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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Series, Great Installment, June 8, 2000
This review is from: Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21) (Paperback)
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.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new Adventure, October 21, 2002
This review is from: Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21) (Paperback)
Having taught 2nd graders who enjoyed the Magic Tree House series books as read alouds last year, I decided to embark on a new adventure with the tree house books, this time choosing to read #21 Civil War on Sunday. Like the previous books, the two main characters, Jack and Annie, are transported through time via a magic tree house that only they are able to see. In Magic Tree House #21, Jack and Annie are sent to fullfill the task of finding a special piece of paper with writing of "something to follow". After discovering a civil war book in the tree house and wishing to go there, Jack and Annie are soon transported back to Civil War times as they encounter Nurse Clara Barton and her field hospitals. Throughout the remainder of the book, Jack and Annie spend their time helping Clara and the other nurses care for the wounded soldiers. Jack soon realizes that war is not a glorious event as he had once thought. The book interestingly ends with a close personal connection to Jack and Annie. After having read previous Magic Tree House books written by Mary Pope Osborne, I was quite surprised to find her writing a children's book on such a complicated subject as the Civil War. I was skeptical the children would be able to understand and relate to the subject of the Civil War. However, my skepticism was quickly put to ease. Ms. Osborne does a very nice job of presenting an "overview" of the Civil War. She easily relates the Civil War to children through Jack's own personal feelings of what war is. This is an excellent book for children 8-9 years of age. Through its broad use of dialogue, language, and illustrations, children (and teachers) will quickly want to read of Jack and Annie's next adventures in Magic Tree House #22 Revolutionary War on Wednesday.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Civil War on Sunday was a FABULOUSE read!, February 28, 2001
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21) (Paperback)
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.
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