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Magic Tree House #18
Buffalo Before Breakfast
Hello, buffalo!
That's what Jack and Annie say when the Magic Tree House whisks them and Teddy, the enchanted dog, back almost 200 years to the Great Plains. There they meet a Lakota boy who shows them how to hunt buffalo. But something goes wrong! Now they need to stop a thousand buffalo from stampeding!
That's what Jack and Annie say when the Magic Tree House whisks them and Teddy, the enchanted dog, back almost 200 years to the Great Plains. There they meet a Lakota boy who shows them how to hunt buffalo. But something goes wrong! Now they need to stop a thousand buffalo from stampeding!
87 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
632 people are currently reading
3090 people want to read
About the author
Mary Pope Osborne
526 books2,649 followersMary 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
April 19, 2017
Don't feel like writing a coherent review, but here are some notes:
-There are plenty of indigenous people writing about their own cultures and histories so tbh I don't see the point of anyone else writing "educational stories" like this and profiting off of them unless there's significant collaboration involved. Not to mention a lot of this is inaccurate and/or offensive, sooo.
-This is about two white kids (Jack and Annie) who travel back in time to visit a Lakota encampment. As if Lakota people don't exist today. The fact that they have to time-travel in a magical tree house to interact with indigenous people — instead of stepping out of their backyard to engage with the real world — structures the whole story as fantasy and detaches it from its historical context. There's literally no mention of present-day Lakota people and how colonization has damaged their way of life.
-They travel back to a time "before white settlers" and then at the end return home to an apparently post-colonial world. There's no mention at ALL of colonialism or anything that happened in between, not even in super basic terms that kids could (and should) understand.
-They're only there for ONE DAY and Annie somehow manages to "summon help from the beyond" and get visited by a sacred figure that is supposed to only appear in times of crisis or once in every generation...probably not for a white kid in a frivolous situation
-And omg this is the worst:
Uhh why will everything "vanish"? Another euphemism about colonialism! As if it wasn't a series of calculated moves! No accountability whatsoever here, just a band-aid for white guilt. Major appropriation of a Lakota belief ("the Great Spirit") to make Jack "feel better." ugh uGh UGH. What exactly is this supposed to teach non-indigenous kids (because they are clearly the intended audience)? It seems like it's promoting ignorance, a total lack of reflection and/or action.
/rant
-There are plenty of indigenous people writing about their own cultures and histories so tbh I don't see the point of anyone else writing "educational stories" like this and profiting off of them unless there's significant collaboration involved. Not to mention a lot of this is inaccurate and/or offensive, sooo.
-This is about two white kids (Jack and Annie) who travel back in time to visit a Lakota encampment. As if Lakota people don't exist today. The fact that they have to time-travel in a magical tree house to interact with indigenous people — instead of stepping out of their backyard to engage with the real world — structures the whole story as fantasy and detaches it from its historical context. There's literally no mention of present-day Lakota people and how colonization has damaged their way of life.
-They travel back to a time "before white settlers" and then at the end return home to an apparently post-colonial world. There's no mention at ALL of colonialism or anything that happened in between, not even in super basic terms that kids could (and should) understand.
-They're only there for ONE DAY and Annie somehow manages to "summon help from the beyond" and get visited by a sacred figure that is supposed to only appear in times of crisis or once in every generation...probably not for a white kid in a frivolous situation
-And omg this is the worst:
“Soon everything will change,” [Jack] said sadly. “The buffalo will vanish. The old way of life for the Lakota will vanish, too.”
“But the Great Spirit won’t ever vanish,” said Annie. “It will always take care of Black Hawk’s people.”
Jack smiled. Annie’s words made him feel better.
Uhh why will everything "vanish"? Another euphemism about colonialism! As if it wasn't a series of calculated moves! No accountability whatsoever here, just a band-aid for white guilt. Major appropriation of a Lakota belief ("the Great Spirit") to make Jack "feel better." ugh uGh UGH. What exactly is this supposed to teach non-indigenous kids (because they are clearly the intended audience)? It seems like it's promoting ignorance, a total lack of reflection and/or action.
/rant
November 19, 2020
Osborne has largely steered clear of the history of the Americas in her series, and with good reason: the legacy of colonialism is an enormously difficult subject to approach for any age group.
In the latest story arc of the series, which includes books 17-20, Osborne has finally ventured into the relatively recent American past and the results—at least here—are mixed.
While she describes the mass slaughter of the bison unambiguously, even making the point that it was a military maneuver designed to weaken indigenous resistance to European powers, the larger issue of genocide is ignored completely. Although this doesn't really come as a surprise, I keep hoping that Osborne will sneak something really radical into her books some day.
December 18, 2019
Great adventure!
January 14, 2013
3.5 stars
Lots of good information in this one. Jack and Annie go back in time and spend a day with some Lakota indians. Jack's trusty research book had some great facts to share about the Indians, but they also spent some time with an Indian "grandmother" who taught them some fascinating things about their beliefs and way of life.
The adventure with the buffalo was improbable and somewhat worrisome. I grew up not far from Yellowstone National Park, and we'd visit at least once a year. So perhaps it's my perspective of having "don't go near the buffalo" ingrained into me for as long as I can remember, but their adventure seemed reckless, and the magical rescue misleading. Ugh, I sound like a grown-up...
Lots of good information in this one. Jack and Annie go back in time and spend a day with some Lakota indians. Jack's trusty research book had some great facts to share about the Indians, but they also spent some time with an Indian "grandmother" who taught them some fascinating things about their beliefs and way of life.
The adventure with the buffalo was improbable and somewhat worrisome. I grew up not far from Yellowstone National Park, and we'd visit at least once a year. So perhaps it's my perspective of having "don't go near the buffalo" ingrained into me for as long as I can remember, but their adventure seemed reckless, and the magical rescue misleading. Ugh, I sound like a grown-up...
July 29, 2016
I'm sorry. But I spent the whole book wondering why none of the Lakota people even questioned why there were two little white kids running around the plains all by themselves.
January 24, 2025
I liked this book because it tells you a lot of cool facts.
August 21, 2023
Guys I haven’t read in a month and needed to put something on Goodreads don’t judge me
December 31, 2023
Super random but the repetition in this book was giving smj’s “like calls to like” and it was getting on my nerves a bit
July 5, 2024
Kids loved it
June 5, 2021
This one does not have a fact tracker with it, but alot is covered in Wild West: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #10: Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House, since this deals with the time period just before that. As usual, well illustrated adventure for jack and Annie. These also deal with Native Americans and other minority groups rather well, in my opinion. I like the incorporation of the myths through out this series.
Read
January 6, 2020The novel《Buffalo before breakfast》is talking about Jack and Annie went early 1800s to find the gift from the prairie blue.
At the beginning of the story, they went to the magic tree house and find the Morgan’s instrution and went to the Great Plains.
At the middle of the story, they visit the Native American tribes and learn many ways that how they lives.
At the end of the story, they get the gift from the prairie blue and back to their house.
This story tell us that don’t let the pride led you to show off.
At the beginning of the story, they went to the magic tree house and find the Morgan’s instrution and went to the Great Plains.
At the middle of the story, they visit the Native American tribes and learn many ways that how they lives.
At the end of the story, they get the gift from the prairie blue and back to their house.
This story tell us that don’t let the pride led you to show off.
March 27, 2018
I didn't like this book because I do not like buffaloes charging at me. I enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Annie calmed a bunch of buffaloes down when they were charging at Black Hawk and Jack made Sunlight (a horse that Annie named) go down to the buffaloes and Black Hawk went on to Sunlight.
November 29, 2022
It was interesting, so it was really cool! i hope they break the curse on Teddy.
Read
May 31, 2023I overheard a couple of chapters of this, plus I got the synopsis.
Read
July 10, 2024it is unacceptable to use this book in classroom settings when there are SO many other elementary level chapter books written by actual indigenous people about their culture & history
March 7, 2025
Great book with wonderful information on native Americans. My son learned all about teepees and buffalos.
October 26, 2025
We took our kids to see some Buffalo after reading this and they thought it was amazing. So fun to make their world magical with books and learning!
November 5, 2025
A little simplistic but could probably start some good conversations.
October 12, 2022
Citing this in my thesis
Hoes be like native americans very mystical
Hoes be like native americans very mystical
January 1, 2023
MTH slapped this month
January 16, 2023
I liked that Annie saw
March 12, 2014
Plot:
Jake and Annie go on an adventure back in time to the Great Plains and learn how the Indians obtained their resource and their belief in the Great Spirit. Jack and Annie learned quite a bit from the Indians. It was a simpler time that should've never been disturbed. In my opinion, Indians had it right, and the white man ruined it.
Characterization:
The main characters in “Magic Tree House #18: Buffalo Before Breakfast” are Jack, Annie, Black Hawk,and Grandma. Jack and Annie are two kids from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania ,who travel through time and go on cool adventures to try and help their friend, Teddy. They end up meeting Black Hawk and Grandma who happen to be Lakota Indians.
Setting:
The setting date and time of Jack and Annie's adventure was during the early 1800’s before the white man took the Indians land. This specific tribe was one of the biggest Indian tribes throughout America. They were called the Lakota Indians. The Lakota were very resourceful people. They hunted the great buffalo that roamed the Great Plains in such mass and when they killed they used every last part of the buffalo. For example, the bones of a buffalo would be used as tools, the hide for clothing, and the meat for the feast after a good hunt.
Thematic Connection
I feel the main message in the story of “Buffalo Before Breakfast” is that the Lakota Indians had the perfect set up of living off the land and not wasting any resources. I feel that the Lakota Indians represent how Americans should actually live instead of all the materialistic and wasteful people who have developed over the centuries.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is all around a good book I think it would appeal more towards the younger generation from about 4-12 grade. It's truly a great educational book that teaches you to understand how the Indians lived off the land and how resourceful they were. It's amazing what you can learn from a good book.
Jake and Annie go on an adventure back in time to the Great Plains and learn how the Indians obtained their resource and their belief in the Great Spirit. Jack and Annie learned quite a bit from the Indians. It was a simpler time that should've never been disturbed. In my opinion, Indians had it right, and the white man ruined it.
Characterization:
The main characters in “Magic Tree House #18: Buffalo Before Breakfast” are Jack, Annie, Black Hawk,and Grandma. Jack and Annie are two kids from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania ,who travel through time and go on cool adventures to try and help their friend, Teddy. They end up meeting Black Hawk and Grandma who happen to be Lakota Indians.
Setting:
The setting date and time of Jack and Annie's adventure was during the early 1800’s before the white man took the Indians land. This specific tribe was one of the biggest Indian tribes throughout America. They were called the Lakota Indians. The Lakota were very resourceful people. They hunted the great buffalo that roamed the Great Plains in such mass and when they killed they used every last part of the buffalo. For example, the bones of a buffalo would be used as tools, the hide for clothing, and the meat for the feast after a good hunt.
Thematic Connection
I feel the main message in the story of “Buffalo Before Breakfast” is that the Lakota Indians had the perfect set up of living off the land and not wasting any resources. I feel that the Lakota Indians represent how Americans should actually live instead of all the materialistic and wasteful people who have developed over the centuries.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is all around a good book I think it would appeal more towards the younger generation from about 4-12 grade. It's truly a great educational book that teaches you to understand how the Indians lived off the land and how resourceful they were. It's amazing what you can learn from a good book.
April 5, 2010
In Buffalo Before Breakfast Jack and Annie are sent to a Lakota village where they must earn a gift of courage to help Arthur in Camelot.
Jack and Annie have to tread carefully when making contact with the Lakota villagers. The rely on Morgan's book for how to introduce themselves and how act respectfully and bravely. They meet a boy of similar age who lives with his grandmother.
Together Jack, Annie and the Lakota boy go hunting for bison. The learn an important lesson about the difference between being careful and brave and being careless and brave. The three get carried away with being brave that they end up starting a bison stampede.
It was an interesting introduction to Lakota life as it must have been like before homesteaders started taking over the land. It seemed though simplistic compared to recent books (and later books) in the series. Here they are supposed to be brave but that need is brought on by an act of stupidity. It would have been better if the stampede had been the result of something unrelated.
Jack and Annie have to tread carefully when making contact with the Lakota villagers. The rely on Morgan's book for how to introduce themselves and how act respectfully and bravely. They meet a boy of similar age who lives with his grandmother.
Together Jack, Annie and the Lakota boy go hunting for bison. The learn an important lesson about the difference between being careful and brave and being careless and brave. The three get carried away with being brave that they end up starting a bison stampede.
It was an interesting introduction to Lakota life as it must have been like before homesteaders started taking over the land. It seemed though simplistic compared to recent books (and later books) in the series. Here they are supposed to be brave but that need is brought on by an act of stupidity. It would have been better if the stampede had been the result of something unrelated.
May 29, 2013
Mary (6): 4.5 stars. I say that I'm going to whack you with this Kindle. Hehehehe! What else do you have to say about this book? I liked it when Jack, um, saved, um, Black Hawk from the buffalos and how Annie stopped the stampede with the buffalo woman.
Sam (8): 4.5 stars. I liked it because it gave some more information about buffalo and the, uh, Mary, what were they called? The people? Dad, you better not be writing that. The Lakota? Yes. Okay, what about them? I liked it when Jack saved them. Like, it gives more information about them.
Dave (older): Well, I guess all I have to say is that this is the book the kids wanted me to read, and it's more tolerable than A to Z Mysteries.
Sam (8): 4.5 stars. I liked it because it gave some more information about buffalo and the, uh, Mary, what were they called? The people? Dad, you better not be writing that. The Lakota? Yes. Okay, what about them? I liked it when Jack saved them. Like, it gives more information about them.
Dave (older): Well, I guess all I have to say is that this is the book the kids wanted me to read, and it's more tolerable than A to Z Mysteries.
May 23, 2013
Jack and Annie are on another mission only this time, it isn't like the rest. Teddy, a little dog, has a spell on them and they have to undo it. Morgan La Fey leaves a note in the treehouse on what they need to do. Jack and Annie end up back in time when the buffalo roam the land. They find a tribe that welcomes them. Black Hawk, who's the same age as Jack and Annie, tries to help out the siblings with their mission. Will Black Hawk, Jack, and Annie find out the answers to this riddle? Pick up this book at the local library.
I would recomend this book to kids who like to read about adventures. Each one is something new and exciting!
I would recomend this book to kids who like to read about adventures. Each one is something new and exciting!
September 1, 2024
Uh. Buffalo Before Breakfast was a really cool book because I like that it talks about people and facts about people, and stuff. I think it’s a really good book in general. It’s really cool that they try to make a lot of stuff out of buffalo, so I really recommend you should read this, and have a good day.
February 20, 2017
Libriccino molto molto breve, credo che l'età di lettura sia ancora più bassa di quella che mi aspettassi. Un buono spunto per parlare un po' degli indiani facendo appassionare sia maschietti che femminucce (di solito gli indiani sono "da maschi") in quanto i protagonisti sono fratello e sorella.
February 22, 2021
I really liked this one for the wisdom hidden in Lakota indians' words about life, school, food, soul. Deep questions about our society (and Lakota's) arose in my 5yo's mind and heart after reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews