About the Author

MARY POPE OSBORNE is the author of the New York Times number one bestselling Magic Tree House series. She and her husband, writer Will Osborne (author of Magic Tree House- The Musical), live in northwestern Connecticut with their three dogs. Ms. Osborne is also the coauthor of the companion Magic Tree House Fact Trackers series with Will, and with her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce.

SAL MURDOCCA has illustrated more than 200 children's trade and text books. He is also a librettist for children's opera, a video artist, an avid runner, hiker, and bicyclist, and a teacher of children's illustration at the Parsons School of Design. Sal lives and works in New York with his wife, Nancy.

Reviews

Gr 2-4-Jack and Annie head back in history on three challenging missions in these tales (all Random, 2005-06) by Mary Pope Osborne. In Carnival at Candlelight, they're off to Venice in the late 1700s during the annual carnival festivities. They must solve riddles, track down people, and ultimately use magic to fly on a golden lion in order to save the city from flooding. Season of the Sandstorms takes them back 1,200 years to the Golden Age of Baghdad. The pair overcome stubborn camels, wild sandstorms, and bandits to bring a priceless treasure to the caliph. Magic rhymes help them once again, but courage and quick thinking ensure their success. The Night of the New Magicians takes Jack and Annie to the 1889 Paris World's Fair where they must face many challenges while fulfilling their mission from Merlin to meet four new magicians and warn them of the evil sorcerer who is after their secrets. Osbore reads the stories, giving each character a different voice. Although she doesn't have the dramatic polish or depth of a professional actor, there is something special about the author reading her own work, giving voice to the characters as she envisioned them. Young fans of the print editions will enthusiastically welcome the audio version.-Teresa Wittmann, Westgate Elementary School, Edmonds, WA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.