Summer of the Sea Serpent (Magic Tree House Series #31) »

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 off on another mythical mission at the request of Merlin the magician. Luckily, they have a young sorcerer, Teddy, to help them. From underwater caves to a Spider Queen, from mystical selkies to a magical sword, this is a Magic Tree House adventure kids won’t want to miss!

Kathryn Erskine - Children's Literature

In the third "Merlin Mission" from the "Magic Tree House" series (#31), Jack and Annie travel to a misty seacoast, reminiscent of Ireland or Scotland, to retrieve the Sword of Light. To accomplish their task, they—along with the reader—must solve the clues in Merlin's riddle and face such frightening sounding creatures as the Spider Queen and the Old Gray Ghost. Once in the mystical land, they meet their friend, Teddy, from the second "Merlin Mission," Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve ("Magic Tree House" series #30) and a selkie, a creature who is seal in the water and human on land. The Spider Queen turns out to be helpful and the Gray Ghost merely the fog, but the Sea Serpent itself, who guards the Sword of Light, is a foe until the children realize that the revered sword is special because its purpose is peace, not war. Returning the sword to Merlin, they save the future of Camelot. Although this story is not as compelling or informative as others in the "Magic Tree House" series, it provides the usual adventure and plot that fans are so fond of. 2004, Random House, Ages 7 to 10.