I have a special place in my heart for Mary Pope Osbourne's Magic Tree House series. My younger son was later on the reading curve than other kids, but once his light went on he couldn't get enough. Why? Because we were blessed to have great teachers, a great public library, and a full bookcase at home - all exposing him to books that were not only fun to read, but age-appropriate, and interesting. Of all the books he read, Magic Tree House books were his absolute favorite!
I celebrate with Random House Children's Books in honoring the 20th Anniversary of MAGIC TREE HOUSE.
The following is courtesy of Random House:
Random House Children’s Books continues to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beloved Magic Tree House series with the publication of a full-color, hardcover edition of its first book, Dinosaurs Before Dark (originally published in 1992). The Magic Tree House 20th Anniversary Full-Color Edition: Dinosaurs Before Dark (978-0-375-86988-4, $14.99) includes new and updated dinosaur information and a letter from Mary Pope Osborne. Widely regarded among children, teachers, and parents alike for its power to instill a passion for reading, the award-winning Magic Tree House series is an international phenomenon and has sold more than 100 million books worldwide and has been translated into 32 different languages in over 30 international markets.
To celebrate this major milestone, a calendar of national literacy endeavors, theatrical projects, philanthropic initiatives and publishing releases was launched in early 2012 and continues on this September with a four-city national tour for Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce that will bring them to fans in Carle Place, NY; Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; and Burlington, MA.
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The Magic Tree House series is a perfect blend of magic, adventure, history, science and danger, with topics ranging from kid favorites (pirates, ninjas, pandas) to classroom staples (rain forest, American Revolution, Abraham Lincoln) to seasonal (Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving). There are currently 48 Magic Tree House books and 26 Fact Trackers, the nonfiction companions to the fiction titles that are co-authored by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. All Magic Tree House books are available in print, ebooks, and Listening Library audio books, which are all narrated by Mary Pope Osborne. This past summer, Magic Tree House #49: A Perfect Time for Pandas—the 49th book in the Magic Tree House series—and Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #26: Pandas and Other Endangered Species released on July 24th. Magic Tree House #44: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time will be available in trade paperback on September 25, 2012. Visit Facebook.com/magictreehouse for more information about the series, activities and more.
The Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures Program is a free, comprehensive set of online educational resources for teachers. Complete with lesson plans, curriculum guides, and creative activities, the Classroom Adventures Program incorporates every book in the series, including the nonfiction Fact Tracker titles, enabling teachers to build upon students’ interest in Jack and Annie’s adventures, while simultaneously meeting core curriculum standards across a multitude of subjects. Educators can learn more at MTHClassroomAdventures.org/.
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MARY POPE OSBORNE is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for children and young adults, including novels, retellings of mythology and folklore, picture books, biographies, and mysteries. From 1993–1997, Ms. Osborne served as president of the Authors Guild, the country’s leading organization for published authors. She has traveled extensively in the US and abroad, visiting schools and speaking on issues related to children’s literacy. She recently spoke at the UN regarding the importance of worldwide literacy. She resides in Connecticut. Ms. Osborne is also the coauthor of the companion Magic Tree House Fact Trackers series with her husband, WILL OSBORNE, and her sister, NATALIE POPE BOYCE.
SAL MURDOCCA has illustrated over 200 children’s trade and textbooks. He is also a librettist for children’s opera, a video artist, an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist, and a teacher of children’s illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Sal lives and works in New York with his wife, Nancy.
RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks, and apps, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series.
The company’s website, Kids@Random (RandomHouse.com/kids) offers an array of activities, games, and resources for children, teens, parents, and educators. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.
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