13, but anyone will enjoy this book and want to add it to their collection.

If your one of those moms looking for a book to give your 10-12 year old, this is the book. I'm 10 and this is definately one of my favorite books of all time. It's basically a story of a young girl who goes off to live with her uncle who is "totally obsessed" with history. Throughout her stay with her uncle, she "encounters" many characters from history, including: Peaceable Sherwood. This book describes a lot of events during the revolutionary war and makes them come to life. Elizabeth Marie Pope is a great author and I can't wait to read her other book.

When orphaned Peggy Grahame goes to live with her Uncle Enos in the old Grahame ancestral home, the past comes alive. The ghosts of her ancestors come and tell her about their lives in the Revolution, while actual current events mirror those of their pasts.

Barbara Grahame, the most frequent ghostly visitor, is an independent and intelligent young woman living in the American Revolution. Her interaction with the extraordinarily clever British officer, Peaceable Sherwood is very enjoyable to read...particularly as Peaceable is nemesis of Barbara's brother, Dick (a young captain fighting for American independence). At the same time, serving to frame the story, Peggy uncovers mysteries of the past, and is led to her own romance with a young man from England.

A very unusual and thoughtful Revolution story with possibly the best ghosts I've ever read about.

I was first attracted to this book because of the title--simple and direct, no flashy titles to make up for lack of content. That was about two years ago. Since, I have read other materials related to the topic as well as Protestant comments about the book. I just read it again and am thankful for the opportunity.( I just had to order another, I gave my first away) The authors--Deacon David Hess, Norman Dahlgren and Scott Butler have done a fine job in presenting the historical truth regarding the Papacy. I have met two of the authors and look forward to more of their work. I recommend reading this book twice, and read some works that try to refute this one between readings. You will soon find how sound this book really is, it is ALL meat.

So you think the Papacy is an institution founded out of the growth of the Church as a state religion, through the urging of the Emperor of Rome, centuries after Christ? You think the Bible refers only to Jesus as the Rock, and not Peter? Do you think Peter was never in Rome as Bishop?

If you think any of these things, get ready for a surprise. This very scholarly work is praised by Catholic and Protestant alike, and is a significant step forward in the understanding of the roots of the Papacy and the foundations of the Christian Faith.

I recommend this book highly, especially to those in the Catholic Church who do not know how to counter false protestant arguments against the Papacy and for serious protestants and others of good will wishing to learn more about the Faith.

This book is well worth the read if you are looking for a cogent explanation on the issue of the Petrine Office, the Papacy.

Butler, Dahlgren & Hess divide their book into two halves. The first half is a comprehensive look at the scriptural support for the papacy and doctrines that devolve from it (i.e., papal infallibility, the role of the Church).

The second half of the book is a sampling of many Early Church Fathers and how they perceived the Petrine Office. In short, it is a quite compelling presentation in that the view of the Early Church Fathers, as presented, is the same view the Church promotes today.

This is the best book that I have found on the issue of the Papacy. If anyone is struggling with the issue of authority in the Church, this is the first book I would recommend not just because of its content but also because it is written in a very easy style.

You won't be disappointed in this book. Buy it now.

... This book is not a malediction .., It is, rather, a rational, well-researched and brilliantly written review of the history of Europe from the end of World War I through World War II. The focus is, of course, on the work of Pope Pius XII, whose actions have been vilified by people who are not in possession of facts.

I believe the Catholic Church has been castigated more in this decade than in any in my lifetime. People who rise up in righteous indignation at criticisms of any segment of society, from gays to Jews to African-Americans, blithely sneer publicly at a faith that has deep meaning to millions around the world. It is, therefore, wonderful to read a book which is not only meticulously researched and end-noted, but is thoroughly readable.

Dr. Rychlak is, indeed, an attorney. Unlike the prose used in most case books, however, his is lucid and easily comprehended. ... the book is not a fanatical attac... Neither is it a defense of a villain, but instead, a rational exploration of the times: the politics, prejudices and irrationality that produced seven years of holocaust, death and destruction of vast areas of Europe.

It is interesting to note that in November 2000 a commission of three Catholic and three Jewish scholars called for the Vatican to open its entire historical archives of the period. The commission has studied 11 volumes of Vatican archive materials.

Commissioner Robert S. Wistrich, a theologian at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said, "This [opening] is something needed for clarity, not in order to pin something on Pius XII." Michael Marrus, a Jewish member of the commission from Toronto, said they were not just being diplomatic. The scholars have no intention of singling out Pius for moral judgment. He said, "I think the history of the Holy See is not much different from the history of any government or any group of officials."

This is clearly an on-going question that will undoubtedly be further clarified in years to come with ongoing research. Making Pius XII out to be a villain will not add any light to the question. Only rational exploration will bring closure...

Ronald J. Rychlak's "Hitler, the War, and the Pope" is a fount of unimpeachable truth. It refutes completely the venomous accusations hurled at the Catholic Church in general, and Pope Pius XII in particular, concerning the Jews. Rychlak's book is sure to infuriate the anti-Catholic media, anti-Catholic "Christians", and all life forms that exist to attack the Church of Christ.

Indeed, unspoken yet real and critical questions are "What about Protestant America?", and "What about Protestant Germany?"

PROTESTANT AMERICA

How can anyone question what the militarily impotent Catholic Church did or did not to stop Hitler's extermination of the Jews, when militarily potent, Protestant America did NOTHING for so long? After all, the facts are unimpeachable, and quite sad:

1. Hitler invaded Poland in August 1939.
2. Two months later, in October 1939, Hitler started rounding up Jews in Poland and sending them to concentration camps.
3. Hitler then proceeded to invade Hungary and other countries, also rounding up the Jews there and sending them to concentration camps.
4. During 1939, 1940, and 1941, Hitler exterminated at least hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of Jews.
5. From October 1939 to December 1941, a span of 2 years and 2 months, during which Hitler was exterminating Jews, AMERICA DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
6. America in fact did not enter the war until December 1941.
7. And, America did NOT enter the war to save or help the Jews.

8. Rather, America entered the war solely because its naval fleet in the Pacific had been SUNK.
9. Thus, America entered the war for reasons having NOTHING to do with the extermination of the Jews that was (and for 2 years and 2 months had been) taking place in Europe.

Given these facts, how can anyone seriously question the actions of a militarily impotent Church without first - or at the same time - questioning the utter inaction of militarily potent America? As Stalin famously said, "How many divisions does the pope have?" None, of course. But, alas, that is irrelevant to the historically ignorant anti-Catholic.

PROTESTANT GERMANY

Likewise, how can anyone seriously question the actions of a Church based outside Germany, with only a minority of faithful in Germany, without first - or at the same time - questioning the actions of the majority Protestants in Germany? Once again, the facts are unimpeachable, and sad:

1. Germany was a PROTESTANT country.
2. Hitler was ELECTED by the German people.
3. In his electoral victory, Hitler received a MAJORITY of the German Protestant vote.
4. Yet, in his electoral victory, Hitler received only a MINORITY of the German Catholic vote.
5. Thus, Hitler came to power courtesy of German PROTESTANTS.

Given these facts, how can anyone seriously question the minority Catholic Church in Germany without first - or at the same time - questioning the majority Protestant churches in Germany? For instance, what did the German Protestant ministers, such as the Lutheran Bishops, know? And, when did they know it? And, what did they do, or not do, to stop the extermination of the Jews?

Clearly, all these "questions" being asked of the Catholic Church and Pius XII concerning the Jews should first be asked of Protestant America and Protestant Germany. This nonsense about the Catholic Church's alleged "silence" or "inaction" is more than just factually meritless. It is utterly hypocritical, and indeed hilariously so were it not so pathetic.

50 years ago 800,000 trees were planted by the Israeli government in honor of Pope Pius XII and the 800,000 Jews he and the Catholic church saved from the evils of Nazism. Holocaust survivors and other Jews of the time were grateful to the Catholic church for its role in saving their lives, as are those who are honest and accept truth rather than fiction. It's only the revisionist history fueled by today's rabid anti-Catholics that perverse the truth. Rychlak's book is an unbiased, intelligent, factual account of the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.