Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #20: Ghosts: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts [Library Binding]

Mary Pope Osborne (Author), Natalie Pope Boyce (Author), Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Magic Tree House (Book 20)

Magic Tree House Research Guides are now Magic Tree House Fact Trackers! Track the facts with Jack and Annie!
 
When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts, they had lots of questions. What are some of the most famous ghost stories? Why do people believe in ghosts? Do most cultures have ghost stories? What are ghost hunters? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts. Filled with up-to-date information, photos, illustrations, and fun tidbits from Jack and Annie, the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are the perfect way for kids to find out more about the topics they discovered in their favorite Magic Tree House adventures.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MARY POPE OSBORNE and NATALIE POPE BOYCE are sisters who grew up on army posts all over the world. They are working on more Magic Tree House® Fact Tracker books to give Magic Tree House readers facts and information about places, time periods, and animals that Jack and Annie discover in the Magic Tree House adventures.

Mary lives in Connecticut. Natalie makes her home nearby in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Mary is the author of all the Magic Tree House fiction titles as well as many more books for kids.

SAL MURDOCCA has illustrated more than 200 children's trade and text books. He is also a librettist for children'sopera, a video artist, an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist, and a teacher of children's illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Sal lives and works in New York with his wife, Nancy.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 128 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375946667
• ISBN-13: 978-0375946660
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.6 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,372 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooking Kids on Nonfiction, May 17, 2010

By 

Karen L. Shumway "Xenopuslady" (Bridgeport, WV) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #20: Ghosts: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts (Paperback)

The Magic Treehouse and Merlin Mission books are a great introduction to chapter books because they have both girl and boy protagonists, a familiar plotline, magic (who doesn't like magic?!), and exploits of historical interest. The series is second-grade reading material at the outset but migrates to fourth grade difficulty towards the end. This gradual acceleration of difficulty within the comfort zone of beloved characters and plotline really helps children to not just love reading but to continue reading ever more difficult material.

But for me, the real thrill of these books is that it introduces children to reading non-fiction books for pleasure. Sure, you learn a little bit about a particular time and place in history by reading the fictional Jack & Annie adventure. But the real meat comes when you then read the non-fiction companion. There are only research guides for about half of the missions, but they're all gems. Jack and Annie are still there, as little heads appear in the margins with them providing definitions for new vocabulary or interesting extra tidbits of information. And every so often, you'll see some chicken-scratch where Jack has written a brief summary of what you've read, just like he does in his journal entries in the adventures.

Most of the research guides seem to be a bit more difficult to read than the fictional books, but this is largely because of all the scientific vocabulary and names of ancient people and cities. If your child can read the mission, they should be able to read the accompanying research guide with adult help for pronunciation of difficult words.

My son is six years old, finishing the first grade, and we have read all but the last of this series, starting with _Dinosaurs Before Dark_ and its accompanying research guide. I would have never dreamed that such a young child could be so excited about so many different periods in history or about reading actual non-fiction for pleasure. I will admit that, given a choice, he chooses the adventure stories first. But when they run out (we usually maximize 4-for-3 promotions in our purchases), he is very ready to start the next research guide that's available. The books have also correlated well with the history we've explored academically this year. Where the official history curriculum has been superficial because of the nature of its scope, the research guides on _Mummies_ and _Ancient Greece_ have provided ample extra detail. I plan to have him re-read relevant guides and adventures as he learns about additional periods in history next year.

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME BOOK!!!!, April 29, 2010

By 

Mastercard "TABSTOY" (Benton Harbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #20: Ghosts: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #42: A Good Night for Ghosts (Paperback)

MY SON AND I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ALL THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOKS ~ A MUST BUY FOR KIDS!!