The Magic School Bus Plays Ball: A Book About Forces [Paperback]

Joanna Cole (Author), Art Ruiz (Illustrator), Bruce Degan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Magic School Bus

Join Ms. Frizzle and the class as they explore the world of physics. The class learns about forces by playing a game of baseball in a world without friction.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen make learning a spirited joyride, delighting young audiences with their fantastic journeys to the eye of a hurricane, the bottom of the ocean, and the center of the earth, to name just a few. Author and illustrator have said they were each inspired by an important teacher in their classroom days - very much like Ms. Frizzle! There are now more than 58 million Magic School Bus books in print, in a variety of formats, plus a wildly successful animated television series. Called "a can't-miss team" by School Library Journal, Cole and Degen live in Florida and Connecticut, respectively. For more information about Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, visit: scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/authors

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590922408
• ISBN-13: 978-0590922401
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 7.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic School Bus Plays Ball - a Book About Forces, June 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magic School Bus Plays Ball: A Book About Forces (Paperback)

I'm 8 years old, and I've read alot of Magic School Busbooks. This book explains all about friction, forces, pushing andpulling.The book takes place in a magic book where the kids play baseball with no friction. I liked this book because I play baseball, and it would be hard to play without friction. I think that this book is better than the one about bats, and I REALLY liked that one. This book was one of the best I've read, so I suggest this book for your children.Kids, ask your parents to buy this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2* A Nice Book of Friction, April 14, 2001

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic School Bus Plays Ball: A Book About Forces (Paperback)

The Magic School Bus is an excellent science-based book collection, in which the indomitable Ms. Frizzle (wonderfully voiced by Lily Tomlin on the animated TV show) takes her grammar school kids on "Fantastic Voyage" like journeys in a shrinking school bus. . The bus takes the kids inside a book about Physics, where they enter a page about a baseball field with no friction. The kids learn about how throwing, running, and catching would work were there no friction.

Generally, the books are funny, have recognizable characters, and teach science principles in a clear, imaginative way. This book, however, was not as good as others I've read in the series: there is minimal use of "miniaturization" that makes the other books so clever and unique, the focus on friction is a bit too narrow, and the usually exciting escape from danger is on the tepid side. Still, its 30 pages contain bad puns, demonstrations of friction, and two friction experiments and the never-frazzled Ms. Frizzle. It's a mildly entertaining and informative book.