Magic Tree House

We have a bit of an obsession here lately.

I know some people aren't crazy about the Magic Tree House books and some consider them twaddle. I don't think they're the best writing out there for kids, but I'm embracing them (and maybe buying a few...or twenty...whatever). Jack is a collector by nature, so a series is great for him. He also learns quite a few facts about the time periods Jack and Annie visit. My favorite thing, though, is the way he is catching on to characterization. After listening to three or four, he started making some pretty good observations about Jack and Annie; now he knows them about as well as his real friends, I think.

Last week when we were at the library, Jack found several books he hadn't seen before. He spent so long looking through them that Alice finally laid on the floor and put her head down. (I snapped the picture a second too late.)

Saturday night we went to a zoo class based on the Magic Tree House books.

After getting their riddle (a la Morgan le Fay--or as Jack says, Morgan Cafe), the kids left the tree house via the slide. They all yelled, "I want to go there!" as they came out.

The kids had to go to different stations to get clues to the riddle.

Here they are looking at different kinds of beaks.

This bird skull was tiny!

It was a good chance to get to explore the new Children's Zoo.

Flamingos make their nests from mud.

Alice got to try it out, too.

At the end, we got to visit Sheldon the owl, who we had met before.

While we were in town, we also visited the Half Price Books and picked up a few books we didn't have as well as one of the research guides, so I think this obsession is going to last a while longer!