The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes

Magic School Bus TV Tie-Ins

by Joanna Cole, Gail Herman, Bob Ostrom (Illustrations)

Ms. Frizzle's class is having a hard time putting together a giant globe of the world. A piece is missing...an island so new it hasn't been discovered yet! Before they know it, the kids are beneath the oceans's surface, exploring an underwater volcano. Join the class as they learn about volcanoes.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

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

[ramezan · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The MSB books that are based on episodes of the television series are not as good as the original books, but it did discuss volcanoes on the ocean floor accurately. The wit is not as sharp and the illustrations aren't as detailed. I think children would like it, but it isn't as entertaining for adult readers. :)

[Jessica Pinnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic School Bus always has an interactive way to learn about science

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a new island that started with a volcano! Liz the lizard landed there first!

[Megan B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some decent information.

[K Morlando · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love the Magic School Bus series. These books are so informative and visually appealing for readers of all ages.

[Emily Orton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good! It was a fun read and very informational on volcanoes. I would read this to my class when discussing plate tectonics, the earth, and all about volcanoes!

[matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids will read all the Magic School Bus books to the end of time. And this one has volcanoes!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing - this particular book is based on the TV series and it just isn't as good as the original book series.

[Nolan Brendel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it because it taught me about volcanoes.

[Megan Rosario · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids go on an adventure under the sea and learn the inner workings of a volcano and how islands are formed.

[Kayla Fallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book series by Joanna Cole is a fun and adventurous way to get students interested in science and educational topics. In this particular book, Ms. Frizzle's students are piecing together a huge globe of the world but don't have every piece so it falls apart. This happens because there is a new island that hasn't been discovered yet so of course the class takes a field trip. They travel into the ocean and come across an underwater volcano which they soon learn will be an adventure for them. As they travel inside the volcano they learn the concept of plate tectonics and how they shift and also the material and things that volcanoes form. Once this volcano erupts they know have a new island and the students have learned how this is done. The Magic School Bus has been one of my favorite children's books series since I was a child. I always loved the adventures and the idea of a school bus being able to transform as it does and take the students wherever they want. I was always able to grasp concepts better using these books and the TV series because I could visually see it. I feel that these books are great to use in the classroom for projects and just for students to read. I would recommend these books for K-2nd graders. If using in Kindergarten, I would use it as a read-aloud but the other grades could read it on their own. They are good resources for students to use when trying to learn about topics and they are enjoyable for students. I would recommend these books to any student.

[Kristanne Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved the Magic School Bus series! So adventurous. What teacher or student wouldn't want their class to be as exciting?! This particular book, The Magic School Bus Blows It's Top, is all about volcanoes. The children are all so confused when Ms. Frizzle tells them that there is a new island that has yet to be discovered. They want to know more, they want to know how! So of course, Ms. Frizzle takes them on one of her famous field trips. Throughout this whole story, the students in Ms. Friz's class learn all about volcanoes and how the Earth is always changing, even when we do not notice it. This colorful, fun, and adventurous book takes students for a ride as the Magic School Bus goes inside of a volcano. Students learn about earthquakes, and Earth plates, and of course a volcano. After they are blown from the top of the volcano the lave, rocks, ash, magma cools down and the volcano grew bigger and bigger until it became an island. The Magic School Bus books are always fun and educational. They provide and interesting introduction into new topics of learning.

[Rochelle Sondae · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little guy visited me here at the toy store and requested I bring this book to read the next time I came to his house. He enjoyed it although he did have a lot of questions as to how the bus worked and why they were traveling the way they did. As I'm looking back over it I realize we didn't actually finish reading the book. I think we were interuppted by the lunch bell. His Nana runs a tight ship so when lunch is ready we have to stop which means I'll be taking this one back again at some point in the future. I think I'll wait a couple of months because althouh it says RL2 004-008 I feel it's meant for someone a bit older...probably closer to 5/6.

[Stephanie Delvecchio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Once again, Ms. Frizzle gets her class right in the "thick" of things--this time, they're right in the thick ooze of an underwater volcano's magma chamber! As Arnold and Carlos watch from a raft above, the Magic School Bus "erupts" with the magma and lava, and lands atop a brand-new island! Thank you amazon!

Themes: Volcanos, imagination, science, magic

Curricular uses: Read aloud, independent reading

Level: Ages 4-8

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Frizzle and the kids take off on another fictional field trip to learn all about volcanoes. It's a fun and exciting story, based on one of the tv episodes. Our girls just love the Magic School Bus TV tie-in series!

[Little Miss and the Legomeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Magic School Bus books. I've read quite a few over the years. Legomeister loved them a couple of years ago. He still checks them out sometimes, but he doesn't ask me to read them to him anymore. Now it's Little Miss who requests them.

The Magic School Bus kids learn how an underwater volcano turns into and island.

[Rachel Thomas]

title: The Magic School Bus Blows it's Top: A book about Volcanoes (information)
author: Gail Herman
illustrator: Bruce Degen
Publisher: First Scholastic Printing
date: 1996
summary: This book was a cute way to teach about volcanoes. You could use this in a lesson for teaching.

[Molly Darr]

I love The Magic School Bus series. When I become a teacher I hope my classroom is anywhere near that exciting. This is one of the many books in the series discussing volcanoes. The teacher really brings the topic to life with imagination.

[Amber Pound · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of the magic school bus books! They make science fun while still be very educational. They are easy to follow and give enough detail but not too much to overwhelm the kids. This books travels inside a volcano and shows how the lava is stored deep in the Earth!

[Meredith Kaupp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to other Magic School Bus books, this one has fewer facts and much less information. Kids will probably have an easier tome with it because the focus is more on the narrative. It would be a good intro to the series.

[Sarah A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this Magic School bus book harder - not as much science, lots of teasing between the students and it was interesting they chose to talk about an under sea volcano instead of a land volcano. Still a good and interesting read with my little scientist though.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about the magic school bus is in someware????? It blowes it's top!!

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

funny funny little kid book

[Daniela Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

classic

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Frank's favorite Magic School Bus book. It was okay...

[Rachel]

This book is a simple fun story that introduces some great main points and fun facts.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved the Magic school bus series, and enjoyed the adventures with Ms. Frizzle and the class.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

looking closely at science is not what mrs frizzel does she explores science in the real world on a scale that makes everything different and exciting