Inside The Earth

The Magic School Bus #2

by Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen (Illustrator)

Ms. Frizzle and her pupils embark on a rock-collecting field trip aboard the magic school bus that takes them to the very center of the earth as they search for sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Geology, School, Earth

40 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1987

About the author

Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh man. I wish there were more of these books. Joanna Cole does such a great job of breaking down complex topics and I always walk away feeling like I learned a ton from her children's books!

[Augie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book because I like learning about the Earth. My favorite character was Arnold.

[L-Crystal Wlodek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth is intended for students in grades 2-5 and is a Reading Rainbow book. In this Magic School Bus book, Ms Frizzle's class learns about different kinds of rocks and the formation of the earth as they go on a field trip to the inside of the earth.

This is an informative, exciting, and attractive informational book that takes readers to the center of the earth. Readers learn something new with the turn of every page as they explore the crust, mantle, and inner and outer cores of the earth. The class also collects rock samples before they are forced back to the classroom by a volcanic eruption. The illustrations are done in a watercolor cartoon format and dialogue bubbles contain information about the earth or humorous comments. The pages of information about rocks from the students reports and a section that discusses the real and fantasy aspects of the book is also helpful. The text and illustrations are a bit cluttered for my taste, but would be best used in the classroom when introducing or reviewing aspects of the earth. Readers of this book will be taken on an exciting, unforgettable adventure.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one as I've always been interested in geology. But all the Magic School Books are a wonderful tool for teaching science to kids. They're fun and effective in inspiring young children to want to learn more about various branches of science.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanna rock and, erm, rock, all night.

This is the first Magic School Bus book I ever actually read. I've seen a couple of episodes of the TV show with my kids, but the book is written in a really interesting style. There's the normal text of the book, plus pretty much every page has word balloons or thought balloons coming from most of the characters, and similarly to the TV show you have little asides by the kids in the style of reports that they wrote about their trip.

It has a very strange beginning. Apparently, they had been learning about animals' homes for almost a month and they were pretty tired of it. So, the only thing they do in this class is science? I mean, dang, I'm a big fan of science, but yeah if I was learning about the homes of animals for a month, and it really wasn't something I was into, but that was all I was doing, day in and day out? Yeah, I'd get pretty sick of it. Ms. Frizzle gives the class homework: everybody's supposed to bring her a rock. But out of at least eleven kids, only four of them bring rocks. What? It's not that hard to find rocks. It's really not. They're just like the most slacker kids in the universe. It's just silly. So she says, "Okay, let's go get in the bus." And she changes her dress to get in the bus, and then they go in the bus, which is magic so it spins around and then she has a completely new outfit. Then they all start digging to the center of the earth.

It's really hard to dig big holes. I mean, they dedicate the last two pages of the book to issues with the science, and how kids wouldn't really use jackhammers (which they don't even have at first) but it doesn't actually talk about the kids being forced through child labor to dig these massive holes with picks and shovels. That non-trivial. Even in sand, it's non-trivial. They're digging in the middle of a field. At any rate, they hit rock soon and so they start jackhammering through all the different layers of the rock, talking about the different kinds of rock, and then at a certain point they fall into a limestone cave and she talks about that. Then they talk about metamorphic rocks. Then the bus is suddenly starts drilling, on its own, so apparently the bus is sentient (it actually does have eyes in its headlights, so maybe this bus is as sentient as Miss Frizzle is, I don't know) and so they follow the bus as it drills into igneous rock through the Earth's crust. They then get back on the bus for the air conditioning, and then they drive the bus with the drill to the center of the earth and back out again on the other side. They come up on a volcanic island and then they all get some more igneous rocks and then the volcano suddenly erupts and they fly in the steam back to school, having collected a bunch of rocks. While it is classified as a nonfiction book, about 90% of what happens is fictional.

At the end (kind of like at the end of the TV show) they have this nice debate between a fictional first reader of the book saying that it's full of mistakes and the authors, saying they included the conversation to help you decide which things are true and which were put in to make the story more exciting. I think this should really be a fiction book because the vast majority of it is fake. Buses don't do that. I mean, yes the earth is made that way. But in a fiction book about, for example, a child playing in the snow, the fiction classification isn't suggesting that snow is fictional. Just because it's meant to be educational does not make it nonfiction. It seems kind of silly. It's certainly just as fictional as, for example, "George Washington's Teeth." Yes George Washington did have problems with his teeth, but that was classified as a fiction book.

At least they mentioned that even if a bus could drill its way through the earth, the trip would take very very long, and it's too hot, and the bus would melt, and buses can't be in lava and fly in steam and kids can't use jackhammers... It's just like the only things about this that are true are the actual rocks and the general layers of the earth, and that's just so trivially straightforward. I understand if all you're doing is talking about rocks and the crust of the earth, that does not make a fascinating story. But I've definitely read some amazing non-fiction books where they don't have to do this. They don't have to pad reality with so much fiction.

I get it. I really do. Science is awesome. We love science. But it'd be nice if there was a much clearer delineation between fantasy and reality in this book, and not just in the last two pages.

Another annoying thing about the book is text like, "When we came to the field, all the kids wanted to get out of the bus. But suddenly, the bus began to spin like a top. That sort of thing doesn't happen on most class trips." They just can't stop over stressing that this is a weird situation. The new kid says stuff like, "I can't believe Miss Frizzle dresses like that!" Okay, okay, I get it! She keeps talking about how she can't get used to Miss Frizzle as a teacher. They keep saying, "This school bus is unusual." "This is unusual." Maybe it's their way of saying that it's fantasy versus reality, but I think it's obvious that school buses don't randomly start spinning. Nobody needs to state that. It's the more bizarre things, the things that the kids are doing that are clearly dangerous, rather than the weird and frivolous happenings that they need to be drawing attention to.

Message: Kids need to learn about rocks and the layers of the earth.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[Geyz-G1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time the magic school bus took Ms. Fizzle’s class inside the earth. The bus drove from the surface toward the center of the earth. On their way they passed different layers and found different kinds of rocks, like sandstone, shale and limestone. The father down they sent the hotter it got. They finally got back out through a volcano. It is a great adventure and I am glad that they got back to school safely with a collection of rocks.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have said that the pages are too busy, but that doesn't seem to bother the kids. There's something to appeal to each of them -- one of my nieces studies Miss Frizzle's clothes, another keeps track of the kids in the classroom, while my nephew focuses on the earth science info.

[Andy Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a field trip to gather rocks. The bus drills through the earth and comes out of a volcano, which then erupts. They get a really cool rock collection and young readers pick up many geology facts and terms along the way.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Frizzle and her class are off to explore the inside of the Earth and learn all about rocks and minerals in this fun and educational picture book!

We read this for our B&R-1st Science curriculum!

[Amara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Limestone is made of shells all pressed together. The Empire State Building is made of limestone.

The word "stalagmite" has a "g" in it, which stands for 'from the ground'.
The word "stalactite" has "c" in it, which stands for 'from the ceiling'.

[Destiney Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic School Bus Inside the Earth is a great story to read to your students when your learning about the Earth. This story explains the different types of rocks, how fossils are made, and what comes out of a volcano. Students love to read a fun book that involves information they can use in real-life experiences.

[Kiefer Hwasta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series called Magic School Bus. The classes teacher, Mrs. Frizzle, has a beat up school bus and it transforms into many different machines and she takes them on the most surprising field trips. In this book, she takes them inside the earth's core. It also tells how bones become fossilized.

I think it was good. The book has lots of facts about rocks and magma and lots of things. It had lots of layers and good pictures that lable everything with word bubbles for the characters.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read from my childhood, one I’d certainly suggest for other youngsters. Whilst it is not my all-time favourite childhood read I can still recall all the details of this one meaning it certainly left a lasting impression upon my young mind.

And isn’t that what we want with children’s books, for them to leave a positive lasting impression?

[Savannah Stults · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for young readers that are interested in science. I can remember reading the whole series of the "Magic School Bus" as a child. This book is a great way to also introduce the parts of the earth in a science lesson. I am currently taking an Earth Science class and all of the topics in "Inside the Earth" are very accurate to what we have been talking about in class.

[Eagle Heights2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like magic school buses you might like Magic School Bus Inside the Earth. One day Miss Frizzle announces to the class that tomorrow they have to bring in a rock.The next day almost everyone had a excuse. If you want to hear what happens you will have to read the book. Hattie

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one aloud to my fourth graders to kick off our earth science unit. Despite my concern they would feel it was 'babyish,' they ended up being enthralled. The Friz does it again! Proves there's nothing quite like read-alouds to capture kids' imaginations and attentions.

[Simon Omnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I started elementary school, I knew about The Magic School Bus. Important book series from Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, this collection of science adventures introduced me at an early age to many scientific concepts important to our everyday life, our world, and how objects around us work.

For each book, a different science topic. And in all of them, the same main protagonist. Mrs. Frizzle and her mysterious school bus. A machine ruined in appearance, but magical in its tools. Indeed, every time she takes her class on a field trip, the bus transforms itself and its passengers into explorers who discover the mysteries of our world. Having at their hands advanced technology and tools that would make jealous the most envious inventors, this class experiences incredible adventures where they learn new subjects; alongside us readers who discover their stories.

In this book, second volume in The Magical School Bus series, another fascinating topic to explore. After studying animals’ homes for a month, the class studies the topic of Earth; as in the rocks and Earth beneath our feet. And with the company of Phoebe, a new student who just arrived in the classroom, Mrs. Frizzle and her class explore the various rock layers that make up our planet. Through each layer, different type of rocks. Sandstone, Shale, Limestone, Basalt, Marble, and many others. A field trip that ends up with an explosive situation for the class. Giving us a much more exciting adventure for the series, though it won’t reach the drama of the space adventure two volumes later.

Through this story, we explore amazing details about our planet. Many technical terms that make this book quite a valuable companion for geology fans or science students who want to learn about our rocks, what constitutes our earth crust and what hides underneath it. And as the author Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degen worked with an associate curator from the Department of Mineral Sciences at The American Museum of Natural History and a Geology Professor at Barnard College, what we get are precise informations about our Earth. Though it is a book that might necessitate multiple readings if you are using it to revise your lessons.

For the prose and story, it is told from the class’s point of view. Speaking in unison; sharing a same common voice. Alongside extra comic book bubbles where, in the illustrations, characters talk to each other.

As for the artwork, it is done in watercolours with pen, alongside colour pencils, gouache, and ink. And within each of them, we are presented the classroom, the protagonists, and their adventures. All under great illustrations that cover either the entire page, or two pages if an action occurs on a long wide scope view or if it evolves progressively (ex: the bus falling down the Earth).

Now for the book’s editions, you might have either paperback or hardcover versions, but also huge volumes that teachers can use to present to a wide group. So depending on the type of volume you want, you can check with your book store if they offer it or not. As for me, I have a paperback edition and the printing is well done. The text is printed at a proper size; easy to read for all readers. Including adults for it presents basic informations about the subjects involved and can be a good reviewer for people who might have forgotten some of their science basics. Especially for the other books that deal with big topics like astronomy, beehives, dinosaurs, water, famous scientists, etc.

In sum, this book, alongside this series, is a great success from Scholastic and its two artists. A valuable educational material alongside an awesome story to read while learning about our world.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Magic School Bus is an adventurous, fresh approach to teaching science to children. The story Inside the Earth is for second and third-grade students. The teacher Ms. Frizzle is having her students move from studying animal homes to earth science. The class is to take a field trip to collect rocks aboard the Magic School Bus. The students first dig through the earth’s crust learning the different layers and different type of rocks. Then the Magic School Bus takes the students through the center of the earth and then out onto a volcanic island. Throughout the entirety of the story, the students in the class are sharing what they are learning and connecting it to real life examples.

The story portrays learning science as an exciting adventure. It shows students taking initiative and being hands-on in their learning experiences.

The illustrations were created to be as realistic as possible to help the reader learn as much as the students in Ms. Frizzle’s class did. The illustrations are colorful and express the storyline in multiple ways. Besides the storyline text, there are thought bubbles, speech bubbles, and additional facts throughout. The book incorporates a lot of ideas and elements. I truly enjoyed this fun yet extremely educational book but do also caution this book to be read by only the appropriate level students. As the wording, throughout (including the text, facts, and speech/thought bubbles) can create confusion for some readers of what to read first and or the sheer amount on every page could simply be overwhelming.

Overall, I think this story is a way to allow students to enjoy reading about science. The plot is not all facts but rather facts learned throughout a wild adventure. This story incorporates imagination into important elements of the science world. I would keep this book specifically and many other Magic School Bus books in my classroom library for students to be able to read.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

We begin the story with Mrs. Firzzles's class learning about the earth and the types of rocks. No one does their homework by bringing in rocks they find so the Frizz decides that a field trip is in order. They all load up into the school bus and spin until they appear in a huge field with shovels and new digging outfits. They all dig and dig until they fall right into a giant cave filled with many types of rocks. They collect sample after sample for the classroom then pile back into the school bus to go deeper. They gro all the way through the earth until they reach the other side and end up on a volcanic island. The Frizz has them get out and collect samples of the obsidian and basalt. Then they hear rumbling and the volcano explodes sending them into the clouds on the bus. When the clouds clear though they are right back in front of the school.
I thought this book was adorable and a perfect way to get kids excited about rocks. Mrs. Frizzle and the kids are hilarious and easy to read about. The illustrations were amazing depicting the scenes and some dialogue that the story doesn’t include. I would highly recommend it.
I will be including this and all of the magic school books in my future classroom library. I could easily use this book in our unit on different kinds of rocks and how they are formed.

[Keilani Crespi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth" follows the class as they journey through the earth in the Magic School Bus and examine different types of rock. Each type of rock is described in scientific terms, and the layers of the earth are outlined as the bus travels through each layer. As the class explores the science of the earth, the earth's layers, and the types of rocks and materials found in the earth, humorous elements are added to engage readers with the fictional class and their exploration led by the Frizz.

A type of book like this that illustrates how a system works and appears is vital to illustrating complex concepts that might otherwise seem abstract for students. As an educator, I would pair this book or a book like it with a unit or lesson covering an abstract concept such as the layers of the earth. Readers who can't see the actual earth's layers can identify the scientific elements in this fictional experience, and have context for what they are learning while being more engaged than they might be with rote memorization and lecture.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was curious to read some of the book series and learn about the character Ms. Frizzle, because someone I know and like a lot (and who is currently running for local office) has evidently been compared to her! I was surprised with how much information is contained in these "E" titles. Lots of big, complex words for young readers! Occasionally Ms. Frizzle is referred to as "The Friz" or "Frizzie," which I found disrespectful, although I suspect it was intended only to be humorous. In any case, I enjoyed reading three books in the series.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

The students in Ms. Frizzle's class take the Magic School Bus deep, deep underground to see rock layers, caves, magma, and even a volcano.
We read this book in first grade reading club. It's level P, so the teacher read the narration and Ms. Frizzle's part, and the students read the kids' speech bubbles and the captions. It was nice that the book had parts for everyone to read.
Here is what we thought:
Emiliano, age 8: This is a good book for kids to read because they can learn about the Earth. My favorite part is going into the Earth. 5 stars.
Fernanda, age 8: It's a good book because you can learn about volcanoes and lava. My favorite part is when the bus is falling through a hole in the rock. 5 stars.
Frances, the teacher: I would recommend this book for anyone in grades 2-5, especially if you are interested in geology. The inside of the Earth is a place we don't usually get to visit, and it's fun to have a book that can take you there. The pictures are especially great!

[Hisyam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niatnya iseng nyari audiobook ahasa inggris yg kosakatanya ringan buat didengerin dan ternyata nemu serial ini. Serasa nemu hidden gem di storytel! kangen juga sama serial kartun ini dan ternyata nemu audiobook nya disana.

Bukunya aku rekomendasiin buat yg mau pertama nyoba audiobook bahasa inggris karena kosakata yg dipakai masih ringan dan mudah dipahami, durasinya juga gak lama, cuma 20 menitan. dan yg terpenting, mengobati rasa rindu dan nostalgia sama kartun ini! Xixi

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite shows as a kid! I always wished my school bus could be magical! In this one the kids go to the center of the earth and learn about rocks and the layers of the earth. Is it just me or are those kids a little cynical and a lot ungrateful? I would go crazy with happiness if I had a teacher like Ms. Frizzle!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My children love these little books. They thoroughly enjoy each and every story, as if they are all unique and individual without any cause for similarity among them. Even though sometimes, they might seem tedious and repetitive to me as a parent, I do enjoy being able to read short-stories to my children that are clean and respective.

[Noelani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic School Bus does it again! I am a BIG fan of Magic School Bus books. Packed with a ton of factual information delivered in Ms. Frizzle’s usual fun fashion, these books are a delight for elementary kids. This book covers so much about earth science from earth layers to different types of rock. It also helps us reinforce young Earth creation, which is not the viewpoint of the series. So even with opposing views in this one area, I would still recommend this series.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book to teach kids about the types of rocks and how they are formed. The layers of the Earth and what rocks are used for are mentioned as well. This is another good field trip with Miss Frizzle!

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

One could safely call this infotainment - educational with entertainment
Quite good although the look lour for Ms Frizzle business grows old very quickly.
Anyway this is book 2 of the series, we will see how long we will keep going for.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really liked this one too. All the sidebar info makes for a challenging read aloud but a good one to go back through and catch more info alone. Takes a subject that could be a little dry and gives it some life.

[Lady Jayme, · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane, but I did learn stalagmite has a ‘g’ for ground and stalactite has a ‘c’ for ceiling - handy! Also, you are always on top of rock, whether you are on land or sea. To quote Greg from Over the Garden Wall - it’s a rock fact!