Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
In the latest offering from the Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne treats readers to an inside look at one of her favorite subjects—the theater. Jack and Annie are whisked back to Elizabethan England where they meet the Bard of Avon himself, William Shakespeare, and luckily for them he is desperate for two small actors for his latest play! A wonderful adventure as well as the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for young readers.

Amazon.com Review:
Spurred on by another mysterious rhyme from Morgan le Fay, the magical librarian of Camelot, siblings Jack and Annie climb into their magic traveling tree house once again, this time on a journey to Merry Olde England--and Shakespeare's theater. Their quest? To find "a special magic" that will, "without wand, spell, or charm / turn daytime into night." Armed only with their backpacks and a book about 16th-century England, Jack and Annie manage to solve the riddle, save a bear from a cruel fate, and make their stage debut in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Following the wildly successful formula of her Magic Tree House series (Earthquake in the Early Morning, Twister on Tuesday, etc.), Mary Pope Osborne delivers another exciting chapter book for young readers (and read-aloud listeners). Additional information about Shakespeare is included, plus a partial list of the more than 2,000 words and expressions he invented. As always, illustrator Sal Murdocca's appealing black-and-white drawings are well matched to Osborne's story. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter

Rating : - Bravo!Mary Pope Osborne Rocks!
This was my first Magic Tree house book and I was really impressed. The story was well-done, and the concept of the tree house time machine reminded me of when I was a kid with a tree house in the woods with books strewn across its floor. In a way, many of us did or do have a tree house time machine to carry us away on wings of imagination, and I guess that's one of the reasons why these books are so popular. Osborne is a skillful writer, and I liked that she was realistic about the medieval culture that the siblings visited while still remaining a children's fantasy. Many young adult books set in medieval times shy away from the fact that civilization smelled horrible in those days and life was lived unhygienically by today's standards. A modern person entering the culture would be shocked by the smell, and most time-travel books ignore this, even the adult ones. But it adds to the suspension of disbelief that in this story, Jack and Annie notice such things.
I also learned things about Shakespeare and his era from this book, even though I've taken classes on the Bard in both highschool and college. Osborne includes facts in an unpatronizing way that really supplements the story. The extra facts listed in the back of the book are a great added bonus, and I'd be willing to bet that most kids read and remember them as well as the story.
I'll be ordering more of these great books next time my kid brings home the old Scholastic form for sure!

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore