Magic Tree House Collection, Books 1-8

Listening to these first four stories, it's easy to see why Osborne's Tree House series is so popular. Children get to travel across time and space with Jack and Annie, visiting other worlds, which the author brings to life with writing that's informative, fun, and full of details. The author reads the stories herself and does a fine job. She has a pleasant, careful voice and an immaculate sense of timing; she's willing to use lots of imagination in differentiating her many characters, and her Jack and Annie are both likable and believable. Children will enjoy Mary Pope Osborne's pacing, her ability to create suspense, and her knack for bringing history alive in a playful way. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine


In this production of the first eight books in the wildly popular Magic Tree House series, author Mary Pope Osborne proves herself to be a narrator who can stand up with the pros. Her voices for Jack and Annie are subtly distinct and pitch-perfect. Annie's voice, in particular, is convincing as a 6-year-old. She delivers Annie's characteristic "Oh, wow!" with such feeling that listeners know something exciting is coming. Osborne also has an excellent sense of pace. She slows down for details and speeds up for action sequences to keep the books moving along. Fans will delight in revisiting these old favorites in audio format, and this production is sure to lure some new fans to the series. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine