Magic Tree Home Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Earlier than Darkish, The Knight at Daybreak, Mummies within the Morning, and Pirates Previous Midday

Good set to get kids hooked on reading at an early age
When I was little, these books were some of my first chapter books. I remember them as being huge at the time, but not dauntingly so. I do remember being proud and bragging that the first one was the biggest book I’d ever read. Now I’m older, and am ready to pass these stories on to the next generation. As a child, reading a chapter felt like an accomplishment, not because it was long or difficult, but because it was a *chapter.* Looking at the books now, the chapters are short — only about two or three pages on average. I think the longest chapter in the first four books is something like six or eight pages, though that might be later on. The font is large, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s small enough to give it a “grown up” feeling, while still being large enough for young eyes to focus on and track easily. There are pictures every couple pages, as well. Again, spread out enough to give a feeling of reading a “real” book, like an adult, while still acknowledging that the readers are still very much children.The stories are fast paced, which is perfect for keeping the attention early readers, especially when you’re bridging them from picture books to chapter books. In the first ten pages of the first book, Jack and Annie are introduced and given basic characterization (Jack is the older brother and an academic, his younger sister Annie is the adventurer). The children discover a tree house full of books, and accidently end up in pre-historic times with dinosaurs outside the window. The explore the area, take notes, and meet the big baddy, all within the first sprint of pages.Throughout the books, Jack has his handy dandy notebook that he fills with notes on his adventures. In the first book, he takes basic notes on each dinosaur or strange event that happens. This helps set up a foundation for learning *how* to take notes, and why they are useful. In the beginning, Jack’s notes are short and simplistic. “Friendly” and “Eats grass” being good examples. Later on, his notes become slightly more complex, though it takes several books for this to occur. Even then, it’s not a sudden jump — it’s gradual. In later books (I think starting in book two, but not really coming into play until book four) Jack actually refers back to the notes he’s taken so far and uses them to put together the pieces to a puzzle. Jack also makes a habit of carrying the book they wished on in his backpack every time they go on an adventure. Any time the children encounter a new word, something new or strange, they open up the book in question and look up information. Rather than saying “They flipped through the book until they found what they were looking for,” the author makes a point of saying *how* they found it. For example, showing Jack and Annie looking through the table of contents, or searching under “K” for knight. The author doesn’t write a sermon on how to take notes or look up information — remember, the stories are fast paced. Instead, she shows glimpses of the children doing this overtime until a clear pattern emerges on how to do these things.The stories are based around the children going someplace far away from home and encountering strange and new things they had never seen or heard about before, expanding their knowledge. There’s also a high level of risk involved. When they go to Pompeii, for example, they need to get back to the tree house before the volcano explodes. These two elements paired with the fast pace of the stories provide a grand feeling of adventure, which is exactly what you want when trying to get kids hooked on reading books. In addition to being fun, they also do a good job of sneaking in basic study skills, all while providing a basic foundation for learning about whatever time and place the children go to in whichever book. In The first one, for example, they learn about dinosaurs.Definitely a well rounded series and a great starter set for transitioning kids into chapter books. Even if the books are a bit beyond your child’s reading level at the moment, read the books to them anyway. Odds are that they will get hooked on the story, and when they are able to read them on their own, they’ll already have a head start. If nothing else, they will still be learning while you read to them, even if they don’t follow along with their eyes. There’s no way to lose.

Get the kids reading!
I’m a parent of an almost first grader and we have started reading these books together as our summer reading at home. I read a chapter and my son reads a chapter. I’m having a hard time understanding why anyone would knock these books–especially for the supposed bad grammar. Now, I suppose if one expected young children to be reading classical literature we could debate proper English use. But who are we kidding? 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.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. 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.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. Seemed odd, and my son was actually a bit worried about it until I explained what an “expression” was.We’ve read five others in this series and I’ve been thrilled with everything else so I’ll give it a pass. 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. and read these together. This is pleasure reading, pure and simple. 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!And teachers (yes, I know, I started this sentence with “and”), please lighten up and bring the fun back to reading. 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. 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). As I said, my son and I take turns reading this out loud and it is very fun to read out loud. 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. Awesome. I have not found one parent who really debates the grammar issue here that some people have commented on. 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. Give it a try…let the kids speak for themselves.

Perfect for first grade read aloud.
Books came packaged nicely in box. My first graders love this series. I use for read aloud. A few of my students can independently read the books.

These books have been providing fun combined with education for years.

Educational but fun

Nice story, easy to read for first time independent reading, not too long (just enough to keep their attention) and nice drownings again to enhance and keep them interested. My daughter loves those stories and she picks them without any prompting from me and she likes to retell them also.