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This series is wonderful for kids. I started my first child at age 1, reading these books. We go over and over them, but there are still more which we have not even got to yet. Great starter for series books with good use of imagination.
My nine year old daughter is dyslexic, and although she loves when I read to her, she has not enjoyed reading on her own.until we found these books. They are easy enough for her to build confidence, but enjoyable with enough facts for her not too feel they are "too young" for her. We are already going to the school library to find more while we wait for our next shipment to arrive. (we live overseas so cannot find them at the local store) I am thrilled to find books that she ENJOYS reading that I think fun and educational also.
They are just words on a page.For early reader series (especially for boys), my kids prefer Roscoe Riley Rules and Geronimo Stilton -- both are very quick to reel your reader in. These books have been marketed like crazy, and they ARE informative, but they're not fun to read.There is nothing engaging about the characters, and nothing ever really happens in the series.
At one time, we went all-in on MTH and had about 30 of them. And my oldest read them -- don't get me wrong.
The best thing about the Magic Tree House books is that they are informative. Lots of telling, not much story.
But the books aren't funny or engaging or even classic stories. And the narration is just blah.
Sometimes Annie and Jack don't take more than 25 steps from the tree house (Pirates comes to mind). Kids gobble them up for their clever humor and great characters.
These books are simple enough for early readers, high interest and suspenseful enough to keep them engaged in the first chapter style books as opposed to picture books, and has enough new vocabulary that my son and I talk about the new words in context--one that stands out is the description of a dinosaur who turned and "loped" down a hillside. and read these together. But who are we kidding. I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would knock these books--especially for the supposed bad grammar.
As a former high school teacher who saw teenagers completely give up on reading because it was "work" (an attitude that follows for the rest of life when the love of reading has been schooled right out of them) I beg you to just encourage kids to read, read, read and suspend personal opinions. As I said, my son and I take turns reading this out loud and it is very fun to read out loud. I read a chapter and my son reads a chapter. My son and I acted out what "loped" was and, as a parent, I'm just delighted to have him engaged in reading and picking up great new words in context. This is pleasure reading, pure and simple.
And teachers (yes, I know, I started this sentence with "and"), please lighten up and bring the fun back to reading. We should be fostering a love of reading in today's children--goodness knows there are a million other gadgets, gizmos and shows to draw kids away from books. It has one objectionable phrase in it for me, and it was only in the first book.when the brother mutters that he's "going to kill" his sister for rushing ahead of him. Awesome.
I'm a parent of an almost first grader and we have started reading these books together as our summer reading at home. When adults read Stephen King, Patterson, Koontz or whomever, they don't get tripped up on modern English use and the word "and" starting a sentence. Just read and have an adventure with your kid. Let's keep the joy in reading.*I'm adding this note after more discussion with other parents about the whole "sentence structure" issue (or non-issue). We've read five others in this series and I've been thrilled with everything else so I'll give it a pass. I have not found one parent who really debates the grammar issue here that some people have commented on. Now, I suppose if one expected young children to be reading classical literature we could debate proper English use.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion (obviously, as I wax on) so just wanted to add something here for parents of emerging readers to encourage both silent and oral reading. Seemed odd, and my son was actually a bit worried about it until I explained what an "expression" was. Fight the good fight parents, get these books for your emerging reader and spend a quiet hour away from a computer screen, wii, tv show, iphone, etc. There is great pacing, wonderful phrases that add to suspense and can be read with high drama, and my son has started to pick up on a high oral reading skill of pre-reading the "he said" part--for example, the mind sees the words "she whispered" before it actually reads them out loud and yet the reader knows to whisper that line. Give it a try.let the kids speak for themselves.
The condition of the books I bought for my daughter was perfect. Also, very fast shipping. Thanks.
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