This is a really entertaining installment of the Magic Tree House series where Annie and Jack visit the Paris World's Fair of 1889 to learn of for forms of "magic." The magic is actual the inventions and discoveries of Gustave Eiffel, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell who all meet in a memorable scene atop the Tour Eiffel. Annie and Jack also end up flying on a bicycle. Cool stuff! ( )

This time they are whisked back in time to the 1889 World Fair in Paris, France where they must save four new magicians before an evil sorcerer steals their secrets ( )

An interesting insight into a brilliant time in history. And very quotable! ( )

There are some books that you see all the time on the library shelves, they have a constant circulation, and one day you realize you haven't read a single one. This especially seems to happen to me with juvenile series. I did read some series when I was a child - Encyclopedia Brown, some Boxcar Children, etc. but was never very interested in beginning chapter books after I finished all the easy readers. So, the other day a kid asked for something to read like Magic Tree House. Usually, by the time a kid has gotten to the end of Magic Tree House they've gotten to a higher reading level and want something else to read. If not, I just pass them Canadian Flyer by Frieda Wishinsky. This kid definitely wanted a read-alike and I found myself at a loss. So, I decided to read some.

The first Magic Tree House story, Dinosaurs Before Dark tells how Jack and his younger sister Annie discover a mysterious tree house that transports them through time - back to the dinosaur age! With the help of a friendly dinosaur they manage to escape, learning some interesting facts about dinosaurs along the way as well as picking up a mysterious clue to the owner of the tree house. Fast forward through a couple books, and Dolphins at Daybreak, the tenth adventure, has Jack and Annie off on a mission to the beach at the request of Morgan le Fay, who apparently owns the tree house and is at odds with Merlin. Jack and Annie accidentally turn on the mini submarine they are looking at and take an exciting and scary trip through a coral reef and are rescued from a shark by two dolphins. Zipping way, way ahead to the secondary series, the Merlin Missions (which are a higher reading level), in Night of the New Magicians Jack and Annie are now apparently working for Merlin and have acquired a little magic. They travel to the 1889 Paris World Fair to rescue four "magicians" from an evil wizard. The magicians turn out to be famous inventors and Jack and Annie learn about their inventions and their life philosophies.

So, a nice little sample here. My conclusion...I don't think I would have been much interested in these myself as a child, but I can see the appeal. There's a little magic, a little history, a little adventure, some humor, basically a smorgasbord of plot and genre elements. I found the "lessons", especially in the Merlin Mission, rather obvious but many kids (and adults) like a certain amount of didactism. As far as recommending read-alikes...I'm still at a loss. What do you recommend as a read-alike for Magic Tree House?

Verdict: Undoubtedly, your library already owns them. I'm working on making sure we have 3 copies of each title (the shelf completely emptied out this summer) and replacing the grime-encrusted older copies.

Dinosaurs before dark
ISBN: 978-0375844058; Published May 2008 by Random House; Borrowed from the library

Dolphins at daybreak
ISBN: 978-0679883388; Published April 1997 by Random House; Borrowed from the library

Night of the new magicians
ISBN: 978-0375830358; Published March 2006 by Random House; Borrowed from the library

Merlin sends Jack and Annie on a mysterious mission to Paris, France, over a 100 years ago. There they must find four magicians and give them an urgent message from Merlin himself. When Jack and Annie land in Paris, they make their way to the 1889 World's Fair. Below the Eiffel Tower, built especially for the fair, there are thousands of exhibits from all over the world. But how will Jack and Annie find the magicians in the crowds of people? And who are the magicians anyway? Jack and Annie are about to find out in another adventure filled with history, magic, and amazing surprises!