A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time (Magic Tree House Series #44) »

Mary Pope Osborne has channeled a lifelong love of exploration and travel into one of the most popular children s book series of the past two decades. With her fantastic Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne keeps the good times rolling for kids all over the world.

Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!

Jack and Annie’s mission from Merlin the Magician? To help the famous writer Charles Dickens! In a magical whirl, the brother and sister are whisked back in time to Victorian England and the foggy streets of London.

There, Jack and Annie discover that Charles Dickens has everything he could possibly want. How can they help him? It is not until Mr. Dickens rescues them from being thrown in jail that they discover his secret past and the sad memories that haunt him. They will need all their magic—and help from three ghosts—to keep the great writer from ruining his life!

Mary Pope Osborne mixes magic, humor, history, a little spookiness, and a lot of heart to create this tale, which celebrates the joys of writing—something she knows a lot about, thanks to millions of readers all over the world!

This is the perfect book for boys and girls about to see the classic play A Christmas Carol.

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Children's Literature

Jack and Annie return to their Magic Tree House for another "Merlin Mission." This time they are whisked to the foggy streets of Victorian England to bring happiness to the famous author, Charles Dickens. When the children find Mr. Dickens' house, the housemaid does not allow them to enter, but Annie comes up with a plan. Disguised as chimney sweeps, the children enter Mr. Dickens' house. When they find Mr. Dickens, he is not interested in talking, and he leaves his house. Annie and Jack follow him. Out on the streets of London, Annie and Jack are accused of stealing a bag and are chased by policeman. To their surprise, Mr. Dickens sees the chase and tells the policeman that he knows the children. Assuming Jack and Annie are poor street children, the author takes them to an inn for some food. There, they learn about Mr. Dickens' sad childhood and his desire to do something good for the poor people in London. He tells the children his words and stories can do nothing to help people and he decides to stop writing. Annie and Jack know they can't let this happen. Using the magic violin that Merlin gave them, they tell Mr. Dickens a story with three ghosts: a ghost from the past, one from the present and one from the future. Jack and Annie's story convinces Mr. Dickens that his writing has value, and that he can teach others about the disparity between the rich and the poor in England. Fast-paced, with just the right touch of action and historical information, kids will breeze through this newest "Magic Tree House" adventure (#44). Reviewer: Jody Little