Recently a coworker and I had a conversation about books that we had read and enjoyed as children. We realized we read a lot of the same books as kids and had fun recounting our favorites. The 90s and 2000s were the days of wonderfully long scholastic paperback book series. Many times these series had to be read in order, but often it did not matter if you missed out on a few volumes. In those days you grabbed whatever was in stock or ordered it using the old easicat system. I still remember the thrill and the smell of going into the Plymouth Library as a child and making my way to the rotating shelves filled with these volumes. I would stock up on any book that caught my fancy or reread any of the old ones that I had enjoyed. I usually left with quite the stack. I had forgotten about some of these books until my coworker and I had this conversation. Other books in this post you will find are still popular today. Dear reader, I hope you enjoy by blast from the past! Maybe this post will transport you back to your own childhood or introduce you to something still in our system that you may enjoy yourself!

Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne

The very first Magic Tree House Book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published in 1992. Currently there are 130 books in the series and that number is still climbing! This series will always be special to me as it was the first chapter book series I read as a child and probably responsible for my continuous love of history. I still remember getting so into Pirates Past Noon in first grade that I did not even hear the teacher call us to the rug for story hour! She had to come check on me. I was so into the story I did not hear the rest of the class even move!

The Magic Tree House books are for young readers just starting out into the world of chapter books. The reading is easy and there are still pictures. The series follows brother and sister, Jack and Annie, as they use a magical treehouse to travel through time. They are able to point to a picture in any book within the tree house and wish to go there. Sometimes they are sent on specific missions by Morgan Le Faye, the famous sorcerous from Arthurian Myth. Jack is the scientist of the duo. He is always writing notes in his notebook and reading facts from the various guidebooks that he brings along. This series was the foundation for some of the many random facts and knowledge now rattling around in my brain. Annie, on the other hand, is the dreamer. She trusts unconditionally. She believes in magic and sees the wonder in every moment. She will talk to any animal that they come across and know in her soul that the creature understands. As a child I was totally Annie. Rereading this series as an adult, I find myself to have become more like Jack but desperately clinging to the vestiges of Annie that are still within me. I am trying to nurture that inner Annie inside of myself, I think we all could learn a lot from her. I am currently climbing back into the magic tree house and tagging along with Jack and Annie through their historic adventures. I am looking forward to reliving these childhood adventures and discovering new ones that were published later. Dear reader, I hope you enjoy the ride as well whether coming back or embarking on your first time!

Click HERE to request any of The Magic Tree House books!

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