Magic Tree House Collection, Books 1-8

Listening to these first four stories, it's easy to see why Osborne's Tree House series is so popular. Children get to travel across time and space with Jack and Annie, visiting other worlds, which the author brings to life with writing that's informative, fun, and full of details. The author reads the stories herself and does a fine job. She has a pleasant, careful voice and an immaculate sense of timing; she's willing to use lots of imagination in differentiating her many characters, and her Jack and Annie are both likable and believable. Children will enjoy Mary Pope Osborne's pacing, her ability to create suspense, and her knack for bringing history alive in a playful way. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

In this production of the first eight books in the wildly popular Magic Tree House series, author Mary Pope Osborne proves herself to be a narrator who can stand up with the pros. Her voices for Jack and Annie are subtly distinct and pitch-perfect. Annie's voice, in particular, is convincing as a 6-year-old. She delivers Annie's characteristic "Oh, wow!" with such feeling that listeners know something exciting is coming. Osborne also has an excellent sense of pace. She slows down for details and speeds up for action sequences to keep the books moving along. Fans will delight in revisiting these old favorites in audio format, and this production is sure to lure some new fans to the series. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Mary Pope Osborne has written many wonderful books for children of varying ages, but her Magic Tree House books are surely the most popular. Written for readers who have just graduated to "chapter books," they offer simple vocabulary, simple sentences, and limited characters--the same two children go on a series of adventures that all kids dream about, learning some interesting information along the way. Osborne's reading of her stories both enhances and detracts from their success. Although at first the two children, Annie and Jack, sound the same, by the fourth story Osborne has developed more nuance and vocal differentiation for her characters. She reads very slowly, as if to slow, or calm down the action with her pacing, which makes it a wonderful audiobook for children reading along. Unfortunately, her slow, sweet, breathy voice also keeps the (adult) listener from truly engaging in the story. The sound quality is excellent, and the musical flourishes for each story add to the experience. On the whole, children will enjoy these far more than adults. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine