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The Magic School Bus #7
The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Scholastic is re-releasing the ten original Magic School Bus titles in paperback. With updated scientific information, the bestselling science series ever is back!
Count on Ms. Frizzle to teach anything but an ordinary lesson on meteorology. Flying through the clouds in the Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle's class experiences a hurricane-and even a tornado-firsthand. During their thrilling ride through the sky, Arnold gets lost! Will the Friz be able to save the day this time?
Count on Ms. Frizzle to teach anything but an ordinary lesson on meteorology. Flying through the clouds in the Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle's class experiences a hurricane-and even a tornado-firsthand. During their thrilling ride through the sky, Arnold gets lost! Will the Friz be able to save the day this time?
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Joanna Cole
497 books209 followersJoanna 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
April 6, 2026
"Sorry, I can't go, Ms. Frizzle. I have to sharpen my pencil."Ms. Frizzle's class is learning about the weather and she decides that now is the perfect time to take a trip to the weather station...but of course they can't just roll up to the station in a regular bus.
"But Arnold, maybe we'll have a real adventure."
In that case, I have to sharpen several pencils.
Ms. Frizzle hits a knob and all of a sudden the bus transforms into a weather balloon! Time for the adventure to begin!
Ahhh, I'm slowly running out of Magic School Bus stories and it's making me so sad!
I am wholly enamored with these fun peeks into science topics. I really enjoyed all of the asides written by the students - like an experiment to make air expand using a balloon, a bottle, and a heat source.
But (of course) the field trip couldn't JUST be learning about the weather, Ms. Frizzle needs to inject her signature spin on it and soon the students find themselves swirled up into the hurricane. Yikes!
My favorite part was when Ms. Frizzle marks attendance shortly after the hurricane strikes. I actually laughed out loud when Arnold gets lost in the hurricane and Ms. Frizzle marked him absent from the field trip.
November 12, 2022
My niece & I simply love the Magic School Bus Books!! They are fun, sophisticated & a great way of introducing science concepts to young minds!
August 21, 2020
Okay, this book might win the award for the most extreme field trip on Earth. Ms. Frizzle's class takes a trip inside a hurricane, beginning in a bus turned weather ballon, then falling like rain.
They catch up with their bus as a weather plane and go through the eye of the hurricane.
Along the way, they go inside a tornado and teach lots of facts about the weather.
You're going to learn and enjoy it.
They catch up with their bus as a weather plane and go through the eye of the hurricane.
Along the way, they go inside a tornado and teach lots of facts about the weather.
You're going to learn and enjoy it.
February 25, 2024
The Magic School Bus books are always fun. This one is about weather and a hurricane. Arnold, poor guy, is always the center of the trouble or struggle.
July 28, 2017
What starts as a field trip to a weather station turns into a much more hands-on experience with deadly storms! Flying through the clouds in the Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle's class experiences a hurricane—and even a tornado—firsthand. During their thrilling ride through the sky, Arnold gets lost and the class must follow rescue procedures to save him. In the end, Ms. Frizzle’s class arrives at the weather station, but due to their unconventional field trip, the students can teach the experts a thing or two about hurricanes.
The information presented on weather and hurricanes is accurate and written scientifically (real science terms are used). Nevertheless, the facts are clustered in short bursts of information throughout the book, making it more manageable to take in the information. Aside from some of the students falling into “types,” there is no apparent stereotyping. The organization of the text—vivid, detailed illustrations that will snag and keep students’ short attention spans constantly fed and eager for more—aid in students’ ability to think analytically about the content.
The Magic School Bus TV show was must-see programming, right up there with Wishbone and Bill Nye the Science Guy, when I was a kid. Reading this book brought back memories, but looking at it from a teacher’s point of view, I really see the educational value in the storytelling of Joanne Cole, who found a way to make science topics relatable and comprehensible by wrapping them a modern fantasy narrative.
The information presented on weather and hurricanes is accurate and written scientifically (real science terms are used). Nevertheless, the facts are clustered in short bursts of information throughout the book, making it more manageable to take in the information. Aside from some of the students falling into “types,” there is no apparent stereotyping. The organization of the text—vivid, detailed illustrations that will snag and keep students’ short attention spans constantly fed and eager for more—aid in students’ ability to think analytically about the content.
The Magic School Bus TV show was must-see programming, right up there with Wishbone and Bill Nye the Science Guy, when I was a kid. Reading this book brought back memories, but looking at it from a teacher’s point of view, I really see the educational value in the storytelling of Joanne Cole, who found a way to make science topics relatable and comprehensible by wrapping them a modern fantasy narrative.
April 23, 2010
The Magic School Bus Inside A Hurricane – Joanna Cole
Grade: K-3
Pages: 48
Theme: Hurricane, Schools, Weather
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Response: While I have read several The Magic School Bus books, I haven't seen/read this one beforehand. Didn't even know it was out there. The title itself intrigued me, especially since we live in Florida where hurricanes are an annual "norm" now-a-days. As only The Magic School Bus series can, it's a great way to learn more about hurricanes, both for students and even parents alike, if students take it home to read to their parents. Illustrations are great, and I always love Liz and her mannerisms. It's always the little things that the kids like Arnold and others say that can make me chuckle. More of a modern fantasy, this is also a great science book for lessons.
Class Activity: This book would go along a weather unit. Students would look at newspapers and/or websites such as weather.com or accuweather.com to see what the weather is like in different parts of the state, then country, and then world. A more detailed lesson to go along with hurricanes would include graphing hurricanes from previous years and predicting where they would go before being shown where the hurricane eventually traveled through.
Grade: K-3
Pages: 48
Theme: Hurricane, Schools, Weather
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Response: While I have read several The Magic School Bus books, I haven't seen/read this one beforehand. Didn't even know it was out there. The title itself intrigued me, especially since we live in Florida where hurricanes are an annual "norm" now-a-days. As only The Magic School Bus series can, it's a great way to learn more about hurricanes, both for students and even parents alike, if students take it home to read to their parents. Illustrations are great, and I always love Liz and her mannerisms. It's always the little things that the kids like Arnold and others say that can make me chuckle. More of a modern fantasy, this is also a great science book for lessons.
Class Activity: This book would go along a weather unit. Students would look at newspapers and/or websites such as weather.com or accuweather.com to see what the weather is like in different parts of the state, then country, and then world. A more detailed lesson to go along with hurricanes would include graphing hurricanes from previous years and predicting where they would go before being shown where the hurricane eventually traveled through.
June 19, 2019
I saw this book in a coffee shop while charging my phone. I like reading the science stuff & I even enjoy the unrealistic parts. It’s funny by the end of any “Magic School Bus” book where they do a “disclaimer” noting all the unrealistic stuff or the “don’t-try-this-at-home” stuff.
This book was written in 1995, before Hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, & Harvey. It was very informative & fascinating. I didn’t know before reading this why hurricanes stop after making landfall (warm water from the ocean gives them momentum). Or that the right-front “wing” of the hurricane is the part that packs the most punch as it brings more power from the ocean right into the shore.
It’s also funny to see Ms Frizzle’s outfits. I mean, does she specially design them herself, or does she shop somewhere (online, even) for them? (In 1995, the online option seems less likely.) I wonder how comfortable & practical some of her outfits are. They sure give me some ideas for fun (Halloween) costumes!
This book was written in 1995, before Hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, & Harvey. It was very informative & fascinating. I didn’t know before reading this why hurricanes stop after making landfall (warm water from the ocean gives them momentum). Or that the right-front “wing” of the hurricane is the part that packs the most punch as it brings more power from the ocean right into the shore.
It’s also funny to see Ms Frizzle’s outfits. I mean, does she specially design them herself, or does she shop somewhere (online, even) for them? (In 1995, the online option seems less likely.) I wonder how comfortable & practical some of her outfits are. They sure give me some ideas for fun (Halloween) costumes!
February 21, 2010
This is another fun book in the Magic School Bus series. After reading what seems like a million of these books, I think I'm in the camp that less dialogue is better. It's hard to keep the narrative and conversations flowing smoothly when I read these stories aloud. I don't think it would be nearly as distracting if you read them silently to yourself. So while we read books aloud together, I prefer the ones with more narrative, less dialogue. In addition there are so many fascinating side blurbs (school reports) of info, that it sidelines the story. But our girls love them, so we'll keep reading them, no matter what the format.
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March 9, 2010I can't belive that Mis.Frizzle has that kookey of a bus.iIt is like a nomal school bus but it does cool things like changing into things so cool!Why dosent all the teacher's have one bus like that.In the book they want to take a trip to the wether station. BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO THE WETHER STACION THEY ARE GOING INTO THE AIR IN A HOTAIR BLOON.I would never do that iwould be so scard. i would be like arnold a scarde cat.Then they had to jumped out of the the hotair bloon i could never do that i would be to scared to do that.They jumped into the hurricane into the hurricane.And arnold got lost in the seaand a boat saved him by pulling him in to the boat.An they were going to havea big storm ana big wave is going to hit the lan then they got to the school safe and sound.
September 2, 2016
Ms.Frizzle takes her students into her Magic School Bus and they travel to the inside of a hurricane. The pages of the book are filled with fun facts and trivia at the sides of the pages and there are projects that young readers can easily do at home or at school. I would use this book for a science unit on the weather.
December 9, 2014
We LOVE Magic School Bus. The BEST science books for kids preschool through elementary school. They grow with the child - you can read as much or as little of the detail as you want because it is not included in the story line - it is inserted in "talking windows" like comics, or on "one page reports" given by the kids.
September 8, 2015
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?
And isn’t that what we want with children’s books, for them to leave a positive lasting impression?
February 10, 2015
This book was very informative. I think it would be useful to use to teach about the weather. Although it would not be a good read aloud book I might still have this book on my shelf in my library if I was teaching 4-5th grade.
July 2, 2023
Love all these Magic School Bus books. Great for kids as a way to introduce the sciences in a fun way.
February 9, 2017
My 7 year-old and I love reading these Magic School Bus books together
April 30, 2024
A fun look inside how hurricanes form, with sides of general knowledge about weather and touching on tornadoes. It’s challenging as a read-aloud, with all of the extra notes and student papers in the margins, but a more independent reader would probably get a lot out of this as an overview.
December 28, 2022
This one includes experiments you can do at home!
April 2, 2026
So good!! I think I might get more books in this series. It has so many fun and simple experiments included. My 6 year old wanted to read the whole thing in one sitting.
October 23, 2019
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction-Science Fiction
Awards: None
Audience: Grades 2-4
A) This book falls under the science fiction category of fantasy. For starters, it involves technology that is not currently possible, such as a flying bus that can turn into a hot air balloon. It also involves students flying around in a hurricane to explore it, which is not physically possible. It does involve a concept that could be possible in the future, which is flying cars. I think flying buses is very far down the line, but if they can get cars to fly, eventually I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to get buses to fly as well. Additionally, it explores the scientific topic of hurricanes and how they are created, what they do, and other facts about them. It presents this information through a fictional scenario that is not realistic.
B) There are several areas where the reader is required to suspend belief. For starters, the bus that the students are driving in to get to the science station suddenly turns into a hot air balloon. The reality of a bus flying is already impossible, but then adding the idea that the bus has turned into a hot air balloon creates an even more unrealistic scenario. Then, the students fly into the clouds, which begin to turn into a hurricane. The students begin to fly around the whirlwind of the hurricane, through lightning flashes and thunder. Suddenly, the same bus that was earlier a hot air balloon turns into a plane. Everyone knows how dangerous it is to be anywhere near a hurricane, but additionally, the idea that the students would fall out of the air balloon and be caught by the whirlwinds of a hurricane rather than falling straight to the ground is just not possible or realistic. Finally, a teacher would never fly her students straight into a hurricane. This scenario would never happen in real life, and it is important that the readers recognize this. The author even includes a section in the back of post cards that various students have written to the author explaining which things are not true in the book. The author has responded to these post cards with a note, saying "to all readers: some of the things that happen in this book are make-believe. But of course, all the science is real!"
C) The setting of this book relates to the theme by involving magic in the real world. The "magic" that is taking place is the bus, which turns from a bus into a hot air balloon, and suddenly turns into a flyable plane even though it was stated that the hot air balloon bus "popped". It then turns back into a bus completely undamaged. Additionally, the ability for the students to float around in the whirlwind rather than falling and their ability to survive literally being inside a hurricane is magic within itself. The setting, however, it realistic. At first, they are at the school that the students attend in Mrs. Frizzle's class. Then, they take the bus to the space center and further travel up into the air. It is realistic to be in a classroom and at a space station, and even in the air, although usually if you are in the air, you are on a plane and not riding along a hurricane. The hurricane that occurs in the story is very realistic, as hurricanes occur all of the time. The information presented about hurricanes are accurate and true, but the scenario in which the book is organized is not.
D) The author wishes to convey a general message about hurricanes and information about them. She includes diagrams of how the clouds are formed, where the air goes in a hurricane, how air blows up a hot air balloon, etc. All of the factual information presented in the book is accurate and scientifically proven, so the book is very informational and teaches the topic of hurricanes in a fun and unique way.
This would be a great book to use with students who are learning about hurricanes because it gives so much information about them.
Awards: None
Audience: Grades 2-4
A) This book falls under the science fiction category of fantasy. For starters, it involves technology that is not currently possible, such as a flying bus that can turn into a hot air balloon. It also involves students flying around in a hurricane to explore it, which is not physically possible. It does involve a concept that could be possible in the future, which is flying cars. I think flying buses is very far down the line, but if they can get cars to fly, eventually I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to get buses to fly as well. Additionally, it explores the scientific topic of hurricanes and how they are created, what they do, and other facts about them. It presents this information through a fictional scenario that is not realistic.
B) There are several areas where the reader is required to suspend belief. For starters, the bus that the students are driving in to get to the science station suddenly turns into a hot air balloon. The reality of a bus flying is already impossible, but then adding the idea that the bus has turned into a hot air balloon creates an even more unrealistic scenario. Then, the students fly into the clouds, which begin to turn into a hurricane. The students begin to fly around the whirlwind of the hurricane, through lightning flashes and thunder. Suddenly, the same bus that was earlier a hot air balloon turns into a plane. Everyone knows how dangerous it is to be anywhere near a hurricane, but additionally, the idea that the students would fall out of the air balloon and be caught by the whirlwinds of a hurricane rather than falling straight to the ground is just not possible or realistic. Finally, a teacher would never fly her students straight into a hurricane. This scenario would never happen in real life, and it is important that the readers recognize this. The author even includes a section in the back of post cards that various students have written to the author explaining which things are not true in the book. The author has responded to these post cards with a note, saying "to all readers: some of the things that happen in this book are make-believe. But of course, all the science is real!"
C) The setting of this book relates to the theme by involving magic in the real world. The "magic" that is taking place is the bus, which turns from a bus into a hot air balloon, and suddenly turns into a flyable plane even though it was stated that the hot air balloon bus "popped". It then turns back into a bus completely undamaged. Additionally, the ability for the students to float around in the whirlwind rather than falling and their ability to survive literally being inside a hurricane is magic within itself. The setting, however, it realistic. At first, they are at the school that the students attend in Mrs. Frizzle's class. Then, they take the bus to the space center and further travel up into the air. It is realistic to be in a classroom and at a space station, and even in the air, although usually if you are in the air, you are on a plane and not riding along a hurricane. The hurricane that occurs in the story is very realistic, as hurricanes occur all of the time. The information presented about hurricanes are accurate and true, but the scenario in which the book is organized is not.
D) The author wishes to convey a general message about hurricanes and information about them. She includes diagrams of how the clouds are formed, where the air goes in a hurricane, how air blows up a hot air balloon, etc. All of the factual information presented in the book is accurate and scientifically proven, so the book is very informational and teaches the topic of hurricanes in a fun and unique way.
This would be a great book to use with students who are learning about hurricanes because it gives so much information about them.
November 26, 2018
The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane is an informational yet entertaining book written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen. I have always enjoyed Magic school Bus books because they are so informational and allow readers to learn so much while being entertaining too. This book is about Ms. Frizzle and how she teaches in a very different way. she has a magical bus that can transform and take you anywhere. This time, Ms Frizzle was teaching a lesson on weather. In order to teach about weather, Ms. Frizzle takes the students on a ride in her magic school bus. By going on this magic school bus, the class was able to go into a cloud and learn about it. However, the class ended up getting caught in a hurricane which helped them learn even more facts about hurricanes and weather. Throughout the book, each character had little speech bubbles that contribute to the characters personality. In addition to this, the speech bubbles contain a lot of facts about the topic they are learning about. Every illustration has so much detail because there is a lot going on throughout the book. I really like these books because of how interesting they are and how much you can learn by reading them. I recommend The Magic School Bus for 3rd-5th grade because of how much you learn from them. This Magic School Bus series is one of my favorites.
August 22, 2017
I remember barely reading this book. Mostly the pictures. I loved the TV show and watched all the time.
The kids in Ms. Frizzle's class are doing projects on the weather and she takes them on a trip.
She claims they are going to the weather station. However, they go inside a hurricane and then a tornado.
The illustrations were good and I liked how had extra information on the side. The kids also talk in air bubbles. They know a field trip with Ms. Frizzle will be different. Arnold's always having a hard time though. The bus changes into different things during the trip.
At the end they do go to the weather station and know a ll that the people there did. A great read if want to know about hurricanes and tornadoes too.
The kids in Ms. Frizzle's class are doing projects on the weather and she takes them on a trip.
She claims they are going to the weather station. However, they go inside a hurricane and then a tornado.
The illustrations were good and I liked how had extra information on the side. The kids also talk in air bubbles. They know a field trip with Ms. Frizzle will be different. Arnold's always having a hard time though. The bus changes into different things during the trip.
At the end they do go to the weather station and know a ll that the people there did. A great read if want to know about hurricanes and tornadoes too.
January 21, 2021
When is a book fiction and when is it non-fiction?
This one bleeds between the two, with lots of information about hurricanes but with a fictional story about the character involved, oh and there is that bit about a magic flying bus.
Anyway this is very informative, and educational, but also has entertainment value.
This one bleeds between the two, with lots of information about hurricanes but with a fictional story about the character involved, oh and there is that bit about a magic flying bus.
Anyway this is very informative, and educational, but also has entertainment value.
August 28, 2021
Magic School Bus still slaps! I read The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane as Hurricane Ida made a beeline for us, which definitely made this a nervous, yet fact-filled read. Thank you, Ms. Frizzle for another fantastic field trip adventure complete with science-based fashion choices.
October 14, 2021
Again… apparently our world governments are still not listening, not even in 2010. We’re having more hurricanes now because we screwed up our planet and made hot. So it’s causing more hurricanes.. which Ms frizzle predicted would happen in 1995 if we didn’t clean up our act! science is amazing.
July 6, 2017
I enjoyed this book because I like hurricanes. I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when the Magic School Bus was inside a hurricane.
November 18, 2017
Ms. Frizzle took the kids to see a hurricane this time. I felt a little less interested in this one and think the complexity might be hard for younger children, but it was still good.
December 1, 2017
A fun way to learn about science from the Magic School Bus
January 11, 2020
I always love the magic school bus. There is so much good information presented in a fun manner. I value the explanations of science on an elementary level that I can share with my boys.
March 26, 2020
We love the magic school bus series of books, they are very educational!
October 18, 2020
I read the Chinese version.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews