What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there's nothing objectionable in
this Magic Tree House series entry. This mild book wraps its
fantasy around a history lesson, but kids will be so
entertained they probably won't notice.
Families might want to look up the Unicorn Tapestries so kids can see the unicorn that Jack and Annie set out to rescue. They might also want to dig deeper into the mythology that surrounds unicorns.
Common Sense Media Review
Osborne's wildly popular
Magic
Tree House series shows no signs of stopping. This, the
36th book, continues a sort of "Merlin Mission" sub-series.
Don't worry -- kids won't need to have read any of the previous
books to fall into this one. A quick recap at the beginning
introduces the actual Magic Tree House -- a sort of portal to
other times -- and to their relationship with Merlin.
Previous books in the series had more realistic settings -- despite the magic portal that got them there. But the Merlin Mission books have added elements of fantasy to help the history lessons go down easy. In this one, Jack and Annie need to rescue a unicorn in Depression-era New York City. With their handy New York City Guidebook, 1938, they set off in a blizzard to find the unicorn.
Osborne is a pro, and children won't know -- or mind -- that they're getting an education as they dive into the somewhat thin but generally entertaining plot. It's not great literature, but for kids hungry to graduate to chapter books (and for the parents who are hungry to see them move ahead, too) this book offers plenty of a low-key adventure.
A couple of bad guys show up to keep things interesting, but the action never rises above rated-G level.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
