Windy Night with Wild Horses

Magic Tree House #39

by Mary Pope Osborne, A.G. Ford (illustrator)

The #1 bestselling Magic Tree House series for chapter book readers is ready to whisk you away across the world with Jack and Annie--this time to rescue little horses! Perfect for readers ages 6-9!

The wind started to blow. . . and a new magical journey unfolds when the tree house lands in Mongolia, Jack and Annie can hear the drum beat of horses hoofs. The little horses of Mongolia are returning from near extinction and the kids get to meet the people who take care of them. But the horses are still in danger with wolves nearby. . . Can Jack and Annie protect the last of the little horses?

Did you know that there's a Magic Tree House book for every kid?
Magic Tree Perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Fact Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures
Graphic Relive the original adventures brought to life with art by Kelly & Nichole Matthews

If you're looking for Merlin Mission #39: Dark Day in the Deep Sea, it was renumbered as Merlin Mission #11 when the series was rebranded in 2017.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Adventure, Audiobook, Chapter Books, Animals, Young Adult

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2024

About the author

Mary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will Osborne.

Reviews

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This continues the helping at national parks/ with rangers quartet. This time it's early 1990's in Mongolia with Takhi wild horses.
This is a decent addition. These are aimed to young readers for sure, but are good for what they are.

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Treehouseluvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gang’s back together! Jack and Annie back at it with another fantastical adventure!!

[Heather]

I didn't realize that the author was still writing books in this series until my daughter brought this book home from her school library. Fun reading the newest in the series.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

CathyR

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I last read a book in this series, so I was pleasantly happy to read something comfortable again.

In this installment, we follow Jack and Annie to Mongolia in 1992. On their adventure they witness the return of the Takhi, wild Mongolian horses. However due to some unfortunate circumstances, a few houses escape into the dangerous night. Jack and Annie sneak away to rescue the escaped horses under Morgan Le Fay’s guidance, the riddle!

Unlike some of the previous installments, this story felt natural. It didn’t try to insert facts; instead it flowed in the dialogue naturally. The dialogues were believable and I loved how each character’s personality started to slightly shine through. This really helped bring out the characters and plot making it an engaging read. Especially with regards to Jack and Annie, because one could easily see they were expressive and supportive of each other most than previous installments. This book definitely felt like an improvement from previous installments and I thoroughly loved the siblings’ relationship in this one.

This series has been around for a while so it’s no surprise the artwork has changed. It’s more detailed and frequent. It’s not overwhelming. It’s placed quite meticulously to highlight key events and details within the story. I also loved how many of the pictures relayed the beautiful scenery instead of picturing a single focus.

The story itself uses simple sentences and descriptive language. It’s easy to read and interweaves facts about the animals, timeline and supporting characters. This installment is heavily centered around dialogues which I personally enjoyed. That said, it’s best to read the previous books in the series. They aren’t critical to the story or related, but they are mentioned and it honestly helps the reader understand Jack and Annie’s journey.

Overall, this was a pleasant read. I enjoyed reading Jack and Annie’s adventure to Mongolia. I loved how curious and respectful they were, as well as enjoyed how the story smartly connects their present time with their adventure.

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who can believe that this is number 39, yes, 39, in this popular series for young readers? Even readers who are unfamiliar with the series or the previous titles will be able to pick this one up without missing a beat. Siblings Jack and Annie are drawn to the treehouse by a golden eagle and then magically transported to Mongolia in 1992, where locals are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Takhi, wild Mongolian horses who have disappeared from their natural habitat and only found in zoos. Some of them are being returned to the reserve, Hustai National Park, to see if they can flourish and restock the area. The youngsters meet Tuya, a local Mongolian girl, who provides background on the wild horses. And then, at night, when part of the herd is threatened by wolves, Jack and Annie rescue them, with help from a mysterious, white stallion. As usual, the plot is simple, fast-paced, and ideal for its intended audience, and the artwork complements the text effectively. It just seemed less engaging and believable to me than some previous titles so it's a 2.5 for me. No matter, young readers will still love the book and series.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
I learned about this series from my 6-year-old son. He loves these books. I liked how the books aren't super long, so emergent readers & younger kids can enjoy them. I liked how the personalities of Jack & Annie are so different. I really enjoyed how the story encompasses books & learning. I liked how the book started where the last one ended. I really enjoyed this book. I'm excited to read the rest of the series. Would recommend.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latest Magic Tree House book. This is fast paced, works just fine as a stand alone and a great addition to the series.

Jack & Annie head to Mongolia in 1992 to see the reintroduction of the Takhi(wild horses) that had been extinct from Mongolia since the 1960s.

I received a free copy of this book from Granite Media.

[Wendell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking for a horse book to read, and found this at the library.

A short simple read, it was enjoyable, and the first and only book I have picked ip from the series. Somethings were a little hard to believe, like everyone speaks English, but for the sake of making the story happen I'll suspend my disbelief.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nice to listen to and there was even a mention of the Thanksgiving story (book #27), but it wasn't anything mind-blowing. I'm glad wild horses are being brought back to their native Mongolia and there's an effort being made to help them survive and thrive

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a large time jump (back to the 1990s), the book covered something I had no idea about.

The group leaders recognizing then overlooking the fact that Jack and Annie were in Mongolia without any parents does stretch credulity a bit more than usual.

[Devorah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the part when they went on a wild journey with the wild horses because it felt really magical, I guess it was really magic. Remember when we were reviewing Dogman and you wrote everything i said. That was really annoying. Can we check out that review.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud to my kids. They enjoyed learning about the horses.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure for Jack, Annie and all the people who read this series. I liked that this one involved horses.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh new adventure and something the kids and I can learn about.

[Hope Anderson (HopelessBookAddict) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Snakestar · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Jack and Annie go to Mongolia as Eco-volunteers to witness the returning of the endangered Takhi (more officially known as the Przwalski Horses) who are the very last truly wild horses.

[➳ Anthony ➳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't believe I made it this far in a single year.
This was a nice one to end the year with.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute story continuing the adventures of Jack and Annie!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

8 year old me would have been all over this

[Pooj · Rating 3 out of 5]

am kinda tired of magic tree house now

[Melissa Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

available filler with libby.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiddo loved everything. She liked how mysterious it was, that they broke a rule to help out, and that there was a mysterious horse on the wind.

[Falon Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

While we listened to this book, Soren muttered “Mongolia” every time it was mentioned in the book.

I liked to see some character development happen for Jack.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Mary Pope Osborne’s chapter book for early readers, Windy Night with Wild Horses, the main characters, Jack and Annie, travel to Mongolia in 1992. AG Ford illustrated the book. June 1992 is the month and year that the Takhi, also known as Przewalski’s horse, was reintroduced to Mongolia. The Takhi evolved in what is now present-day Mongolia. The Takhi had become extinct in the wild in Mongolia by the 1960s due to “hunting, harsh winters, and habitat loss.” Populations of the Takhi are found in zoos worldwide. Osborne writes in the author’s note that the Takhi “is the only truly wild horse on earth. Unlike modern horses, the Takhi cannot be domesticated or tamed.” I thought I knew more about the Tahki than I did, so I learned something from this book. The book covers Mongolian wildlife, including the Takhi, as well as aspects of Mongolian nomadic culture. I am not Mongolian American, so I cannot say for sure, but I thought Mary Pope Osborne’s book, "Windy Night with Wild Horses," was a good introduction to Mongolian wildlife and culture. An educator should pair A Windy Night with Wild Horses with other books on Mongolian wildlife and culture to provide students with more information and context.