Magic Tree House Book Series: A Step-by-Step Guide to Reading in Order

Book Series

Have you or your children had the opportunity to follow the chronological sequence of the Magic Tree House books? This is one of the best children’s book writing, consistently receives high ratings and celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022. Since the debut of Mary Pope Osborne’s bestselling series in 1992, it has captivated generations of young readers. Time-honored editions of the series have been handed down from generation to generation, while recent illustrated versions have gained acclaim as some of the finest graphic novels for children.

A Journey Through Time and Imagination

The narrative centers on the adventures of Jack and Annie Smith, siblings who travel through the magic of their tree house to various parts of the world and different historical (and prehistorical) periods. Each adventure is linked to a significant historical event: Jack and Annie witness the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, cross the Delaware with George Washington in 1776, and experience the great earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco.

Osborne’s books, with their vibrant storytelling, infusion of fantasy, and a touch of magic, have ignited the curiosity and imagination of numerous young readers. Their broad introduction of diverse people and cultures has made them widely recognized as some of the best children’s books promoting diversity.

Where to Begin Your Magical Journey

The original Magic Tree House series consists of 37 books (and counting!) designed for readers aged 6 to 8. Magic Tree House is recognized as one of the best children’s book publishing series.

With so much content to explore, reading the Magic Tree House books in order may seem overwhelming. However, if you’re eager to start on this literary journey or perhaps revisit it, here’s a guide to help you get started.

1. The Mystery of the Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark

The story is about a brother and sister, Jack and Annie. They find a magical tree house that takes them back to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. A friendly flying dinosaur helps them escape from a big, hungry dinosaur. Now, they have to figure out how to get back home before it gets dark, or something strange might happen to them.

2. The Mystery of the Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn

In the second book of the series, Jack and Annie escape from a T-Rex and suddenly find themselves in medieval England. They discover a castle and meet a brave knight, but they end up being unwelcome guests at a feast. As they gather clues, the Mystery of their magical tree house deepens.

3. The Mystery of the Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning

In the third book, the story takes place in Ancient Egypt, and mummies are causing trouble! Jack and Annie have a mission—to assist the ghost of a queen named Hutepi in finding the Book of the Dead. They also need to figure out how to return to their magical tree house, or they might turn into mummies themselves. There are many books available on this story. If your children want more, you can visit Ghostwriting Founder to explore.

4. The Mystery of the Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon

In the fourth book, get ready for a pirate adventure! Annie and Jack are transported to the high seas, where they naturally come across some sneaky pirates. Together, they embark on a quest to find buried treasure. Along the way, they encounter a mysterious figure who has been part of all their adventures so far:

5. The Mystery of the Magic Spell: Night of the Ninjas

Eager to follow the trail of the mysterious Morgan le Fay, the magical character they encountered in the previous book, Annie and Jack’s journey to ancient Japan. There, they unexpectedly find themselves in the cave of a ninja master. In this adventure, they gather magical objects to rescue Morgan while steering clear of a group of wicked samurai warriors.

6. The Mystery of the Magic Spell: Afternoon on the Amazon

 

In the sixth book, they continue their quest to assist Morgan le Fay in breaking the spell, and the siblings find themselves lost in the Amazon rainforest. Amidst the lush jungle, they come across jaguars, crocodiles, killer ants, vampire bats, and various other feathered and furry creatures while looking for a magical object. Luckily, a helpful mouse named Peanut comes to their aid, guiding them through the difficult terrain of the Amazon rainforest.

7. The Mystery of the Magic Spell: Sunset of the Sabertooth

Continuing their pursuit of Morgan and searching for another object to break her spell, Jack and Annie time-travel to the Ice Age in this book—wearing wet swimsuits! Racing against the cold, they strive to accomplish their mission and return to the tree house. Along the way, they meet Cro-Magnon’s early humans and explore prehistoric cave art.

8. The Mystery of the Magic Spell: Midnight on the Moon

In the eighth book, Jack and Annie’s adventures take them beyond Earth as they travel to the moon to aid Morgan. Donned in spacesuits, the siblings face a depleting oxygen supply as they search for another object. Along the way, they come across a mysterious resident of the moon and unravel various lunar mysteries. Racing against time, they strive to return to Earth before oxygen runs out.

9. The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles: Dolphins at Daybreak

In the ninth book, which marks the start of the Ancient Riddles set, the enigmatic Morgan le Fay presents Jack and Annie with a four-part riddle. The first part leads them to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where they encounter a clever octopus, a hungry shark, and some friendly dolphins—known as one of the most intelligent animals out there!

10. The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles: Ghost Town at Sundown

Jack and Annie are racing to solve Morgan’s second riddle in the tenth Magic Tree House book. They travel back to a Wild West town that might be haunted. In this adventure, they meet a cowboy named Slim, deal with horse rustlers, encounter dangerous rattlesnakes, and help a lost colt. It’s a bit scary, but not too much. If you enjoy spooky stories, you can also check out some chilling ghost stories—just be cautious about sharing them with the kids!

11. The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles: Lions at Lunchtime

In the eleventh book, as Jack and Annie work on solving ancient riddles, they find themselves transported to the African Savannah. Here, they need to decipher Morgan’s latest rhyming riddle. Along the way, young readers meet a Masai warrior and encounter various African wildlife, such as a herd of wildebeests and a group of hungry lions.

12. The Mystery of the Ancient Riddles: Polar Bears Past Bedtime

In the final part of the Mystery of the Ancient Riddles series-within-a-series, our young heroes travel to the Arctic. There, they find themselves stuck on an ice floe and have to take a chance on whether a passing polar bear is a friend or foe. Along the way, they encounter a seal hunter and discover interesting facts about Inuit culture. Make sure not to miss out on some cute polar bear pictures!

13. The Mystery of the Lost Stories: Vacation Under the Volcano

In the thirteenth book, Morgan le Fay sends them to ancient Pompeii to get a book from the library. However, they are unaware that they are in Pompeii on the very day when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. Can the siblings grab the ancient book and return to the tree house before becoming part of history’s ash heap?

14. The Mystery of the Lost Stories: Day of the Dragon King

In Morgan’s latest challenge, the second book in The Mystery of the Lost Stories series-within-a-series sends Annie and Jack to ancient China to recover another book. However, they face a powerful adversary this time—the book-burning emperor known as the Dragon King. Osborne cleverly weaves in social commentary about the harms of book burning, shedding light on the importance of preserving knowledge.

15. The Mystery of the Lost Stories: Viking Ships at Sunrise

The excitement and adventure roll on in the fifteenth book as Jack and Annie travel back to medieval Ireland in search of another mysterious text. However, their quest is not without challenges—they must dodge the clutches and axes of marauding Vikings. Luckily, a friendly monk comes to their aid, offering a lesson in illuminated manuscripts and monastic life.

16. The Mystery of the Lost Stories: Hour of the Olympics

In the sixteenth installment of these time-travel books, the kids journey back to Ancient Greece and receive a tour from none other than Plato himself. This installment exudes girl-power energy as Annie faces laws that say women can’t attend the Olympic Games. Will that stop her? Keep an eye out for some help from the winged horse Pegasus.

17. The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog: Tonight on the Titanic.

These kids find themselves in significant situations, even if their timing isn’t always perfect. This time, it’s 1912, and they’re on the Titanic on the fateful night it hits the iceberg! There’s a rule in the tree house that Jack and Annie can’t change history or events during their time travels. The question is, can they do anything to assist in avoiding the tragedy while helping their new friend, Teddy, the dog, break the spell?

Here, we have detailed seventeen books; now, we will list books organized by year.

18. The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog: Buffalo Before Breakfast
19. The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog: Tigers at Twilight
20. The Mystery of the Enchanted Dog: Dingoes at Dinnertime
21. The Mystery of Morgan’s Library: Civil War on Sunday
22. The Mystery of Morgan’s Library: Revolutionary War on Wednesday
23. The Mystery of Morgan’s Library: Twister on Tuesday
24. The Mystery of Morgan’s Library: Earthquake in the Early Morning
25. The Mystery of Morgan’s Rhymes: Stage Fright on a Summer Night
26. The Mystery of Morgan’s Rhymes: Good Morning, Gorillas
27. The Mystery of Morgan’s Rhymes: Thanksgiving on Thursday
28. The Mystery of Morgan’s Rhymes: High Tide in Hawaii
29. Learning from Heroes: A Big Day for Baseball
30. Learning from Heroes: Hurricane Heroes in Texas
31. Learning from Heroes: Warriors in Winter
32. Learning from Heroes: To the Future, Ben Franklin!
33. Animal Rescues: Narwhal on a Sunny Night
34. Animal Rescues: Late Lunch with Llamas
35. Animal Rescues: Camp Time in California
36. Animal Rescues: Sunlight on the Snow Leopard
37. Animal Rescues: Rhinos at Recess

FAQS

How Can I Connect With Other “Magic Tree House” Fans?

Join online fan communities, participate in forums, and attend special events dedicated to the series.

What Is The Role Of An Editor In Children’s Books?

Editors in children’s books play a crucial role in ensuring the content is age-appropriate, engaging, and aligned with educational goals. They also focus on language simplicity and clarity.

How Can I Publish A Children’s Book?

Publishing a children’s book involves finding a literary agent or publisher specializing in children’s literature. Submitting a well-crafted manuscript, accompanied by a compelling query letter, is a key step in the process.

Is It Possible To Publish A Children’s Book For Free?

While traditional publishing usually involves some costs, there are self-publishing platforms that allow you to publishing a free book. However, marketing and distribution may require additional investment.

Do Professional Book Writing Services Write For The Children’s Genre?

Many professional book writing services have experienced writers specializing in children’s literature. These services can help with everything from creating engaging stories to developing educational content for young readers.

Are There Educational Benefits To Reading The “Magic Tree House” Books?

Absolutely! The series incorporates educational elements, offering valuable lessons in history, science, and more.

Are There Any Upcoming Books In The “Magic Tree House” Series?

Stay tuned! Mary Pope Osborne continues to enchant readers with new additions to the series.

Key Characteristics and Profound Details

Book Title	Setting & Theme	Main Adventures
Dinosaurs Before Dark	Magical tree house takes siblings to prehistoric times with dinosaurs.	Escape from T-Rex, encounter flying dinosaurs, and return home before dark.
The Knight At Dawn	Medieval England; Castle exploration.	Unwelcome guests at a feast, meeting a brave knight, and solving mysteries.
Mummies In The Morning	Ancient Egypt; Mission to help a ghost find the Book of the Dead.	Avoid mummies, return to the tree house, and explore ancient Egyptian culture.
Pirates Past Noon	High seas adventure with pirates.	Embark on a quest for buried treasure and encounter a mysterious figure.
Night Of The Ninjas	Ancient Japan; Trail of the mysterious Morgan le Fay.	Gather magical objects, rescue Morgan, and avoid wicked samurai warriors.
Afternoon On The Amazon	Lost in the Amazon rainforest; Quest to assist Morgan.	Encounter jungle creatures, guided by a helpful mouse named Peanut.
Sunset Of The Sabertooth	Ice Age adventure; Searching for another object to break the spell.	Time-travel to the Ice Age, meet Cro-Magnon’s early humans, and explore art.

Conclusion

Start on a journey through time and imagination with the “Magic Tree House” series. Whether you’re a seasoned reader or introducing these books to a new generation, the magic within their pages will leave an everlasting imprint.