Magic on the Map #1: Let's Mooove!

Magic on the Map #1

by Courtney Sheinmel, Bianca Turetsky, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator)

Travel around the United States of America with twins Finn and Molly in this new chapter book series that highlights a different state in each book!

Magic and mystery from sea to shining sea!

We must be dreaming! That's what twins Finn and Molly Parker think when they discover a camper in their driveway--and it talks! When the RV transports them to a cattle ranch in Colorado, the twins know something magical has happened. Then the camper disappears, leaving Finn and Molly to wonder . . . how are we going to get home?

Each Magic on the Map book includes a map of the US, a map of the state that Finn and Molly visit, and 10 amazing facts about that state!

Where will Finn and Molly go next? Find out in the next Magic on the Map #2: The Show Must Go On

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Travel, Adventure, Mystery

128 pages, Library Binding

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Born in California. Raised in New York. Went to law school, now write full time. Love: long walks, fresh notebooks, the smell of brownies, pomegranate seeds. Don't love: yogurt, spam (the email kind, and the food kind), deep water, deserted city streets.

Newest book: THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY, co-written with Marie Benedict, available on April 22, 2025.

I love to hear from readers! Email me! Ask a question! I promise to reply.

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly and Finn are twins. On the last day of their second grade school, they arrive home to a camper parked in their driveway which their dad had traded from one of his colleagues to go on family trips. At night, Finn and Molly both decide to check out the camper from inside as they had never been inside a camper before.

They are welcomed by a magical GPS or should I say magical PET that takes them over to Colorado and they experience horse riding on a ranch and also a day filled with other cowboy adventures. Once they help rescue a cow from a bunch of rogue cowboys, they arrive back home from this magical trip.

This was a very fun story that was also informative about American states and the geography. It was good but I think it could have been better.

3 stars

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other people have said as much -- kind of like the Magic Treehouse books, but not as interesting or compelling.

[Erica Sonzogni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wonder what it would be like to travel in a camper? What about a camper that could magically transport to different places in the United States? Finn and Molly, two second grade twins, have this experience when their father brings home an RV. While their mother did not agree with the purchase and wanted the vehicle returned, the twins decided to take it for a test drive prior to its return. Once inside, the camper came to life and whisked the children away to Colorado. Their RV, named PET, told them they had “work to do” in this state and released the children. Immediately, the siblings made friends with the locals and tried to help them keep their prized cow safe. Throughout this journey, they rescue the cow from rogue cowboys, learn about Colorado history and culture, and return safely to their home without their parents’ awareness.

Magic on the Map: Let’s Move is the new Magic School Bus for the United States. As the children travel, they learn about the state in which they are traveling. They discover Colorado’s state flower, state dance, food, and the topography of the area. The chapters are short, the plot is simple, and there are illustrations throughout. Even though this is an entertaining chapter book for young readers, there are still some criticisms that might fluster children. First, while the chapters are short there are many of them which makes the book longer. Young readers will need a lot of stamina in order to read a 100 page book. Additionally, some of the illustrations are irrelevant to the chapter. Different pictures would have helped with comprehension. For example, when descriptions of the state flower or square dancing are mentioned, an illustration would help readers visualize these unknown concepts. Finally, it is not believable that the students are in second grade. They are extremely savvy, knowledgeable, and independent which makes them seem older. Many children enjoy reading about others who are slightly older than them so having Finn and Molly be a few years older would make the story more believable and intriguing for children to read.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up by mistake yesterday in the library and forgot to put it back. Cute short book for elementary children.

[Chesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, light kids’ story of a magical camper transporting 8-year-old twins to an adventure in another state. A few Colorado state facts at the end.

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a really cute read

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud with my 7 year old, he enjoyed it. The kids in the book start in Northeast Ohio which, strangely, the night before we started this is where we spent the night in a hotel. So that was a nice little bonus. We liked this enough to try the next one!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet with a very fun premise! Highly recommend to all my elementary school teacher friends or parent friends looking for something for their new readers!

[Susan Bartol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple story - without out much depth to it and an easy resolution.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Finn and Molly are shocked to find a camper in their driveway when they come home from school. Their dad got it spontaneously for summer vacation, but it sounds like he may be returning it. Both twins sneak out to look around inside during the night. The camper has a weird set of controls in the dashboard and after pressing some buttons it seems that they've turned on something called PET. PET decides to take them on a trip and Finn and Molly suddenly find themselves in Colorado instead of Ohio. They are at a ranch and helping with a cattle drive while trying to figure out how they will get back to Ohio (PET has mysteriously disappeared). Can they help thwart thieves making off with the ranch's prize cow and figure out a way to get home?

This is promises to be a fun series that will teach kids facts about the 50 US States. Things like the state bird, flag, etc are woven into the story and illustrations. And in the back of the book is a 2 page spread with more of those facts for the state highlighted. I think it is kind of funny that the magical camper took the kids to a ranch instead of say a mountain climbing thing or something. I mean, they live in Northeastern Ohio (looks like somewhere around Akron from the map) and cows and farms aren't exactly something that would be unusual for them to see. Unless they never went to another city. (Take it from an Ohio girl, and I grew up in one of the biggest cities.) But cows and cattle ranches do take up a HUGE portion of Colorado (just try driving through the eastern half of Colorado sometime...nothing but cattle ranches as far as the eye can see). Anyway, I guess the book does do a good job of summing up a huge part of Colorado's economy and culture. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the other states. The kids were a nice duo. It's a pretty quick read, and the series does promise to introduce readers to the 50 states in a fun way. Hand this to readers who like light fantasy and exploring new places.

Notes on content: The kids are caught by the cattle thieves at one point and tied up, but are quickly rescued.

[Sandra Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a series of books that would be wonderful for younger, better, readers. The cover says ages 7-10. The premise is sort of like Magic School Bus (MSB). The kids get on the Plant Earth Transport (PET) and travel to an unknown place. But unlike MSB, in these stories the kids have to figure out what they need to do to return home. The story was not scary, but it took some thinking. The children had to figure out a situation and work to a resolution. Something we hope all young people learn to do.
The story was somewhat of interest to me, as an adult, so they are not lame stories. Like I said, this would be a good series for an early reader. The books are a little longer, but lots of white space, so a early reader can feel accomplished in reading their first "novel."

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

New series that uses a magic camper to transport Molly and Finn to a different state. They live in Ohio and the camper takes them to a cattle ranch in Colorado. They can only return after they finish their work there.
Sheinmel weaves in informative text on several topics as the story unfolds. The twins and their friend rescue the prize cow from the outlaw cowboys and return home. Time fluctuates so they get back in the morning and their parents don't suspect anything.
Simple text for mid elementary readers.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I revived an ARC from the publisher of this book. It definitely reminded me of the Magic Treehouse series but a bit more modern. I wish there was more about the PET (camper) as I have students who would be very interested in that!!

Good story, interesting dynamic between the twins. I’ll have my 8 year old read it as well to better get a grasp on what the age group it’s written for think about the concept.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 and 4 for this Magic Treehouse wanna be. However Since this first volume in the series is set in Colorado I moved it to 4. The series is geography and touches on history and I can see it as a 1st grade read aloud and/or second grade guided reader. Didn't quite get to finish it as it is a summer reading prize and I'll have to wait to get a library copy.

[Whitney W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute- my 6 year old who is into vehicles and sports really liked it. I think it’s a good challenging reading level for him as well. He’s not quite ready to read the whole thing by himself but can read some of it by himself and then I read some to him. Thankfully because I got him all 4 books for Christmas:

[Rev Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reminds me a lot of the Magic Tree House series. The RV PET machine was a good idea. The characters are realistic and just waiting for more development. Having read almost all of the Magic Tree House series, I really believe this will be that good or better.

[Teresa Gellenbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve read many similar books (Greetings from Somewhere and Magic Treehouse series) so the overall story line was somewhat redundant for us - siblings, travel, etc. But the story was easy to follow & my 7 year old enjoyed it!

[Cynthia Kirchner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the Magic Tree House series, but a nice change of pace for a read aloud to my my students. The series does take the reader through the United States, with facts about the states, landmarks, etc... which is good for kids to learn these days.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of The Magic Tree House a little bit. I did still enjoy it though. I think it’s a good adventure book for young readers. And I enjoyed the facts about the place where they visited in the back. I think it’s worth it for those younger readers.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun adventure for young readers. The information at the end about the state and the cliffhanger were a nice touch. Illustrations which added to the story. An exciting series with just the right amount of facts and fiction.

[Kristen McBee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. The story isn't that compelling, and we didn't learn as much about Colorado as I expected - not that that's what I was after, but it seems like learning about the states was a bigger deal for this series based on the jacket.

[Carrie Stader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is a fun read that teaches about the US state PET leaves them in to do a job. I personally can't wait to find the next book in this series and join Molly and Finn in learning about another state!

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out strong but then it lost my interest. I hope the twins will be developed more in the coming books.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more, but will keep up with the series. It is on the easy side for 3rd grade, but it fits with our exploration of our country. I wonder what kids will think>

[Julia Crainshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

New series perfect for fans of The Magic Tree House. Grades 1 - 3.

[Anne Afshar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading some children's book to ascertain the grade level --- this is a cute new series that should be fun for kids and educational. Twins, a boy & girl, go out on adventures on a magic camper!

[Ricki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even for a chapter book, this moved too fast with very little explanation of certain plot points.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me of Magic Tree House but no time travelling. The facts Molly shares are kind of annoying (and seem out of place) but it doesn't take away from the story itself.

[Tanya Prax · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the 3rd graders will really like this series!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different version of Magic Tree House. Cute series.