Night of the New Magicians

Magic Tree House "Merlin Missions" #7

by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator)

The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! Merlin sends Jack and Annie on a mysterious mission to Paris, France, over a 100 years ago. There they must find four magicians and give them an urgent message from Merlin himself. When Jack and Annie land in Paris, they make their way to the 1889 World’s Fair. Below the Eiffel Tower, built especially for the fair, there are thousands of exhibits from all over the world. But how will Jack and Annie find the magicians in the crowds of people? And who are the magicians anyway? Jack and Annie are about to find out in another adventure filled with history, magic, and amazing surprises!Formerly numbered as Magic Tree House #35, the title of this book is now Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #7: Night of the New Magicians. Did you know that there’s a Magic Tree House book for every kid? Magic Tree Adventures with Jack and Annie, perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books Merlin More challenging adventures for the experienced reader Super A longer and more dangerous adventure Fact Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventures Have more fun with Jack and Annie at MagicTreeHouse.com!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chapter Books, Adventure, Magic

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

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

[abthebooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still."

This was just as magical as I remember! I was awed by this series as a kid and would devour the books. Nothing has changed! I was in the mood for a bit of nostalgia, so reading this turned me into a little kid again. This was a delightful, light, magical adventure through Paris.

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, Annie and Jack travel to Paris for a World Fair. The fair sounded amazing, bringing inventions, thoughts, and cultures from all over the world gathered at one place. I wish we still had fairs like this. These days capitalism makes people selfish with their knowledge.
Jack and Annie had the chance to meet with some of the world's greatest inventors and learned a lot about the challenges they faced and the words and actions that helped them through it. Sometimes Annie's lack of common sense got annoying, though. It could be innocence, but she NEVER listens to Jack when he tries not to look stupid or bring trouble.
Anyways, some of my favorite lines from the book were, "Problems make us focus our energy," said Merlin. "They help us think more sharply and act more swiftly. Never wish for all your problems to disappear. Problems can help you achieve your goals...."
And that can be very true. We could all learn from this and complain less. Sometimes we should stop focusing on the closed doors in our paths long enough to see the open doors before us. It's very good advice for people of any age.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and Annie go to the France to find 4 magicians.Then went to the tower where a festival was,and they went to many places.They went to buildings and houses and they figured out where the 4 magicians were and they barowed a bike from 2 people and they use s rhyme to get to the tower (it will be at the bottom).Then they climbed a lot of stairs to the top and they went in and they learned there secrets and the Sorcerer came and the magicians frose. The sorcerer was Merlin and they told Merlin there secrets and they use a rhyme to help Merlin home.Then they went home.

here are the rhymes they used (SPIN IN THE AIR,and MAKE SOMETHING DISAPPEAR)

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was underwhelmed by the earlier books in this series, but the "Merlin" books have a little more plot than their predecessors. Jack and Annie remain totally flat characters, but surprisingly, Thomas Alva Edison kind of comes to life.

[Melissa Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if the latest Magic Tree House books have been fueling or satisfying my wanderlust. They are cute little stories set in magical (but real) places. As always, the stories are riddled with facts and history. I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading these stories with my girls.

[Izzy Brogaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response: Reading Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne was interesting. I used to read these books all of the time when I was little, and I thought they were very adventurous. It would be weird to go some of the places the characters go in the books.

Plot: In the book, Merlin sent Jack and Annie on a trip to the Paris World Fair in 1889. They had to find four magicians and their secrets for their inventions. They found out there was an evil sorcerer that invited all of the magicians to a party. Jack and Annie had to be at the top of the Eiffel Tower by ten O’clock. They got there and found all of the magicians but no sorcerer. Eventually, there was a knock on the door. It was Merlin. Merlin was the “evil sorcerer.” He had brought Jack and Annie to meet the magicians, but he needed a way to motivate the kids to find them. After all there was no evil sorcerer, and Jack and Annie were able to meet four magicians.

Characterization: Throughout the book, Jack and Annie were more ambitious to find the magicians before the sorcerer did. At first, they were skeptical about going. They were afraid of the sorcerer. After time, they hurried more. The evil sorcerer was seen by Jack and Annie. He had superpowers was quick. Throughout the story, he disappeared easier and got to the magicians before Jack and Annie even could. At the end of the story, the sorcerer was found to not be evil. He was Merlin, the wizard.

Setting: Night of the New Magicians took place in Paris in 1889. The setting was important because there would be no way that Jack and Annie could meet the magicians in their lifetime.

Thematic Connection: There were a lot of themes in Night of the New Magicians, but a main one was facing darkness. Jack and Annie had to set aside their fears of the evil sorcerer and take care of the problem that Merlin gave them. The evil sorcerer was the darkness they had to defeat.

Recommendation: I would recommend Night of the New Magicians to third graders and beyond, because it was an easy read. I would recommend this book to boys and girls because they might be able to relate to the characters in certain ways. I would give this book three stars.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack & Annie visit the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 to help save 4 "new magicians," who turn out to be Thomas Edison ("Magician of Light"), Louis Pasteur ("Magician of the Invisible"), Alexander Graham Bell ("Magician of Sound"), and Gustave Eiffel ("Magician of Iron").

[Dahlia Quijano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Magic Tree House book. In this book, Jack and Annie went to the World's Fair. I was very surprised by the ending of the book.

[Melainebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un tome de transition qui est très intéressant à découvrir de par leurs rencontres avec les hommes importants de cette exposition universelle 1889.

[Karine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I enjoyed reading about “magicians” found in the story and the amazing lessons each share. We can all learn from each phrase told ...

[Sankalp Saini · Rating 3 out of 5]

My second nostalgia children’s book this Christmas!

[Nakshatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book

fly through the air in a bicycle with Jack and Annie across the Eiffiel Tower...
they have to warn the five magicians of light,magician of sound,magician of the invisible and the magician of iron from a dangerous sorcerer who plans to take all their powers...
the story is full of unexpected turns and fun

I highly recommend this book

[Aneesa]

We are home sick

[Paige Coup]

"Night of the New Magicians" Paige Coup B5 11/9/16
"Night of the New Magicians" by Mary Pope Osborne, Jake was reading a book on the porch and the crickets chirp. Then, the ice cream truck came and Annie came out and told Jake that their mom gave them money to buy ice cream. A stream of light came down from the sky and Jake and Annie knew it was the magic tree house. They went into the tree house and found a pamphlet that said in gold letters Guide book Paris's World Fair 1889. Their mission is to find the four new magicians and stop an evil wizard from stealing their powers. They picked the book and spun around and around and they stopped. Jake and Annie's clothes had change and they looked outside and saw the Eiffel tower. The four magicians are the magic of sound, the magic of light, the magic of metal, and the magic of invisibility and they need to find out their secrets. They need to get to them first and warn them that and evil wizard is going to take their powers away. Jake and Annie went to the world fair and looked around to see any magicians and Annie saw a train, Jake and Annie though if they go on that train they could find the magician, but no luck. They saw the telephone which was invented by Alex Graham Bell. They might have found the first magician and they asked a woman if she seen him and he woman said, "Yes, he just left." Annie asked, "Where did he go?" and the woman said, "He got a letter from a man in a black clock and I don't what the letter said." Annie said, "Thank you." and the woman told them that the man in the black coat went to the hall of machines.  They looked around for the evil wizard and the last three magicians, they found the magic of sound which is Alex Graham Bell.  Then, they saw the exhibit for Thomas Alva Edison, where he had the light bulb, Jake and Annie found out who the second magician is, it is Thomas Alva Edison, he is the magic of light.  Jake and Annie asked Henri where Thomas Edison is, he said,”He left here a short while ago.” Jake asked,” Where is he now?” Henri said, ”I don’t know, all I know is that he was invited to a party and left.” Jake asked if a strange messenger in a cloak delivered the invitation.  Henri said,” Why , yes.” Jake asked where did he go to, Henri said,” He went to the Pasteur Institute.” Jake and Annie went to the Pasteur institute and when they got there the doors were locked, they went to the back door and it was locked and then, came a guard and he asked if they have any diseases and Jake and Annie were werided out and the guard said,” Dr.Pasteur treats those.” and he told Jake and Annie that germs are invisible to the eye.  Jake and Annie found out that Dr.Pasteur is the magician of invisibility, they asked him the same question about where he is and the guard said the same thing.  Jake and Annie asked where did the man in the black clock go to, the guard said,”He went to the Eiffel Tower.” Jake and Annie ran fast as they can because the park closes at 10:00 and they found a man a woman.  Jake and Annie said,” Can we borrow your bike it is really important.” they said,”Yes.” Jake and Annie went fast as the can and then, they used one of the spells to get them there faster.
    I like the part where the magicians aren't magic they are just inventors.  Its because I like that they mixed reality and magic together.  I don’t like the part where no one knows where the inventors are.  It's because no one has seen the inventors all night even when the woman told them where the man in the black coat is.  I would like to change, to see more of the world fair.  Its because we don’t get much information about it or what it is like.
    People who enjoy history, magic, and culture would enjoy this book.  Also, people who like inventing and seeing new places.  It's because this book makes these things happen and it shows back then and today they are still alive to this day.  It shows very many cultures and places where they like to do them.  I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too.

[Sh4h1n4zzz]

Good

[Megan Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night of the New Magicians is another book in the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. This was a very exciting and fun read! The main characters Jack and Annie go to Paris, France 100 years ago. They have to find four magicians and deliver a message to the wizard Merlin. The plot of this book is very exciting and engaging. This will help keep students motivated and engaged to read the book. There are also fun illustrations in the book as well. This book would be great to get students having conversations about problem-solving and about other cultures. Night of the New Magicians is a good early chapter book to transition to more complex chapter books. I will definitely be adding this early chapter book to my future classroom library!

[Zackary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Pope Asborne creates an environment which makes us reflect on life through her own words. In the “Night of the New Magicians” two children, Annie and Jack travel to Paris for the World Fair. The Fair brought inventions, thoughts, and cultures from all over the world gathered to one place. They were told to go to Paris by Merlin the Magician to save four famous magicians, and learn their secrets for her own inventions. The way these children dealt with their magical problems makes us reflect on whether we could have a life like them.

This novel made me wish that Merlin The Magician was my friend. Annie and Jack accidentally found Merlin's lair in the woods, so she had no choice but to let them in on her secret. I’ve given much thought into what we would do if we met each other. First I would take a ride on her flying bike she uses to get around the world at night. The bike she uses is infused with a potion she calls “gravity resistant”; it decreases gravity's effect on the bike allowing it to float and propel forward depending on how much of the potion she uses. I could only imagine what I could do if I had a real magician as a friend.

When reading this book it made me realize that our life isn’t all that interesting. In the modern world, we find interest in sports, competitions, or even taking a vacation from our busy lives. But after watching two kids who are able to ride a flying bike, adventure on multiple missions, and find undiscovered species of animals. I realized there are many things we are missing out on in our everyday lives. One thing from the book that would make our lives more interesting would be the four famous magicians; the magician of Sound, the magician of Light, the magician of the invisible, and the magician of Iron. These four magicians were portrayed to have immense power and have supernatural powers.



This book made me wonder about what life would be like if scientists made astonishing breakthroughs similar to what's portrayed in the “Night of the New Magicians”. Famous scientists including Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Henry Ford all revolutionized the way we live. The Internet, the light bulb, and even cars have had a massive impact on humans, but what has been on the mind of many people is what life would be like if we went beyond our limits. This novel portrays many inventions like the flying bike kids would dream of having in the real world but can’t. Inventions like the flying car, or artificial intelligence seen in movies are the kind of inventions that will better advance society, and make life easier for humans.



This book made me see that Paris is filled with people from all over the world. Two days before the world fair was supposed to take place Annie and Jack stayed in Paris for the first time to see why it was so famous. The kids came across a variety of people who had already set up shop, and decided to live there to see what it had to offer. Pictures from the book showed people from London, Spain, Greece, and even Hawaii who had already begun to spread their culture throughout Paris. Paris is known for the Eiffel Tower, Their French bread, and their historical figures like Napoleon throughout the world. So, this book showed me a different side of Paris, and how culturally diverse it really is.




This book made me believe that I was with Annie and Jack throughout all of their missions. At most times in the book I believed that I was experiencing what they were experiencing , and felt what they felt. The author's words precisely described the setting of each chapter, which created a picture in my mind when I was reading it. The two kids had their first encounter with the magician of the invisible on the streets of Paris while he was performing a magic trick where he would make certain objects invisible. The way Mary Pope Osborne introduced the area he was performing in really made me believe that I was seeing the magic trick with my own eyes.




This book really made me feel the intensity of the missions Annie and Jack went through when looking for the four magicians. Annie and Jack's main goal throughout the book was to complete the mission of saving the four new famous magicians and to learn their secrets. Throughout their adventures they’ve had to endure through dangerous times, as well as enjoyable ones. Merlin gave the kids side missions if they felt ready for it. She told them to go to whatever era they wanted and to report back, but the most exciting part about their trip was trying to keep the secret that they were from the future, despite the dangerous risks. Annie and Jack had to act as if they were from the renaissance era to lower suspicion on them. Through this circumstance, the author set an alarming tone that gave me the intense feeling in the air as the modern folk continued to be suspicious of them.






This book gave me hope that when Annie and Jack finally found all Four of the Magicians, there would be a reunion between them or they would finally get rewarded for their efforts. Annie and Jack were only told to save the four magicians before an evil sorcerer tried to kidnap them and steal their power. But Merlin didn’t tell them what would happen when they actually saved the magicians. This was on my mind the most when reading through the novel. Devices given to them by Merlin already made the book so much more enjoyable, so I wondered and hoped if the magicians would reward them with a special item that would make their adventures more limitless.






The “Night of the New Magicians” was described in a way that makes the reader reflect on their life and their own experiences. This novel made me wish, realize, wonder, see, believe, feel, hope for what was to come. While reading through the chapters I compared Annie and Jack's experiences in their world to my experiences I have daily. This book made me reflect on how our world could be so much better and on how culturally diverse we could be if we just made the changes. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience a world where anything is possible, and anyone can feel like they're watching an invisible magician or a magician who has iron like skin.

[merr · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Problems make us focus our energy. They can help us think more sharply and act more swiftly. Never wish for all your problems to disappear. Problems can help you achieve your goals.” - this is a quote from the book I liked

Merlin has another mission for Jack and Annie, sending them back into time and find the magicians in Paris at a meeting of many famous people from the past. You follow along as they encounter historians, flying magic bikes, and the Eiffel Tower as they race against time. It’s a fun read that stays interesting from start to finish. It’s a good read!

Obviously this is a little different then my usual reading level, but I didn’t read a lot of the Magic Tree House series growing up. So reading these between reads and honestly I’m not disappointed. They’re fun, quick, cool reads that have awesome little illustrations throughout. I don’t have anything bad to say about them, give them a try if you haven’t. They are definitely a cool series and very unique.

[Tamra · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 7-year-old daughter is way into the Magic Tree House series, so I decided to read one. I had my hopes up, since the last series I got into, through her, was Junie B. Jones, and I LOVE Junie B.

However, the Magic Tree House doesn't have much magic, unfortunately. I guess it's just been too long since I liked books without engaging plot lines or characters or descriptions or action. The whole of the book was disappointing.

Partway through the book I thought, "Probably about right here is where a kid would be on the edge of his seat." And then, at the end, when you meet the "New Magicians", that's kinda cool. But not cool enough to make up for the crappy dialouge.

If you took a good fantasy book, dumbed it down and made it an ultra-lame fantasy book, it would become the Magic Tree House series. Bleh. I won't be reading another.

[william edmonds]

Love it

[Nate Beard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didnt like this one.

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this a great book

[Gia Scarsella · Rating 4 out of 5]

✓

[Cyrus A · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is magic? According to the dictionary it is defined as “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. It is making impossible things happen.

Come to think of it, the phone, the light bulb, and the cure to diseases were once impossible. Yet today, we can access them easily. For example, i am holding a phone right now. The first people to have ever seen these inventions were those who invented them. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, while Louis Pasteur invented Pasteurization which kills microbes.


The book we have chosen is one that only lasts 111 pages, one that is a part of a series, and one that is meant for children. It is The Night of the New Magicians, the 35th book of the Magic Treehouse series.
In this story, Jack and Annie travel to Paris dor the World Fair in 1889, they travel there using their magical treehouse. The fair gathered inventions and creations from all around the world. Their main goal is to find 4 magicians before an evil sorcerer tries to get their secrets. It is a “Merlin Mission”, a mission assigned to them by the infamous fictional Sorcerer. They roamed around, trying to figure out who the new magicians are. They climbed 1652 steps of the Eiffel Tower and found out who they are. They were The Magician of Sound, Alexander Graham Bell, The magician of light, Thomas Edison, The invisible magician, Louis Pasteur, and The magician of iron, Gustave Eiffel. They found out that there were actually no magicians but these 4 men who practically created magic. They tell them their “secrets”, taste for adventure, responsibility, determination, hardwork, and ambition.
Soon Merlin arrives and reveals that there was actually no evil sorcerer and that he wanted Annie and Jack to meet these 4 men who they thought were magicians. He tells the children that “without that challenge, they wouldn’t have used their powers of thinking and courage to find the “new magicians”. Problems make us focus our energy, he said. The children go back to the magic treehouse and teleport back to their home, during summertime and plan to get ice cream.


I would say that this book is a candy treat. A candy is a sweet small treat that kids want. They are small, so you’ll only be able to taste them for a few seconds but their sweetness is impactful. This is a book that can be read in one sitting. It is short and imaginative. It uses simple language so that it can be widely read. It is a good book for those who don’t feel the need for read and those who have been in a reading slump. The setting of the Paris World Fair is very captivating. In addition to that it also brings back the enthusiastic energy for adventure that one feels as a child. Personally, it brings back the days wherein I imagined similar adventures as a kid and wondered where did all that enthusiasm go? Back then children’s novels were basically nonexistent but now there are many of them. The only novels to have been published were those that is targeted for more mature audiences. Here in the 21st century, I would say that bookstores have more children’s novels than those considered classics. Yet Reading them shouldn’t be considered a bad thing because a child’s enthusiasm is a wonderful feeling and we often want to experience it again. So, go have a little treat, have a candy .

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the magic treehouse series, not only in Merlin Missions, Jack and Annie found a magic magic treehouse. They soon discovered that in the magic treehouse there were lots of books and when they point to a picture in a book and make a wish to go there the magic treehouse just magically transports them there! They soon learned that this treehouse belongs to Morgan Le Fay. So far they have helped Morgan with a humongous amount of things by going on missions in all places and time periods with the help of the magic treehouse! However in Merlin Missions it is not however Morgan who sends them on these missions, it is Merlin, a fantastic magician. In Merlin Missions Jack and Annie also make two new friends named Teddy and Kathleen. However on these four missions their friends are not going to be with them because Merlin wants to know if they can properly handle using magic. Teddy and Kathleen gave them a book with ten magic rhymes to use on four missions. Each rhyme can only be used once. They already went on two missions and used five rhymes.

In this book Jack and Annie were getting ice cream with the money their mom gave them when they saw that the magic treehouse was back! They decided that they would get ice cream later and first go on a mission. As usual, they found a guide book and a note from Merlin. The note said that on this mission an evil sorcerer would want secrets from four magicians. Jack and Annie need to stop the sorcerer and warn the magicians. They also need to figure out the magician’s secrets to tell Merlin. Jack pointed at the guide book and made a wish. Then the magic treehouse magically arrived at the place they were supposed to be to complete their mission! Jack and Annie soon figured out that they were at a big fair. Their money came in handy since, to complete their mission, they had to get in the fair which needed tickets, and tickets needed money. They even saw the Eiffel Tower and figured out that the Eiffel Tower was built especially for this fair. There were also inventors in this fair. They looked all over for magicians and magic, but didn’t find anything. They even bought tickets for a train so they could see the whole fair, and if there was any magic or magicians. Soon, Jack and Annie figured out that the inventors were the magicians in the note Merlin wrote! The evil sorcerer must think that the things they invent are so impossible to invent that they are like magic, but they are not magic! Jack and Annie set off to find the magicians but they are too late! All the inventors were already invited to a party with the evil sorcerer, and they all left immediately! Jack and Annie really are too late! Where even is the place the party is going to be? Even if they find the party, how will they defeat the evil sorcerer? He is evil! Really evil! Will their own magic in the book Teddy and Kathleen gave them be any use to defeat an evil sorcerer?

[ÂJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is very informational because it talks about the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, France. In the book it talks about two siblings named Jack and Annie that were on a mission to save four magicians from an evil sorcerer. Jack and Annie teleported to Paris, France, where the four magicians were in. When the two found the magicians in the very top of the Eiffel Tower, they realized that they were the famous inventors: Thomas Edison (Inventor of the light bulb), Alexander Graham Bell (Inventor if the light bulb), Dr. Louis Pasteur (Inventor of pasteurization), and the creator of the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel. All four had to tell their secrets of the inventions they made to Jack and Annie before the evil sorcerer arrived so the secrets won’t be stolen by the sorcerer. But Merlin the wizard, Jack and Annie’s friend, was the messenger that gathered the Inventors together to test Jack and Annie for their courage and thinking. Soon, the siblings went back to their own home with the secrets the inventors gave but was actually lessons about to never give up. I think the author’s strengths were creativity and being passionate in her books. This book has both nonrealistic and realistic elements because it talks about real inventors and places and fake wizards and sorcery. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and I hope you could read this interesting book.

[Dr. Danielle Desfosses · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic way to learn of the historic World Fair of 1889 in Paris! *Spoiler Alert * As Jack and Annie unravel their mission’s rhyme, they discover four of the worlds’ most influential magicians: Dr. Louis Pastor, Alexander Graham Bell, Gustav Eiffel, and Thomas Edison. Jack and Annie discover the secrets of the new magicians, which are golden threads of wisdom. This wisdom is their philosophical statements and/or famous quotes, which are conveyed to transmit the values of adventure, responsibility, work ethics, and hope.

Given that Obsorne emphasized the magicians’ success and secrets over the Parisian setting, readers got a tiny taste of Paris through Jack and Annie race across town to reach the Eiffel tower on a tandem bicycle (why didn’t I think of that when I was there! My feet were sore from all the walking!). The Parisian setting could have been conveyed a bit more strongly, however, as Osborne did with Venice in Carnival at Candlelight (Merlin Mission #5).

This is the 7th book I have read in the Merlin Mission Series and I highly recommend reading this book and all previous books in the series.

[Jennifer Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be one of my favorite Magic Tree House books so far! Paris is one of those place I'd love to be able to see one day. But I love that Jack and Annie got to experience the 1889 World's Fair in Paris in this book! They got to see so many new inventions of the time that are common-place in their reality and got to meet four of the most famous inventors of the 19th century! I'd love for a chance to experience a World's Fair, but no one's planning one anytime soon (I really think these Fairs need to be brought back to life).

This book also appealed to the history major/teacher in me because of the people Jack and Annie met as well as the exhibitions they saw. They got to see Edison's light bulb and phonograph, Bell's telephone, Eifel's tower, and Pasteur's lab (though that outside the fair grounds). Those are inventions and inventors I studied in one of my last undergrad history classes as well as inventions that still fascinate me to this day (I mean, really, look at how far we've come with the light bulb, musical recordings, and telephones). I would love to have been in Jack's and Annie's shoes, even if they are fictional characters!

[Rebecca Rowsey]

In this book, Jack and Annie travel to Paris and attend the World Fair, where inventions and cultures from all over are showcased. They were sent by Merlin to locate the mysterious cloaked figure who is trying to find out four magicians' secrets by inviting them to a party. Jack and Annie have to climb all of the steps to the Eiffel Tower to find that the magicians are already at the party and they are too late. The kids figure out that Merlin was the messager and get to meet the so-called magicians of Alexander Bell, Thomas Edison, and others.

I really liked this book. The setting in Paris made it feel magical and exciting. This book also included some historical fiction with the characters of the magicians. It would be a fun, informative read for my students.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diese Buchreihe war meine Kindheit. Da ich damals jedoch nicht alle Bände gelesen hatte, und zurzeit ohnehin in Paris bin, hat es sich angeboten, mal wieder etwas in Nostalgie zu schwelgen und zu diesem Buch zu greifen. Auch wenn es für meinen heutigen Lesegeschmack etwas länger und spannender hätte sein können und man mehr bekannte Orte der Stadt mit in die Geschichte hätte einbinden können, war es dennoch ein schönes Leseerlebnis. Außerdem hat mich der Twist am Ende wirklich überrascht und die eine oder andere Stelle war so toll geschrieben, dass ich sie jederzeit zitieren würde.

Fazit: Inhaltlich vermutlich nicht mein Lieblingsband der Reihe, aber in Wahrheit macht die Vielfalt der Geschichten diese Buchreihe so einzigartig. Ich fürchte, ich muss bald wieder nach Pepper Hill! ;)