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Mary is Featured in The Harvard Crimson: Rekindling Wonder Through Magic Tree House

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:42:10 GMT

Artist Spotlight in the Harvard Crimson: Mary Pope Osborne on Rekindling Wonder through the ‘Magic Tree House’ Series

The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University’s daily newspaper, recently published a thoughtful profile of Mary Pope Osborne and the enduring impact of the Magic Tree House series.

In the interview, Mary shares how the idea for the series first emerged, the research and imagination behind each adventure, and the deeper purpose that has guided her work—helping children cross the threshold into a lifelong love of reading.

Below is an excerpt from the article. You can read the full feature in The Harvard Crimson here.

Returning to Your Magic Tree House

By Audrey A. Chalfie and Laura B. Martens, Crimson Staff Writers

February 3, 2026

A staple of elementary school libraries, Mary Pope Osborne’s “Magic Tree House” series has sold more than 194 million books worldwide. Protagonists Jack and Annie — ordinary siblings from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania — have explored the Egyptian pyramids, traveled aboard the Titanic, and saved their ancestor’s life during the American Civil War, among many other adventures during their seemingly endless childhood.

In spite of the incredible length and breadth of her “Magic Tree House” series, Osborne didn’t expect to be a children’s author. She studied comparative religion at the University of North Carolina and spent a decade writing and publishing retellings of mythology from around the world.

“So when Random House asked me to do a series, at first I didn't want to do a series, because I love doing so many different things. And then I thought, well, what if I did time travel, and I could bring in all these different places I've been writing about and thinking about forever,” said Osborne in an interview with The Crimson.

Osborne’s relationship with her brothers was a crucial part of the development of “Magic Tree House.” “Raised in the military, we always had to move, but we had each other, and most of our life was make-believe and pretend and playing outside,” Osborne said. “So [in “Magic Tree House”] I could play, and have mythology, and world cultures, and history.”

...

After the initial four books were completed, Osborne was under no obligation to continue writing the “Magic Tree House” books. The letters her young readers sent her convinced her to continue.

“I said, ‘I think I have this thing where I can help kids cross the threshold to reading.’ So then, that really became my life,” Osborne said.

Osborne is also passionate about supporting underfunded schools with access to the “Magic Tree House” books.

Independent of her publisher, Osborne created the Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures program in 2012, which gave teachers lesson plans for every single book alongside curriculum guides and grants for underprivileged schools. The program has given 1.3 million “Magic Tree House” books to Title I schools, which are schools that receive federal funding due to their high percentage of low-income students.

“Although the writing is just going on all the time, I was like ‘What's your purpose? What's the meaning of your life?’ I think it was to get kids reading. And now I'm hooked. I can't stop,” Osborne said.

“I think the one reason I keep going and can't stop is that I go to a different place, meet different people, have different settings in every single story. So, I just gobble up the wonder of the world, really, and try to share it,” said Osborne.

This sense of adventure is something that Osborne wants to imbue in the children of today, who may not have had the same wide-ranging childhood that she did.

“This sounds too ambitious, but I'm trying to get kids now out of their fear of the world and out of their consumerism, and look at themselves as doers, even at a young age. They can help the grown-ups, they can learn things and be responsible,” Osborne said.

...

“A lot of time, I meet people in their 20s who come up to me. I’ll meet them at a store, or on the street, or anywhere, and a lot of them get emotional and they’ll say, ‘Oh, you know, I loved your books,’ and I realized early on that it wasn’t my books, and it wasn’t me, it was who they were when they read the books,” said Osborne.

The true magic of Osborne’s books lies in their ability to transport adults back to the wonder they experienced as children, exploring the world and growing up alongside Jack and Annie.

“I think that you want to get back that seven-year-old in yourself as you approach the world, and you have so much more now than you ever had at seven, but sometimes, you’ve lost the seven-year-old in the young adult, and you gotta get it back,” said Osborne.

Mary Pope Osborne Introduces Her Official YouTube Channel

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:27:34 GMT

Mary Pope Osborne Launches her Official YouTube Channel Sharing Stories, Reflections, and Inspiration Behind Magic Tree House

Mary Pope Osborne_Official YouTube Channel

For more than thirty years, Mary Pope Osborne has connected with readers through her Magic Tree House books - visiting schools, responding to letters, and sharing her love of reading and storytelling with classrooms around the world.

Now, Mary is opening a new door for that connection.

Mary has launched an official YouTube channel where she shares both full-length videos and short clips, offering teachers, librarians, families, readers, and longtime fans a chance to hear directly from her.

Through these videos, Mary answers questions from readers, talks about how she writes her books, reads letters she has received over the years, and reflects on the ideas and adventures that inspire the Magic Tree House series.

Some videos offer a behind-the-scenes look at Mary’s writing process, while others highlight the creativity and curiosity that have always been part of the Magic Tree House community. The channel also features interviews, classroom moments, and special projects over the years that are connected to Mary’s work.

In many ways, the channel continues something Mary has always loved most—hearing from readers and responding personally whenever she can.

We invite you to visit and subscribe to Mary’s YouTube channel to follow along with new videos, conversations, and reflections from Mary about the stories, history, and ideas behind Magic Tree House.

Subscribe to Mary’s YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@MaryPopeOsborne_Official/featured

American Theatre Magazine Features MTH On Stage

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:44:11 GMT

American Theatre Magazine Spotlights Magic Tree House On Stage
January 27, 2026

American Theatre Magazine , the leading publication covering the professional theatre world in the UnitedStates, recently featured Magic Tree House On Stage in a thoughtful article about the growing life of the series in theatres. The piece shines a spotlight on the creative team - Will Osborne, Jenny Laird, and Randy Courts - and the collaborative process through which Mary Pope Osborne’s beloved stories are transformed into theatrical productions for young audiences and families.

Below is an excerpt from the feature. Read the entire article here: American Theatre Magazine .

Returning to Your Magic Tree House

In adapting beloved children’s and YA literature to the stage, the powerhouse national MTH On Stage and Chicago Children’s Theatre let presence and play guide their way.

By Gabriela Furtado Coutinho

What is your first artistic memory? We at American Theatre love to ask folks what moment in their youth generated that first spark, what title infected them with the theatre bug. When it comes to the theatre, I recall dancing in the aisles during habitual outings to theatre for young audiences in Rio and, as a toddler, proclaiming I’d make theatre for a living. When I came to the U.S., my love for language and the written word blossomed with The Magic Tree House series and Beatrix Potter books. For some time various theatrical organizations have been fusing these mediums to capture the imaginations of new generations with fantastical page-to-stage shows, created by generous artists determined to empower youth and keep the magic alive. Inspiring me this month in Dramática are the nationwide Magic Tree House On Stage and the local Chicago Children’s Theatre.

Considering that I read and reread all the Magic Tree House books growing up, you can imagine my delight when, at the 2025 TYA/USA Conference, I got to encounter the thriving Magic Tree House On Stage initiative and learn more from its passionate team members. Among them are the effervescent, humble genius Mary Pope Osborne, author of the original books; her multi-hyphenate, music-making husband Will Osborne; versatile multigenre composer Randy Courts; and prolific playwright Jenny Laird (who also happens to be Courts’s wife). The two couples, all dear friends and Berkshires neighbors, speak of one another with profound admiration and demonstrate a fierce commitment to the books’ spellbinding spirit.

For the uninitiated, the Magic Tree House series follows the journeys of siblings Jack and Annie via a mysterious, book-filled treehouse that whisks them from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, to time-traveling adventures around the world—and somehow returns them home in time for dinner. Mary’s nearly 70 fiction books include the original series, magical Merlin Missions for experienced chapter book readers, and a special edition. In addition, Jenny adapted eight of the original into graphic novels alongside illustrators Kelly and Nichole Thomas Matthews, and Mary, Will, and Natalie Pope Boyce have collaborated on a combined nearly 50 nonfiction “Fact Trackers,” which offer companions to each of Jack and Annie’s adventures. While they’re all still typing away on new volumes, there’s also an animated series in the works and, for now, 10 stage shows.

Said Mary, gesticulating with fairytale flair, “I feel like we’re a bunch of elves doing Magic Tree House. Randy and Will renovated a stable that was on Randy and Jenny’s property, not far from us, and made it into a solid music studio that overlooks the hills and pastures. It’s called the Frog Creek Barn, and that’s where they do a lot of work together on the shows. It adds to this surreal feeling!” After a degree in religious studies and some global adventures of her own, Mary launched the series in 1992, hoping to transport kids around the world, introducing them to different cultures and histories through books. Once parents started telling her about the books’ impact on their kids—encouraging literacy and inspiring excitement to learn—Mary accelerated her writing process and felt determined to give even more to young readers.

“We just live in service of trying to serve the spirit and ethos. It’s really Mary’s heart that makes the books so beautiful,” said Jenny, when the author quipped that this creative team “works so hard, and I get so much credit!”

First Book, First Play, First Love

Their practices reflect admirable ethos too, as generosity extends beyond the material itself: They’ve given away more than 1.2 million books since 2012, in a personally funded project led by Mary and Will. They mostly give away books in conjunction with productions, and in many instances students from Title 1 schools who are seeing the show will receive the corresponding book one month in advance. This experience has only bolstered the students’ level of engagement and pride entering a theatre for the first time knowing the story and carrying their very own copy of the book, said Cindy Mill, director of Mary Pope Osborne’s Classroom Adventures Program and Magic Tree House Worldwide. “It might not seem like a big deal to us,” said Cindy, “But for a child to receive a brand-new book who maybe does not have access to that at all times, maybe never owned their own new copy of a book, creates a really significant moment. We’ve watched that experience going into schools.”

Beyond the magic, what’s fascinating about MTH On Stage’s body of work is the flexibility across their offerings. They have five titles fit for regional TYA, including the first, the full-length commercial musical Christmas in Camelot, which they toured to over 50 cities with two-story-high dragons from 2008 to 2009; the Louis Armstrong jazz musical A Night in New Orleans, a collaboration with Ain’t Misbehavin’ co-creator Murray Horwitz and New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint; and the hip-hop extravaganza Showtime With Shakespeare. Licensed through MTI are four additional titles that kids can perform, with adventures among dinosaurs, pirates, and knights. Plus, there’s Jack and Annie’s Literacy Show, a 30-minute two-person mini-musical with audience participation designed for small venues and tours. The flexibility doesn’t stop there: The creative team has worked with individual productions to tailor scripts to each theatre’s needs.

Said Jacqueline Stone, artistic contributor and theatre consultant to MTH On Stage, “The team has been really amazing at being flexible with kinds of scripts, who wants to perform and produce them, and the team is really involved in figuring out different versions of each show that are unique to everyone’s needs.” Plus, the MTH On Stage team creates their very own “classroom adventures” and educational materials that they can collaborate with individual theatres to adapt. Above all, this team wants to play.

Said Cindy, “Mary and the whole team are so excited to get the shows into more theatres around the country, so excited that they’re open to negotiate and work directly with theatres on needs, access, cast, affordability.” On that last point, she added, MTH is willing to work within local organizations’ means: “You hear a lot of big-name brands with big shows, and there’s a big price tag, but we’re not doing that.”

The team shared countless stories that continue to inspire them: audiences’ unbridled joy, untempered imaginations, the “golden confidence” of young people aged 7-8. A child whispering to Mary, “I don’t know if you know this, but I am an author too.” A mother quieting her child, “No, sweetheart, she didn’t write the Bible.” The endless lines of children around city blocks eager to meet the creatives and ask whether the Magic Tree House can take them on an adventure, or take them back in time to see a late grandparent again. The cheers, exclamations, and unison repetitions of familiar refrains from the books.

One audience, they recalled, whipped their heads around during Pirates Past Noon when the characters exclaimed they saw a pirate ship in the distance. “The kids get caught up in the moment during a play, instantly crossing the threshold into another world,” said Mary.

“Maybe that’s why we all love theatre,” added Jenny, mentioning that the four met in theatrical contexts and can now revisit that youthful joy through their audiences. In this world, anything is possible. “It helps us get back to that. We just play.”

...

Where has that childhood gone? If a whole childhood lives in a story, doesn’t that mean we can access it again?

When we return to these beloved classics, we give ourselves a present: the presence of our younger selves. We loosen our inhibitions, gasp to relive the wonder we first felt encountering stories that ignited a lifelong love of the arts. Play by play, family show by family show, we root for characters we knew and return to ourselves a little piece of who we used to be. Mary Pope Osborne has seen countless adults run to her with tears in their eyes, expressing how they miss the books. But she says, “You don’t miss the books—you miss what they held. You miss who you were. And you can have that back.”

MTH Literacy Program for Native American Youth

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 20:51:42 GMT

A Powerful Literacy Partnership

with Eve's Fund: Promoting Native Health and Wellness

We are deeply grateful for Eve's Fund's passion and dedication, not only for getting books into schools throughout the Navajo Nation,

but also for going above and beyond to ensure that students' needs are met. Through their efforts, countless children are able to take books home, explore new worlds, and be inspired to read and learn.

Thank you, Barbara Crowell Roy and Helen Pino for your tireless efforts and for including Magic Tree House in this important work!

Students in Ms. Paula Ladd’s second-grade class at Baca/Dlo’Ay Azhi Community School in Prewitt, New Mexico

enjoying the Magic Tree House books donated by Mary Pope Osborne’s Classroom Adventures program.

Since 2008, Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives has partnered with Mary Pope Osborne to lead a transformative literacy program for Native Youth—part of the nationally recognized Magic Tree House reading initiative. This collaboration blends the beloved book series with culturally grounded teaching strategies to promote reading engagement, academic achievement, and educational equity. Consequently the partnership delivers high-quality books to schools on or near the Navajo Nation, while supporting teachers with resources that empower students to become lifelong readers.

How the Literacy Program Works

At the heart of the initiative is the Magic Tree House Teaching Bookshelf. Through this program, classroom teachers receive 8-10 classroom sets of selected titles so every student can read along together. As a result, these shared reading experiences boost comprehension and classroom participation.

Importantly, the bookshelves remain in schools as permanent resources, ensuring future students have access to valuable titles. Each set Magic Tree House books, are cross curricular therefore teachers can integrate across subjects like reading, science, history, and social studies. To date, more than 10,000 Navajo students have benefited from this culturally responsive and engaging approach.

Advancing Literacy and Equity for Native Youth

This literacy program is carefully designed to meet the developmental and cultural needs of young Navajo readers. Each title supports critical thinking and real-world application, while lesson plans align with state and national education standards.

By providing inclusive, high-quality books to under-resourced schools, the program strengthens education equity and helps students thrive in diverse learning environments.

A Classroom in Action: Baca/Dlo’Ay Azhi Community School

One inspiring example comes from Baca/Dlo’Ay Azhi Community School , where second-grade teacher Paula Ladd leads dynamic, interactive lessons using the bookshelf. Her students explore each book’s themes through reading, writing, science, and art activities.

Supporting Teachers Through Training and Resources

To support successful implementation, Eve’s Fund provides free teacher training—either in person or via Zoom. These sessions cover the use of lesson plans, reading level guides, and curriculum tools tailored for both fiction and nonfiction content. Additionally, teachers are equipped with strategies and materials that make instruction seamless and impactful.

The Classroom Adventures Program: Tools for Teaching Literacy

The Classroom Adventures Program offers a full suite of teaching supports which enhance literacy for Native American youth. Each bookshelf includes companion nonfiction Fact Trackers alongside fiction titles, allowing for cross-curricular instruction.

Additionally, teachers will have access to vocabulary tools, comprehension guides, writing prompts, and printable resources. These tools reinforce key values like empathy, curiosity, and resilience—making each book a springboard for meaningful learning.

Lasting Impact on Navajo Classrooms

The Teaching Bookshelf program leaves a lasting footprint. Students gain confidence and improve comprehension through guided reading. Classrooms retain these books for long-term use, ensuring future students benefit as well.

Importantly, the books reflect the cultural identities of the students while aligning with academic goals—balancing inclusion with academic rigor.

If you are interested in bringing the Magic Tree House Teaching Bookshelf to Navajo students, contact Helen Pino, Program Liaison, at Eve's Fund .

Bringing the Joy of Reading to Kids in Need

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:13:42 GMT

A Remarkable Partnership with First Book

For nearly two decades, Mary Pope Osborne's Classroom Adventures Program (CAP) has been privileged to partner with First Book, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational resources to children from low-income communities. This enduring collaboration has been instrumental in advancing our shared mission: to ignite a passion for reading and learning among children nationwide.

Mary has always believed in the transformative power of books . Her vision is to inspire children not only to read but to love reading and learning. Many years ago, Mary met Kyle Zimmer, CEO of First Book, and found a kindred spirit also committed to their common goal of getting books into the hands of children who need them most.

VIDEO: A short while ago, we recorded a conversation between Mary and Kyle about their mutual appreciation for educators. The video is on our homepage or click here: MARY POPE OSBORNE AND KYLE ZIMMER, IN APPRECIATION OF TEACHERS .

Through the Gift of Books grant program, CAP provides Magic Tree House books to Title I educators across the country. Once a grant is awarded, First Book facilitates the process by guiding teachers to register, obtain a certificate number, and order the books through the First Book Marketplace. This streamlined approach ensures that educators have easy access to Magic Tree House books to inspire their students to read and to learn subjects across the curriculum.

First Book's extensive network, with over 600,000 educators and program leaders, amplifies our reach and impact. Their logistical expertise has been invaluable in collaborating on large-scale book distributions, including city-wide giveaways and collaborations with theaters. For instance, during productions of Magic Tree House shows by organizations like Orlando Shakespeare Theater, First Book coordinates with our team and the theater to distribute copies of the corresponding books to Title I schools attending the performances. This initiative allows students to engage with the books and to watch the stories come alive on stage—a truly magical experience!

Beyond individual distributions, First Book has been instrumental in establishing partnerships with organizations such as JetBlue, Boys and Girls Clubs, United Way, the National Education Association (NEA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). These collaborations have broadened our collective impact, reaching more children and communities. Additionally, Mary and our team set up a Disaster Relief Fund to help address the needs of schools affected by natural disasters and other hardships.

Over the years, Mary and our team's collaboration with First Book has resulted in the distribution of over 1.2 million books to underserved children across the United States. This achievement underscores the profound impact of our partnership with First Book and Mary’s unwavering commitment to get kids to read.

We are deeply grateful for First Book's dedication and support. Their tireless efforts have been essential in bringing the joy of reading to countless children. We encourage everyone to learn more about First Book and support their mission to provide educational resources to children in need.

For a deeper insight into our partnership, we invite you to watch a conversation between Mary Pope Osborne and Kyle Zimmer, available on our homepage. Their discussion offers a heartfelt glimpse into the values and aspirations that drive our collaborative efforts.

MTH On Stage: TYA Podcast with Mary and Will

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:04:38 GMT

A glimpse into the process of adaptation for stage

You can listen to the episode on various podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Buzzsprout.

podcasts.apple.com

buzzsprout.com

In the episode, Mary and Will Osborne discuss their collaborative process of adapting the beloved Magic Tree House series for the stage. They share insights into how they blend storytelling with theatrical elements to create engaging experiences for young audiences. This conversation offers valuable perspectives for aspiring playwrights, educators, and theater companies interested in producing quality children's theater.

For more information on their theatrical adaptations, you can visit the Magic Tree House On Stage website .

From Podcast Host, Scott Savage:

For years I have tried to be lucky enough to talk to these two living legends. If Jack and Annie's adventures with the Magic Tree House mean anything to you, prepare to LOVE this episode of PodcastTYA. This Episode is with Will Osborne, playwright and theatre maker and Mary Pope Osborne, author and historian. The two have collaborated to write books, and then adapt them for the stage using their combined super powers.

This episode is a glimpse into the process of adaptation for stage using some of the highest quality children's literature in the world. Hundreds of Millions of books covering an incredible and vast landscape of history, culture, science, magic and more.

This episode is great for aspiring playwrights with their own creative network, educators seeking material their admin will love to produce, and TYA companies who want to connect great theatre making with widely beloved literature. There's something for everyone.

Be sure to visit MTHOnStage.com to peruse scripts, hear more music, and produce the rights to these excellent works. With nine excellent new works to choose from, you'll have something just right for your community. You won't want to miss this episode that gives deep insight into profoundly creative work.

Commencement Address

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Congratulations to the graduates of the class of 2024. It’s an honor to be with you today. This day celebrates a close of one chapter in your lives, and the beginning of a new one.

I know a bit about ending and beginning chapters, as I’ve been writing Magic tree House chapter books for more than 30 years.

Sometimes when teens and young adults approach me and say they’ve read my books they become quite emotional. I’ve come to realize that’s it not me at all or my Magic Tree House books that has moved them. It’s their memories of who they were when they read the books.

Children who first come to chapter books like mine are usually around seven-years old. They are just emerging from the natural self-centeredness of early childhood and haven’t yet entered the difficult world of peer pressure, cell phones and social media. During this in-between period, children become more focused on the outside world than on themselves.

It’s the time before “the veil of familiarity” has fallen over ordinary life. The simplest things seemed fresh and wondrous. Bird nests, fireflies, stones and rivers. It’s a time when children celebrate the changing seasons and weather – thunderstorms and snowfall.

It’s a time when they feel a natural empathy for animals and other vulnerable beings.

This in-between period is also a time when the imagination most takes flight and children surrender easily to the spirit of play: a picnic table becomes a ship; a treehouse a hidden fort. One is free to be an astronaut, a mountain climber, a knight, a horse, a dog, a movie star.

This is also the time when most children crack the code of reading. They discover that the tiny dark squiggles on a page can quickly turn into running wild horses or talking rabbits. The squiggles can take them to faraway places and still get them home in time for dinner.

Over the last 30 years I’ve met thousands of seven-year-old children in the US and other countries. I have to say they are universally kind and curious no matter where they are from. And often, they seem remarkably confident, seeing me more as a peer than a grownup. “Mrs. Osborne you may not know this,” a third grader once whispered in my ear, “but I’m an author too.” Or, as another child said in a letter, “If you run out of ideas, call me and I might be able to help.” Or as another wrote: “If you keep writing these books I’ll keep reading them. I hope this inspires you to be a better writer.”

But now, let’s fast-forward ten years – and not focus on seven-year-olds, but on seventeen-year-olds.

Year by year, since you were seven, you’ve explored a wider world, and learned more about how it works and how you fit into it.

You’ve developed a voice that can be taken seriously by others.

You’ve gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience.

Think about all you’ve learned just in the last few years at Miss Hall’s.

Perhaps you studied languages and literature, poetry, art, biology, geometry, world history, horticulture, engineering.

All the learning and growing that you’ve accomplished since you were seven is startling. In my opinion, you’ve just passed through the most quickly evolving period in a human life. That’s a miracle in itself.

With all this, you might not feel as exuberant, though, as you did at seven. Maybe that child has fallen into a long winter sleep or hides somewhere, feeling abandoned, longing for a re-enchanted world.

But what I’ve come here to tell you is this: that child still lives inside of you. All that you were when you were first learning to read -- and all the magic of play, imagination, curiosity, wonder and bright confidence – all that is still a part of you and is available to you -- and will be forever.

You can rekindle that light of wonder and look again with amazement at the new worlds you’re about to enter. There is an exhaustible supply of things to marvel over – from the speed of light, migration of butterflies, the teachings of Confucius and Plato, the study of volcanos or dinosaur bones.

In my twenties, when I realized I wanted to be a writer, my orientation to life reversed itself. Instead of figuratively always looking in a mirror, I began training myself to look out at the world instead. I worked as a waitress and bartender at night, but during the day I walked around Manhattan, carrying index cards and a pen in my back pocket and took notes on what I saw, such as “ Asian market, bouquets of tulips and roses” or “a skater in red tights dipping and swirling in the white sunlight ”.

Over the years, I’ve kept dozens of notebooks filled with words or phrases, descriptions of weather and woods. I still make lists of verbs and everyday familiar words that sparkle and crackle with life, like woodbine and filigree. It’s fun to chronicle simple evocative images, like tree shadows, a cold sky, rain on windows. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to look at an ordinary thing as if seeing it for the first time. I live for those moments that bring back flashes of childhood joy and desire.

Your newly-animated child can bring that same enchantment back to your life – to your view of the natural world, as well as your encounters with other people. Embracing life, you don’t immediately need to categorize others or form quick opinions of them; rather you might suspend judgement and pay real attention – attention is all you need to give to the other– the way a child patiently gives full attention to a ladybug walking across a leaf.

Right now as you prepare to enter a new, exciting phase of your life, I ask you to be patient with yourself, take time to daydream and read books just for pleasure, take your seven-year-old self on aimless walks in the woods, look closely at flowers – trust me, the shiny geometry of a simple dandelion will take your breath away.

People Magazine Article

Thu, 23 May 2024 16:41:11 GMT

Magic Tree House Author Mary Pope Osborne Talks About What’s Next for Jack and Annie: 'I Think They Can Go Anywhere' (Exclusive)

By Alexandra Schonfeld, People

The author released the first book of the beloved series more than 30 years ago, and isn't stopping anytime soon.

More than 30 years after Jack and Annie were first introduced to the world in the pages of a Magic Tree House book, author Mary Pope Osborne has no plans of slowing down the siblings’ adventures.

The author, who published the first book of the beloved series — Dinosaurs Before Dark — in 1992, tells PEOPLE that while the first 20 of her now more than 100 titles were “so requested by kids,” she’s now more open to “unknown territory” that might introduce her readers to figures they’ve “never heard of, like Homer who wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey, or Madame Curie in her work with X-rays and so forth."

"The whole thing is to bring forth people who would be helpful today,” says Osborne, 75, "so that ... you can really give kids a kind of a foundation of big points in civilization.”

Osborne says that her eyes were opened to such possibilities after she had the Smith sibling duo travel back to World War II in World at War, 1944 , which also happens to be the author's favorite of the series.

“People said, ‘Okay, I guess Jack and Annie can even go work with the French Resistance, and it's not too impossible to imagine.’ So now I think they can go anywhere,” she says. “I just have to find a way.”

In an upcoming book, Osborne tells PEOPLE that the duo will find themselves scuba diving — a topic she admittedly knows “nothing about.”

“I've been learning and learning and talking to experts,” she says of her process. “But I feel like there's nowhere they can't go, that I can't explore and learn more myself.”

Since that very first book, the series has sold more than 143 million copies and gained the admiration and following of countless fans — a feat Osborne calls “heavenly.”

“It's kind of a miracle,” she says of the ever-growing fanbase around the world. “Because the new readers who are 7 and 8 are just like the ones 32 years ago. There's this perennial population of wonderful human beings, and they're about 7 and 8 years old, and they never change."

“When I meet young adults in their 20s or even early 30s who read the books, and some of them come up to me if they know who I am, and they get very emotional, and what I totally begun to think is that it's not me. It's not that little thin book they read all those years ago. It's them, who they were,” she continues. “And my hope is they tap into that self and incorporate it in their self today, because it's so open and receptive to good things.

She adds, “So yeah, it's heavenly. That's a good word for it, just heavenly to meet the old readers and meet all the little new readers.”

The latest in the series, Windy Night with Wild Horses , was released on May 7, 2024, and follows Jack and Annie as their tree house takes them to Mongolia to protect horses from nearby wolves. Another one of Pope’s latest endeavors has been to give her titles new life by republishing them as graphic novels — something she was initially hesitant to do despite her publisher’s push.

“I said, ‘Well, I don't want kids to not learn to read,’" she recalls. “My big thing is literacy. So then I did some research and I found out that [graphic novels] actually help readers, they help kids who are reluctant to read, get over that hump.”

She says after seeing the artwork imagined by Kelly and Nichole Matthews, who would ultimately illustrate the books, and finding the right person to adapt her original words, she was on board.

“Who can imagine anything that wonderful?,” Osborne says, showing off a “magnificent piece of art” from the first graphic novel she saw finished. “So I'm very, very happy with it now.”

The next title slated to be given the graphic novel treatment is Sunset of the Sabertooth — first released in 1996 — which will hit shelves on Sept. 3, 2024 with illustrations by the Matthewses and adapted by Osborne's best friend, Jenny Laird.

Questions for Mary

Wed, 01 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT

What was your first book?

A Young Adult novel called Run, Run, As Fast as You Can.

What inspires your work?

My imagination, my love of learning and knowledge, my memories and my readers.

Why do you write?

I have an active imagination and find writing a form of play that is fun and exciting and unpredictable.

What are your favorite books?

I have about 100 favorite books. I’m a voracious reader!

Who is your biggest writing influence?

My husband Will has been my first editor for many years. He encourages me and talks to me about my plot and characters. He’s enthusiastic, easy-going and really smart.

What are some writing tips you would give to people wanting to become writers?

Write. Then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. If you get stuck, take a short break – have a cup of tea, walk your dog, make a phone call. When you come back to your work, it’s likely that you’ll no longer be stuck.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I started writing poetry in high school.

What kinds of obstacles did you face when writing?

I can’t think of any real obstacles. I’m pretty kind to myself and have good instincts about knowing when something is working and when something isn’t working. I’ll abandon something that’s not working, but that piece of writing is part of the process that leads me to something that works. I hope that makes sense.

What is your favorite part of being an author?

Getting new ideas and starting to explore and research them. Then spinning a tale out of what I learn.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read a book, take a walk, play with my dogs, spend time with my family and friends.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An actress, a singer, a dancer, a politician, a traveler, explorer, scholar.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Being too judgmental about one’s writing. Just write, write, write. If you keep writing, you’ll get better.

Do you try to be original, or do you deliver to readers what they want?

I write about what really interests me -- but I always try to keep my readers in mind and share my imaginative worlds with them in plain and poetic ways.

Does your family read your books and give feedback?

Yes, as I’ve said I’m very dependent on my husband Will’s good editorial help.

What was your first book?

A Young Adult novel called Run, Run, As Fast as You Can.

What inspires your work?

My imagination, my love of learning and knowledge, my memories and my readers.

Why do you write?

I have an active imagination and find writing a form of play that is fun and exciting and unpredictable.

What are your favorite books?

I have about 100 favorite books. I’m a voracious reader!

Who is your biggest writing influence?

My husband Will has been my first editor for many years. He encourages me and talks to me about my plot and characters. He’s enthusiastic, easy-going and really smart.

What are some writing tips you would give to people wanting to become writers?

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I started writing poetry in high school.

What kinds of obstacles did you face when writing?

What is your favorite part of being an author?

Getting new ideas and starting to explore and research them. Then spinning a tale out of what I learn.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Read a book, take a walk, play with my dogs, spend time with my family and friends.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An actress, a singer, a dancer, a politician, a traveler, explorer, scholar.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Being too judgmental about one’s writing. Just write, write, write. If you keep writing, you’ll get better.

Do you try to be original, or do you deliver to readers what they want?

I write about what really interests me -- but I always try to keep my readers in mind and share my imaginative worlds with them in plain and poetic ways.

Does your family read your books and give feedback?

Yes, as I’ve said I’m very dependent on my husband Will’s good editorial help.

What are some inspirations for Magic Tree House (ie. your pets, family, etc)?

Readers, teachers and parents have continually inspired me over the last 32 years of writing the series. I have traveled all over the US and other countries, visiting schools and bookstores; and I always ask my audiences to vote on subjects and titles I’m thinking of – and give me new ideas as well. Their enthusiasm for the series keeps me writing about Jack and Annie’s adventures.

The Growing Readers Podcast

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:00:00 GMT

A Podcast Interview with Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne on
The Growing Readers Podcast

Originally Published on The Children's Book Review, Mary and Will discuss the journey of transforming the beloved book series into captivating stage musicals, igniting a passion for reading and learning.

Bianca Schulze

Hi, Mary and Will. Welcome to The Growing Readers Podcast.

Mary Pope Osborne

Thank you! It’s great to be here.

Bianca Schulze

It’s such an honor. I mean, I have three kids. Anyone who’s listened to my podcast before knows I talk about my kids on and off, and they all have read the Magic Treehouse series. So, I’m excited to focus our chat today on the adaptations of the Magic Treehouse series into stage musicals and the launch of your new Magic Treehouse onstage website. But before going there, I thought we could do some icebreaker questions. How does that sound?

Will Osborne

Great.

Mary Pope Osborne

Sounds good.

Bianca Schulze

Awesome. Well, I mean, this is a fun one. I’ve noticed that many authors that come on the show have pets at home, many cats and dogs. Do you have any pets?

Mary Pope Osborne

Oh, yes. We have a little Yorkie and a little rescue mix, and they rule our house. In fact, they’re away from us now, back in the back of the house, because they would take over this whole podcast. They think that we work for them, and they have no respect, but they are a delight.

Will Osborne

We’re not big on discipline and training, but we’re really big on love. We just love them like crazy.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, I hear you on that. My dog is also in a separate place for me right now, or she, too, would try to steal the show. What is it that you love about dogs so much?

Mary Pope Osborne

Well, I think because we’re both in the arts and imaginative, we impose a lot of character on them, so we interpret what they’re doing as if they are book characters or film characters, and it makes it so funny.

Will Osborne

Our first dog we had was just one female terrier, and we had her for, what, 16 years?

Mary Pope Osborne

Yeah.

Will Osborne

And then we wound up with two of the same breeds, and we realized that having two, they become a comedy show. They’re hilarious together. So, it’s not just about having a companion; it’s about having constant entertainment. And so now, for a while, we had three, and now we have two.

Mary Pope Osborne

Yeah. And the way they relate to each other just cracks us up. And it seems like the more you impose character on them, the more they live up to their part. So, we always talk about the dogs. It’s really nutty.

Bianca Schulze

I love it. I love it. Well, is there anything that you both do daily that you think would be the most relatable or even surprising to listeners?

Mary Pope Osborne

Well.

Will Osborne

Maybe. I’m also a musician, so I practice guitar daily, and we both read a lot. That shouldn’t be surprising to anybody, but we both love to read and almost always have a book or two or three going, and particularly Mary. The stack of books on her side of the bed, the bedside table, is about to reach the ceiling. It’s kind of ridiculous.

Mary Pope Osborne

I read a lot of things at the same time. I mean, I’ll pick up this book, and then ten minutes later, I’ll pick up that book and then another book. And that’s the way I do research, too, for the Magic Treehouse is I get a great library on my table and lots of pages from the Internet and a lot of sources, and I take a little bit from everything, and I’m totally focused, and somehow they all blend together to give me a kind of sense of the place and what I need to say about it. So, I’m really a very eclectic reader, but I have tons of books going all the time.

Bianca Schulze

I love it. Well, then, if you will describe your big, large stack that you have, so obviously, you can’t name them all. What’s the first title that jumps into your mind? Either something that you’re reading right now or maybe you just finished.

Mary Pope Osborne

Oh, good question. I’m rereading Anna Karenina from Tolstoy. There’s a new translation, so I have that beside the bed, and I have a book about Tolstoy’s biography beside the bed, but that’s there, along with the history of the Middle East and several books of philosophy and several books of painting and arts. So, it’s just such a varied collection. I don’t really read that much popular fiction. I really love old writing the best.

Bianca Schulze

Well, Will, since you have a theater background and music and acting, what kind of role has reading and literature played in your life? Or how do you think it inspired you to sort of become who you became as an adult?

Will Osborne

When I was a kid, I read a lot. And if I was reading a Tarzan book or a book by Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz, and the extended series that came from that, I would then go out in the woods and make up imaginary games, almost always by myself, and a stick would become a sword, a tree would become a knight that I was battling or whatever. And I also always, even as a kid, loved movies and seeing acting. And I knew it was acting. I didn’t make them. I knew I wasn’t watching real life. But I was so fascinated by the process of acting, even as a young kid, that it wasn’t until I was in college that I actually started acting. And that’s played a huge part in my writing. I sort of transitioned from being an actor to a writer some years back. And I think I learned as much about writing from being an actor all those years as I would have had I gotten a degree in creative fiction from some university somewhere, just sort of living in the words of great writers, playwrights, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Tennessee Williams. Just does something to the way you hear language. And I think that’s been hugely important to me, both as a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and lyrics. As a lyricist, there’s a rhythm to language that I’m just fascinated by.

Bianca Schulze

What about you, Mary? Any childhood memory that you think established you as a reader, or did you not consider yourself a reader until you were an adult?

Mary Pope Osborne

Only that through my imagination, I was also interested in theater growing up, and I was always making up characters and telling stories, but out loud and acting them out. And I was an army brat, so I traveled a lot and was always reinventing myself everywhere we moved to. And it was really not until I became a young adult and fell in love with Will that he encouraged me to write. And I started writing. We were living in New York City then, and I’d go up to the rooftop of our old tenement building and, take a tablet in a director’s chair and start writing my first stories. So, it came right out of my imaginative impulses growing up, I think, and theater played a big role in my life.

Bianca Schulze

Well, let’s go back in time a little bit here. So, Mary, if you could take us back to the beginning of the Magic Treehouse series, and I just would love to know how it all got started for you. How did the first story in that magic house come to you? And then the second part of that question is, did you ever imagine from that first story the huge success that the Magic Treehouse would have?

Mary Pope Osborne

No. I had written a number of books already. Random House called me in and said, would you like to do a series for younger readers? And I didn’t really want to do the same thing over and over in a series because I’d always written about history and mythology and young adult novels, and in my reading taste, I was very eclectic in my writing taste. But then I thought if I did time travel, I could do the series because I could go to a different place in every book, but I didn’t know how I’d get the kids back in time. And I tried a magic cellar, magic whistles, a magic artist studio, a magic museum. All those were full manuscripts that didn’t work out, and I was about to give up that project of time travel for younger readers. And Will and I had a cabin in Pennsylvania, and we were walking in the woods, and we saw an old treehouse. And that was a year into me exploring the topic. And instantly, it just sort of fell into place, us talking about it. And then, by the next day, I was off and running with the Magic Treehouse. And no, I was just going to do four books and then get back to my other work. But after four books, something happened that had never happened before. I started getting letters, lots of letters, from teachers and parents and kids, wonderful letters, telling me the books that inspired kids to read or kids sending me their ideas for what I should write about, their pictures, and their own writing. And I signed up to do four more and then four more, and then suddenly, that’s all I was doing. It was just so joyful, and meeting all the readers was just icing on the cake.

Bianca Schulze

That’s fantastic. I think what’s really fun—so with this podcast, everybody’s like, who’s your audience? Pick an audience that you’re speaking to. And the thing with this podcast is that we have so many different kinds of listeners. We have families listening in their cars. We have aspiring authors; we have published authors. We have industry people. So, I feel like what you said is so relevant to everybody in that it took you a while to figure out how to come to this project, and because you stuck with it and you didn’t end up giving up on it, is how we got to where we are. So, thank you for sharing that. It wasn’t so easy to come up with the series in the first place.

Mary Pope Osborne

Well, I tell young readers that sometimes the simplest ideas are the hardest ones to find, and simple is not easy. So not only is it not easy to get a simple idea that has life in it and works, but you have to express that in a simpler way than you would for older readers.

Will Osborne

Then comes the work of refining it. Even after 30 years, any of her books go through six, seven, or eight revisions just based on my input to start with. And then it gets passed on to editors, and we go through that, and it’s never done until the very, very last minute. And there have been so many times when she’s worked on a book, and it’s great. It’s fine, it’s wonderful. But there’s something that’s not quite right, and it’s about to go to the printer. I mean, it’s just on the verge of being out of our hands forever, and something will strike. One of us is like, oh, I know what’s missing in this last scene. And then, just a few paragraphs will make the whole book sparkle.

Mary Pope Osborne

Yeah. Will and I have great chemistry. He’s worked with me on all my books, and probably not counting trades; I have 40 more books. And he’s my first editor for everything. And then I always believe if he sanctions something, I know when to stop. And that’s really important for writers. You have to know when to leave it alone. And he helps me with that, too, as well as my random house editor.

Bianca Schulze

That’s fantastic. Okay, let’s see. All right, so then I want to know, and I think I know the answer to this, but who suggested that the books be turned into a musical? I’m going to guess it was Will.

Will Osborne

Pretty much. I had done a musical with a wonderful composer who’s now one of our closest friends’ ways back in 2000. Oh, it’s probably early 90.

Mary Pope Osborne

92-ish.

Will Osborne

Yeah, 93. And then it was done off-Broadway. And then every time we got together for years after that, we kept saying, oh, jeez, we’d run to each other at openings and stuff, and we said, oh, we got to get together again. We got to do something, do something. So, finally, we settled down to work on a play that was going to be a historical, fictionalized piece of history about the Cardiff giant. And it was fun. It was a fun p. T. Barnum was in it, but we were having some trouble with it. And Mary said, this would probably be great, but, you know, if you did Magic Treehouse, you’d have a built-in audience. You have a framework you can pick up from the books. And the books are very theatrical. There are lots of possibilities for wonderful staging of things. And so, we took about half a second to think and said, okay, toss the other piece away. And then went through. Then, the process was finding which book. How do we get the backstory? How do we get everything together? So, our first criterion was, what is the book with the most theatrical possibilities? And we chose Christmas in Camelot because there’s a huge banquet, there’s a hero’s journey to the other world, there’s magical spells, there are dragons. This is so much in this that we could put on stage that we actually started writing the musical and recorded a cast album before it was ever staged because we wanted to make sure that the music was right. Then, we did a pilot production, the first production, at a theater in Torrington, Connecticut. And it went so well, we decided, well, let’s send this on tour. Let’s do it next year. Let’s take a year to refine everything we know so far. And the next year we used the same theater and put together a touring production that went to 54 cities and had just spectacular effects. We had puppets that were two stories high that were created by one of Jim Henson’s associates. We had a fabulous stage set with a big, burbling golden cauldron full of magical water and castles. And it was just a magnificent show. And it was not a particularly good time to be on the road because the recession was happening, and elections were happening. So, we came back after the year and put everything in storage and then realized that this was so much fun and people seemed to enjoy it so much that this was not the only book that we could adapt, and we could do books that would be more appropriate for children to perform. We could do books that were simpler for communities to stage. And that’s how our whole library now of Magic Treehouse musicals was born.

Bianca Schulze

So fantastic. Do you want to add anything there, Mary?

Mary Pope Osborne

Well, my part in all of this is to just go near the end and see it, and it’s always blowing my mind. It’s always better than my book, frankly. And I just feel like they—Randy Courts and then Jenny Laird, who’s his wife and also a professional playwright—the three of them just take the ball and run with it all the way down the field, and by the time I see the show, I’m in tears. It’s just such a perfect soul and heart of the books. And that’s what I cared about most, is that they keep the life lessons going in the books without being didactic, but just keep it all with a beautiful kind of uplifting feeling. And that’s what they’ve done for all the musicals.

Will Osborne

And you get bits and pieces along.

Mary Pope Osborne

Now and then, they’ll share. They share songs with me, but I can’t picture it all together until I see the whole thing running. But the songs are always a thrill. And you can isolate any of the songs from the shows. There’s about 100 songs they’ve done now for all these shows collectively, and I think any one of them stands alone as just inspiring and wonderful for children.

Bianca Schulze

All right, well, so now you have this new website, which is Magic Treehouse on Stage, and I’ll say the URL for our listeners, which is mthonstage.com. And the new site is a hub that encompasses the full scope of the Magic Treehouse Theater program. So, do you want to talk us through what can be found on the website? And how have you made the musicals accessible for professional theaters, youth theaters, schools, parents, and, of course, our Magic Treehouse fans?

Will Osborne

Okay. Basically, the musicals are divided into two categories. The first is called, we call it theater for young audiences, and they’re designed for professional actors to perform for families and children, and they’re done in regional theaters and on tour and that sort of thing. There are five of those, and then there are four, what you might call kids theater. We work through an organization called Music Theater International for those. And they’re licensed to schools, to community theater groups, and they’re designed primarily for kids to perform for other kids and their families. And the scripts are usually for—those have much bigger casts so that an entire classroom can participate in the performances. So, if there’s an oak tree, it can be like Billy the Oak. So, every kid has a role to play in the kits. Yeah. And those come licensed, as I said, through Music Theater International. And they come with a show kit that includes backing tracks for all the music director’s guides and full scripts. And schools will generally license them with the kit. So, it’s sort of theater in a box, and even for directors who have never worked in theater before, it’s accessible. It’s possible to do. And then theater for young audiences—the scripts are a little more sophisticated. They’re longer.

The kids’ theater, they’re about half an hour. The theater for young audiences is about 40 to 50 minutes to an hour long, so they’re longer. If a theater wants to have an intermission, we can suggest where that can happen. And again, they’re generally for professional actors, even in a community situation, to perform for families and children.

Bianca Schulze

So, I have to ask, in terms of all of the plays, which one has been the most popular or this kind of depends.

Will Osborne

It kind of depends, probably, of the theater for kids; it’s Dinosaurs Before Dark, which was the first book in the series. And kids are always going to love dinosaurs. We have one musical that we did based on A Good Night for Ghosts, which was the Louis Armstrong story, a Magic Treehouse book, and that’s been very popular. The music for that was composed by Allen Toussaint, who some of your listeners will recognize. He just died a few years ago. He’s a legendary New Orleans composer, and we were just blessed to have him for this particular style of music. It was just great. And then, we have a hip-hop musical based on showtime with Shakespeare, which is called Showtime with Shakespeare. It’s based on stage fright on a summer night, which is the magic Triage title. And that was really fun. That was an idea that Randy came up with Randy Courts, our composer friend. What happens if you take Shakespearean language and adapt it to a hip-hop beat and take a Shakespearean. In this case, it’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream, and try to tell that story in the context of the play with hip hop music. And then our most recent one, which I think we’re very proud of, is a book based on a big day for baseball, which is the story of Jackie Robinson’s first day in the major leagues in 1947. And the music for that mixes period music, like big band swing, a little bit of gospel, and it’s just a wonderful story. It premiered in Orlando, Florida, Orlando Shakespeare Theater last year. And Randy and I flew down to see it and couldn’t have been. Actually, it wasn’t Randy; it was our business manager, Cindy Mill, who flew down to see it and just couldn’t have been more pleased. And so that one’s now available for licensing to other theaters.

Mary Pope Osborne

There’s a great Christmas show called A Ghost Tale from Mr. Dickens in which Jack and Annie—my characters—give Charles Dickens the idea for a Christmas carol, and they kind of act out Dickens’s own past, present, and future. And it’s done with violin music. And it’s just a wonderful pre-Christmas show before children really know about the Christmas carol, and they go well together.

Will Osborne

And the great thing about Randy is that as a composer, he finds a sound that’s appropriate to the period for every single show, the whole feeling of the show. So, there was sort of a Victorian feel to the music. In the Dickens show, hip-hop was a step away; although there’s quite a bit of Elizabethan, there are harpsichords and stuff that lead us into hip-hop. And then, like I said, for Jackie Robinson, it’s all period music.

Mary Pope Osborne

Music from the pirates’ musical is a very Caribbean music, with different creatures on the beach and getting ready to be captured by the pirates.

Will Osborne

Sea shanties, songs about parrots and sharks.

Mary Pope Osborne

I think they have a good time in the same way I do of visiting these other worlds. And then you just live in that world completely before you move on to another one.

Bianca Schulze

Yeah, I love that you’ve brought it to life just like if you see a picture book and you’ve got the text, and then the illustrations bring it to life, and then the stage is just that whole next thing, the whole sensory experience of the music and the lighting and, I mean, just magical.

Mary Pope Osborne

One thing it’s beautiful to see little kids performing. And for a lot of them, this will be their one chance in the world because maybe they’re not greatly talented, but it totally doesn’t matter. They’re on stage, whether they’re being a pirate or a crab, whatever they’re being, they feel validated and creative, and their parents are in the audience. And we think it’s the perfect step toward the literacy component that we’re so eager to get going with kids with the books. And it seems that theater and book reading are very interrelated because of the imagination and you have to read to learn your lines, and you get into the words, so they’re good companions for each other.

Will Osborne

I was going to say we love watching kids watching this shows come to life on stage.

Mary Pope Osborne

Kid audiences are so respectful as they watch other kids. You could hear a pin drop, and.

Will Osborne

Then they clap and scream at all the right places.

Bianca Schulze

I love it. All the right places is important. Mary, I’m going to read some words that you’ve shared before. So, quote, live theater stimulates children’s imaginations in ways nothing else can. And when the performance features characters kids know and love from a book, the connections they make are truly magical, unquote. So, what has been the best part of seeing your stories come to life on stage? Is it seeing the kid’s reaction? Is it being able to foster this greater love of literacy skills? What is it for you that has been the best part of seeing them come to life?

Mary Pope Osborne

Well, one wonderful part of it is the ensemble work of a group, so all the kids are respectful, not only in the audience but on the stage with each other. And there’s a discipline to that, and there’s a discipline to learning to read. And when you apply yourself to the arts, you’re moving beyond where you were. You grow. And so, you see children on the stage just becoming older, becoming more serious, becoming more adventurous, the same way you do when a child starts reading a whole book. And so, it’s something very subtle, but it’s very important for development. And I don’t mean that as an educator because I really don’t have that background. I’m strictly in the arts. And that’s why I feel that I have a passion that hopefully is not, to quote, educational. It’s meant to just envelop the child with joy and not with any sense of that. They have to do it as an assignment. It’s for the sake of play, which is really important and which children don’t get enough of. Now, I don’t think the way we did outside and alone, where you get to invent reality.

Will Osborne

It’s a cliche in theater to ask, why do you think they call it a play? Yeah, because it’s play at its best. Theater is play—full of joy.

Bianca Schulze

Also, for me, I think we talk a lot about—with reading books—that it offers experiences. It opens up discussions on topics that maybe you haven’t heard of before. It can teach you about history and past and lessons. We can learn from mistakes and all of that. And I feel as though it can help us process emotions. As somebody who did experience some theater classes and acting classes as a kid, too, I think what stage and theater and acting brings to that next level is in the books. Or if you’re reading a script, you’re maybe touching it and opening up on discussions and thinking about it. When you’re actually doing the play, and you’re playing with it, you’re getting that opportunity to play with emotions and experience the motions, maybe on a more physical level than internally. So, I love the two working together and kids getting to read the books and hopefully getting to step into those characters and actually live those characters, even if it’s for 30 minutes or an hour.

Mary Pope Osborne

Yeah, that’s our dream. I’d say that’s perfect.

Bianca Schulze

So, I have to imagine that creating such a successful brand that it has taken a village. So, you’ve touched on a few of your collaborators, but I would love it if you would talk about some Magic Treehouse team members and what they have helped bring to the Magic Treehouse brand and to its success now.

Mary Pope Osborne

Well, I started out with a wonderful team at Random House: a wonderful editor, Mallory Loehr, and art director and artist, Sal Murdocca. We were a team for a solid 20 to 25 years, but then Will came up with the idea, before the plays, of doing nonfiction books that are companions to the fiction so kids could learn more about all these places Jack and Annie go. So, he became a major player in the team, and he wrote eight of those. And then he left to create a Magic Treehouse planetarium show for the University of North Carolina. And my sister joined the team, and she wrote another 30 to o 40 of the nonfiction books and some activity books. And then Randy Courts and Jenny Laird, a married couple, came aboard, our two closest friends to work with Will on the musicals. So, they’re part of the team, and we have a wonderful person who manages all of these components, and Cindy Mill, who’s our general manager. And there just seems to be a team that never. Nobody’s driven by an ego. The thing is, the treehouse world is all we care about, so we’re all eager to have input into that and to adjust that. But at the same time, everyone stays in their own lanes. So, everybody has their project that they are feeling proud about.

Will Osborne

I know Jenny is doing the graphic—

Mary Pope Osborne

Oh, yes. And Jenny is now adapting my books into graphic novels with a wonderful team of twin sisters who live in Washington state and Kelly and Nicole Matthews. And they have created great, wonderful art of that. And another artist has come aboard for the series.

Bianca Schulze

Is it Ag Ford?

Mary Pope Osborne

Yes, it is.

Bianca Schulze

I love AG Ford’s artwork. Yeah.

Mary Pope Osborne

He’s wonderful. My agent has been the same forever, Gail Hochman. And now I have a new editor, Jenna Lettice, who was Mallory Loehr’s assistant for many years. So, we have this. It’s a few movable parts, but basically, the whole train has been running on the same track for over 31 years, and it’s going to keep running for a while.

Bianca Schulze

That’s fantastic. I think, too, what you said is that collaboration is also knowing that you all stay in your lane. You all know, and I think that part of expanding and growing is knowing our own limitations and when it’s great to share ideas and to expand and know what everybody’s strengths are. And so, I love that you have that. And that’s obviously aided in the success of Magic Treehouse World.

Mary Pope Osborne

Yeah, I think so. There’s an old storyteller adage I read years and years ago, and I certainly use it with the writing team and, I mean, the musical team and the graphics is take my story and make it better. And I’ve been so amazingly blessed to have people do that. So, I don’t feel like anything’s ever gone astray. And it’s probably why we haven’t done film and television and a lot of media because we like doing this ourselves. And until we really get to be a big part of that world, we wouldn’t do it, I don’t think.

Bianca Schulze

Well, I’m going to read a quote that I don’t know. It was either Mary or Will. You shared it with me via email ahead of our conversation. And it’s from the Christmas in Camelot musical adaptation. After Jack thanks Annie for rescuing him from being trapped forever in a Celtic fairy dance. She says that’s okay. You’ve rescued me lots of times. And besides, none of this would be much fun if we were doing it by ourselves. So, after I read that quote, I wondered if it resonates with you because it’s how you feel about working together.

Mary Pope Osborne

Oh, indeed.

Will Osborne

Absolutely.

Mary Pope Osborne

Will had t-shirts made for the entire cast and crew of the big musical we put on the road of Christmas in Camelot. And all the t-shirts said none of this would be any fun if we were doing it by ourselves. So, it’s been our theme, I think, and it’s attracted really wonderful people to the team.

Bianca Schulze

So, Mary, I understand that you have an amazing classroom program, and I just think that any teachers listening, any parents that could forward this along to the teachers of their children, I think they need to know about it. Will you share a little bit about it?

Mary Pope Osborne

Bianca Schulze

I love it. All right, well, before we go, I’m going to ask you each this question, and I’m going to start with you, Will. What is the most important point that you would like the Growing Readers listeners to take away from our conversation today? And feel free to make an awkward pause. That is totally fine.

Will Osborne

I would say. Don’t be afraid to try something new working with kids. In theater, everybody talks about stage fright, and there’s a performance energy and a joy in performing that can completely obliterate stage fright once you’re there and doing it. So, if you have the opportunity to participate in some theatrical endeavor, say yes before you even think about it, and then just dive in with both feet and just do it with joy and commitment and a feeling for your collaborators, whether they’re the director or your fellow performers, and just let yourself have a ball.

Bianca Schulze

Mary, how about you?

Mary Pope Osborne

One important thing, I think, that I always emphasize to kids—to all ages—is to do the work. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, practice, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. But don’t lose a sense of fun. And always remember that creating art is fun. It’s play, as Will said earlier. And if you lose that sense of fun and play, step back, take a pause, take a break. Don’t make it dreadful or horrible for yourself. Make it joyful, but do the work. It’s a combination of discipline and absolutely letting go and being happy.

Bianca Schulze

I love those answers. Well, Will and Mary, thank you so much for spending time with me and spending time with our listeners today. I think just as a parent, not even as I would call myself a literacy advocate, but just as a parent, thank you for creating art in your books, in your plays, and just in a way that is fun and accessible and just encourages our kids to love learning and love playing, as you said. So, thank you.

Mary Pope Osborne

Thank you very much, Bianca. It was nice to meet you.

Will Osborne

Yeah. And I would encourage anybody, even if they’re not a producer or director or even particularly interested in theater, to check out the website because it’s so much fun. It’s colorful. There are pictures from all the shows. There are song samples from all the shows. And if you’re a Magic Treehouse fan in particular, just wander through the website. There’s a lot to see. And you can really have a good time, I think.

Bianca Schulze

Absolutely. And that link is going to be in our show notes, too. So, anybody listening can just toggle into those show notes and click right over. So, thanks for sharing that, Will.

Mary Pope Osborne

Thank you.

Will Osborne

Thank you.

An Insightful Interview with Mary

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 19:17:00 GMT

An Interview with PhD Research Scholar, Siliviya Florance Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women Tamil Nadu, India .

Q1: What inspired you to write stories for children?

MPO: Growing up, I loved playing make-believe games with my brothers, in which we used our imaginations to create different worlds. In my twenties, I fell in love with words and started writing poetry. I copied countless words onto note cards. I chose “living” words that described color, weather, light, smells, sights and sounds. I spent hours in public libraries, too. In the children’s sections, I discovered how authors had used words sparingly to tell highly imaginative tales. These discoveries inspired me to start writing for children. Throughout the next decade, I wrote picture books, young adult novels, history books, retellings of Greek and Norse myths and Medieval tales and American Tall tales. In the 1990’s, I combined my interest in fantastical tales with actual history and added the play-partnership of two siblings, and I started the Magic Tree House series. I’m still writing those books today, still trying to spin “living words” into new worlds of history and fantasy to share with children.

Q2: In Twister on Tuesday, Miss Neely says, "Whatever you teach children today travels with them far into the future." What kind of impact do you believe your books would have on children?

MPO: It’s hard to say, but many young adults I meet today tell me that the series inspired them to love reading and to study history and use their imaginations to write their own stories.

Q3: There is a broad spectrum of genres in literature. What made you choose history as a significant part of your stories?

MPO: I love researching different cultures and different times of history, and then trying to make those subjects come alive for young readers.

Q4: You mentioned in an interview that you aim for "a combination of fun, adventure, and learning." How challenging is it to present a serious subject like history combined with fun and adventure for children?

MPO: One reason I keep writing the series is that I really enjoy the challenge of finding ways to make complex information understandable for young readers. When you study the past, it’s not hard to find historical characters, animals, settings, funny moments and disasters that grab you. I take extensive notes, trusting that the same things that move me will also inspire wonder, fear and awe in my two main characters, Jack and Annie. After months of doing research, these characters take over and start telling the story. Young readers seem to easily identify with Jack and Annie, and therefore, quickly jump aboard and go on their time-travel journeys with them.

Q5: Jack and Annie are two different personalities. What kind of message do you wish to teach children through Jack and Annie?

MPO: Jack is very curious, smart, practical – but sometimes he’s too cautious and insecure. Annie is compassionate, exuberant, fearless – but sometimes she’s too impulsive and leads them into danger. When Jack and Annie are at their best, they complement and balance each other.

Q6: Do you think that magical realism is an effective narrative tool for historical fiction?

MPO: Because I want to paint a fairly accurate historical story, I have to make rules regarding any magic realism involved. For example, I need to say, “This magical thing will only happen if you use this wand or this rhyme or this special flute, etc.”. Even in fantasy, my characters need to stick to the rules, so readers can realistically navigate the story.

Q7: What are your comments on sub-creation and its connection to historical fiction?

MPO: I believe sub-creation might involve creating a complete world that’s different from ours, which involves fantasy; while historical fiction basically takes place in our world, but in the past. Simplistically, the tree house and its Arthurian world are part of a sub-creation; while at the same time, Jack and Annie adventures involve historical settings and details from our real world.

Q8: What are the difficulties you face as a writer of historical fiction? Especially for children. Do you believe that stories of the past could influence young readers?

MPO: I think it’s important for kids to learn about the past and become acquainted with George Washington, Louis Armstrong, Florence Nightingale, Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle, Mozart, the Taj Mahal, Basho, the Incans, the Mayans, Aborigines, etc. Learning about the past enriches our lives and helps us better understand the present. So, I hope my simple introductions to different subjects will wet readers’ appetites to dig deeper and learn more.

Q9: You mentioned in an interview that interaction with children gives you better ideas for your writing, and they even suggest names or ideas for your upcoming books. Do you try to understand the perception of children on a particular topic before writing the book?

MPO: Over the years of writing the series, I’ve visited many schools in America, as well as schools in Japan, Germany, France and Italy. I always seek feedback from kids. I ask them to vote on ideas for stories and on titles and cover art. I encourage them to suggest subjects I haven’t thought of. Their votes and suggestions really affect my choices.

Q10: How do you manage to shape your stories according to the comprehension of children? What kind of extra effort do you take as a children's writer?

MPO: It doesn’t take me extra effort to shape a Magic Tree House story for the sake of children. By telling all these stories from the point of view of the character Jack, I become Jack and I see the world through Jack eyes and instinctively know how to think and feel through a nine-year old boy. That’s a part of the creative process I can’t fully explain.

Q11: You recently released the 65th Magic Tree House series book. Which is your favorite book of the series? And What do you think is your best achievement so far?

MPO: My favorite book in the series is the most difficult one, World at War, 1944. It’s a much longer book than the others and involves a frightening adventure that involves parachuting into enemy territory in France during WWII and working with the French Resistance to rescue orphans. This storytelling might be my best achievement, as one reviewer wrote that the book proved the Magic Tree House could successfully take young readers anywhere, no matter the heavy weight of the historical material.

More from Natalie Pope Boyce!

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:00:00 GMT

Let's continue learning about writing nonfiction from author, Natalie Pope Boyce!

As you might remember from our previous blog, Natalie has written over 38 Magic Tree House Fact Trackers with her sister, Mary. The nonfiction books serve as companions to many of the fiction books in the series and act as a reader’s guide that delves into complex subjects from the series and transforms them into simple concepts that young children can understand. They give children an appreciation for the wonders of the “real” world and inspire a curiosity for learning more about history and natural science.

Below is the first half of an interview conducted with Natalie by our partner in promoting literacy, FirstBook.org , in November of 2017.

What is the most challenging part about writing nonfiction?

My biggest challenge is to make sure that children understand what I’m telling them. And to make sure the information is accurate and interesting. I have a phalanx of excellent people who triple check everything. They include a very smart editor; experts in the field who are usually academics: plus a team of very tough copy editors. I am so lucky to have all of them, but at times, the amount of information that needs to be simplified and the restrictive vocabulary that is appropriate for young children, make writing a slow process fueled only by cups of strong tea.

How many hours or days, on average, go into writing a Fact Tracker?

I write a lot, sometimes six to seven hours a day, if a deadline is looming and two to four hours a day if I’m circling the airport. Normally I write a book four or five times before I send it to my editor. She’ll send it back with her edits and we repeat the process two or three times until we get it right. But there are breaks between books and times I relax when my poor editor is working on the manuscript trying to figure out what I’m saying.

What’s the most surprising, unexpected thing you have learned while writing?

I’ve learned so many fascinating things but I’m always bowled over when the book is about the natural world. The intricate and complicated ways that animals behave have been amazing revelations for me. In the book on China, for example, I got totally side tracked on silk worms and bored everyone for days about them. No one invites me to dinner parties anymore. (Did you know that by distributing their weight, polar bears can get themselves over just three inches of ice?)

Do you ever find while researching a topic that you have strayed into another area equally as interesting? If so, do you then try to incorporate your discoveries into your books?

I often get side tracked and stray from the topic. Once, when I was doing Leonardo Da Vinci I got carried away with a description of his clothes (he was very fashionable and always chose bright colors) and started reading about 15th century fashions and make up and manners etc. Got lost.

Do you enjoy reading in your spare time? What type of books do you like to read?

I read a lot. Our whole family does. I am mostly disappointed with modern fiction, and tend to read more nonfiction. Am currently in love with cozy and brilliant English country writers like Ronald Blythe (Mary’s recommendation) and Robert McFarland. My son is a fine poet and, because of his enthusiasm, I have become reacquainted with poets I loved when I was younger and find that it’s not hard to wander away with them.

What else do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my spare time, I love to be with friends and family. Also I have a garden, a dog, cooking, my church, and an old house to take care of . My deepest joy circles around all of these things.

Which Magic Tree House Fact Tracker was the most challenging for you?

One Fact Tracker that I found challenging was “Texas” which is a companion to Mary’s book on the great Galveston hurricane of 1900. It was a difficult book to write because the state’s history begins in the 1500s; six different flags have flown over the state; and everything is rather complicated. But what an amazing story Texans share!

Publishers Weekly Article

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 21:33:44 GMT

Mary Pope Osborne Celebrates 30 Years of the Magic Tree House

Article by Sally Lodge, Publishers Weekly

“Thirty years? I truly cannot believe it!” said Mary Pope Osborne, reflecting on the three-decade milestone that her Magic Tree House series is marking this year. “Where do the years go?”

Launched by Random House in 1992, the bestselling series is credited with catapulting kids into reading—and lots of them. Sending siblings Annie and Jack on adventures throughout history and the universe, the Magic Tree House has been published in more than 100 countries and translated into 39 languages, and sales have topped 143 million copies worldwide.

Consisting of 100 titles—all still in print—the series has spawned an array of Fact Tracker nonfiction companion guides and a line of graphic novel adaptations, as well as planetarium shows and musical-theater productions. A tireless literacy advocate, Osborne has also established the Classroom Adventures and Gift of Books programs, aimed at inspiring children to develop a lifelong passion for reading, and has donated more than one million MTH books to underserved schools across the country.

Upcoming series additions include Pirates Past Noon, the fourth graphic novel installment adapted by Jenny Laird, due on September 27; and Magic Tree House #37: Rhinos at Recess, a January release in which their tree house whisks Jack and Annie off to South Africa to save a majestic rhinoceros.

And to commemorate the series’ 30th anniversary, Osborne has written Memories and Life Lessons from the Magic Tree House, which Random House will publish on September 6. This compendium of reflections and wisdom the author has gleaned from her own childhood and from writing her series features art by longtime MTH illustrator Sal Murdocca.

The foundation of the Magic Tree House was laid after Osborne received a phone call from editors at Random House, asking if she was interested in trying her hand at an illustrated early chapter book.

According to Mallory Loehr (now executive v-p and publisher of Random House Books for Young Readers Group), who had been hired in 1990 as editorial assistant to editor-in-chief Kate Klimo and senior editor Linda Haywood, Osborne was one of three Knopf authors contacted to create new series under the Stepping Stones imprint. The others were Barbara Park, who would write the Junie B. Jones series; and Louis Sachar, who would write the Marvin Redpost series.

Osborne, who at the time had written folklore, mythology, and historical biographies for older children, recalled, “I never thought I would ever have to learn how to write for younger readers!” Yet she was up for the challenge, and began, fittingly, by going back in time. “I asked my twin brother to return to Norfolk, Virginia, with me, where we spent some of our childhood when our father was in the military. The base where we had lived looked exactly as I remembered, and I was flooded with good memories of my life as a seven-year-old. I’ve learned that my imagination is fueled infinitely by my own childhood.”

Shortly after that nostalgic trip, Osborne arranged to have lunch with a group of second graders at a nearby school. “I knew by the end of that lunch that these were my people, and that experience, and my visit to my old home, led me to a place where I was ready to write a young chapter book. I tried all sorts of magic themes, but none really worked until one day, while my husband and I were walking in the woods, we saw a tree house and commiserated about how we’d never had one, though we always wanted one. From there, the premise of the series fell rapidly into place, as if it was always meant to be.”

Amplifying the Magic

Hayward was the editor for the three early 1990s Stepping Stones series, and as her assistant Loehr worked on them, focusing primarily on MTH, and by its fifth installment, she was the series’ principal editor. Though another editor, Jenna Lettice, has done the individual title editing for the most recent titles, Loehr still works very closely with Osborne, and is an unflagging champion of the series.

“From the beginning, I always thought that this series needed to be in every school all over the country,” Loehr said. “There was no other series like it—combining the kid-friendly elements of adventure, magic, and a certain kind of sweet humor with finding out about history and science, famous and sometimes infamous people, as well as having a deeper understanding of the importance of curiosity, teamwork, kindness, and taking action.”

Osborne expressed gratitude for Loehr’s longstanding attachment to MTH, noting that the editor “really got Magic Tree House from the very start, and she traveled the tree house journey with me—two girls going on an adventure! For so many years Mallory has been my partner in magic.”

And there’s more magic in store for MTH fans. Memories and Life Lessons from the Magic Tree House will offer several generations of readers insight into Osborne’s childhood, inspiration, creativity, and commitment to her young readers.

“When I began collecting thoughts for this book and looking through all the books,” she said, “the memories came to me and the quotes came to me and they assembled themselves and fell into place. I couldn’t wait to wake up at five o’clock in the morning and work on the book.”

Osborne was pleased to note that though her husband Will Osborne has created some of the MTH stage productions and he and her sister Natalie Pope Boyce have authored the Fact Tracker books, she has written every one of the Magic Tree House adventures herself over 35 years. “I did not have children of my own—but these books are my children,” she said. “This series is so close to me that if I was told to stop writing the books I wouldn’t—I’d keep writing them for myself!”

The author also underscored another of her lifelong passions—bringing kids and books together. “I read years ago that if children do not read at grade level by the end of third grade, it is very hard for them to catch up and they are four times more likely to drop out of high school, and I have never forgotten that,” she said. “I have been hearing for decades from teachers and parents that many kids have learned to read on Magic Tree House books, and I am so happy to have been able to help empower kids through a love of reading. That is super important to me."

Fascinating Facts!

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 16:42:00 GMT

Most facts are so incredibly interesting that in order to understand them, you must first imagine them.

Natalie Pope Boyce has always been one for the details. She grew up in a military family with her sister, author of the Magic Tree House series, Mary Pope Osborne, and lived abroad at a young age. While learning different languages, Natalie found delight in the nuances of different words and information. She loved trying to explain the world around her and to discover the reasons behind why things happened and how they happened.

Natalie has written over 38 Magic Tree House Fact Trackers with her sister. The nonfiction books serve as companions to many of the fiction books in the series and act as a reader’s guide that delves into complex subjects from the series and transforms them into simple concepts that young children can understand. They give children an appreciation for the wonders of the “real” world and inspire a curiosity for learning more about history and natural science.

Below is the first half of an interview conducted with Natalie by our partner in promoting literacy, FirstBook.org , in November of 2017. We will post the second half of Natalie's interview next week!

Q: You traveled a lot as a young person and as a young adult. How have these travels impacted your writing and interest in trivia and facts?

NPB: As a child and an adult, I lived in Austria, Germany, Ireland, and for many years, in Mexico and later on the Arizona/Mexican border. Among the things I’ve learned is that nothing is trivial, especially when you’re trying to grasp the differences in cultures. The smallest nuances usually speak volumes and attention should be paid to them.

Mexicans, for example, have a strong sense of hospitality that is practiced by most people regardless of class. I passed a Mexican friend once who was rushing down the street and asked where she was going. “To your house,” she replied. What she actually meant was “Mi casa es su casa”; her house was my house. That encounter was one of many insights into the heart of Mexican culture.

As for facts, it’s a cliché to say this, but facts are a bridge into the joys of imagination. In Austria, we played on the grounds of the Hohensalzburg Castle. We knew some facts about the castle, which was actually a fortress, but we imagined a sort of Camelot and pretended to wear crowns that we wove out of dandelions and galloped around jousting. Most facts are so incredibly interesting that in order to understand them, you must first imagine them.

Q: One of our favorite things about the Magic Tree House series is the combination of the chapter books with the Fact Trackers. Why is it important for kids to have both the fictional story and the nonfiction information about a specific topic?

NPB: The pairing of fiction and nonfiction has the practical value of training a child’s mind to anticipate the consequences or import of a fact. Children read the two very differently. In fiction they ask what comes next. In nonfiction they’re forced to ask why something follows from the previous fact. They have to ask themselves what conclusion the facts lead them to make. Nonfiction teaches children to take a reasoned, knowledgeable look at the world, its history, and to back up their thoughts with facts.

Q: What advice would you give to a child that claims to hate reading?

NPB: If children hate reading it’s because 99.9 percent of the time, they’re having a hard time mastering it.

They feel ashamed and humiliated and consequently they stagger along without any reward shining on the horizon. Reading is an accomplishment that not all children accomplish at the same rate. So much of their ultimate success depends on the value books play in the home and how much time parents are willing to give listening to them read and reading to them. In order to entice a child into reading, I’d say “Come over here, sit down, and let’s read together and I don’t care one bit if you don’t know all the words.”

Q: What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching facts before beginning a new Fact Tracker?

NPB: Gosh…research is a huge, huge part of what I do. I cannot include information in the text that is incorrect and consequently go on Google all the time, sometimes 20 times for just a short paragraph. The problem is that there are often disagreements among the experts about the subject that makes it all a little challenging.

Even though I use books plus the web, even the latest books can be out of date, so I have to rely on credible websites to ferret out current research on a subject.

Also I often learn as I go because the more you learn, the more you realize that you don’t know.

Many times I make assumptions that just aren’t true and have to face the fact that I’m totally ignorant about the subject.

Please check back for the second half of Natalie's interview where Natalie talks about the writing process and what unexpected surprises she often finds in her research!

Magic Tree House Graphic Novels

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 20:00:00 GMT

Are you ready for a new Magic Tree House adventure?

This week my publisher, Random House Children's Books, and I introduced our newest venture:

Magic Tree House Graphic Novels !

It was a great experience teaming with brilliant playwright Jenny Laird and the talented illustrators-sisters Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews to adapt her work for graphic novels. The first release will be an adaptation of the first “Magic Tree House” book, “Dinosaurs Before Dark,” and is scheduled for May 4. Future editions are to come out every six months. The Knight at Dawn will be next in the fall of 2021!

I’m so excited for Jack and Annie’s time travel adventures to reach a new generation of readers who are drawn to the thrilling visual experience that graphic novels provide.

As I have always said, it is so important to encourage young readers to find reading material to fit their interests. Whether that be fictional stories, nonfiction, time-travel, animal stories, sports, or graphic novels. Once they discover the joy of reading, their interests will expand and draw them to a broader variety of books.

Studies have proven that it is vitally important for children to read at grade level by the end of third grade. Those who do are more likely to stay in school and stay out of trouble. This milestone is one of the main determining factors of success in high school and later in life. That's why I try to do whatever I can do to help children learn that reading is FUN! I hope our Graphic Novels will provide yet another way for children, parents, and teachers to be inspired to read.

As with all of my books, I hope these adaptations of Jack and Annie's adventures into graphic novels will inspire children to explore the wonder of worlds outside their own and instill in them a lifelong love of reading.

- Mary Pope Osborne

Q & A with Mary Pope Osborne

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:16:00 GMT

Mary Pope Osborne answers questions about the writing & bookmaking process:

Q: What’s the best part of being an author?

MPO: The very best part is using my imagination! And being able to go anyplace, anytime, and take hundreds, if not thousands, if not millions of readers with me. It’s a great adventure and I cannot wait to start writing everyday. And I hope that you share the adventure with me when you read Magic Tree House books and that you actually feel like you’re going on an adventure with Jack and Annie.

Q: How long does it take to write a MTH book?

MPO: I take about 6 months to work on a MTH book. That involves research, writing, rewriting and rewriting. And while I’m working on the fiction books, my sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, is working on the nonfiction books.

Q: How do you make a book?
MPO: When I make a book, it’s the writing part. Then there’s the illustration part, and then the production part and everybody that brings it together. A lot of people go into making a book. My part involves research and taking a lot of notes and making an outline and then writing the story, and then rewriting the story and rewriting the story…. That’s a huge part of my writing a book. I get information and suggestions from my editor, from my husband, and my best readers, and then start to change things and make them better. So it’s really a team effort. That’s how you make a book.

Q: How did you come up with the characters Jack and Annie?

MPO: When I was growing up I had a twin brother and another brother, and a sister. I played all the time with my siblings. We grew up in the military and we traveled to a new house almost every year. We were each other’s best friends. Mostly we played outside and used our imaginations and we always climbed trees. Well, I decided I would have a brother and a sister, and I liked the names Jack and Annie. And then I thought I’d just see what happens. And everything they do now is as much a surprise to me as it is to you because they feel like real living people.

Q: How long have you been writing MTH books and how long will you keep writing them?

MPO: I’ve been writing MTH books for over 28 years and I’m having more fun than ever. I love doing it every day, I can’t wait to get back to my work, just like I couldn’t wait to go outside and play when I was little. So I think I’ll keep writing them!

A Magical Life

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 20:00:00 GMT

The real magic in the beloved Magic Tree House children’s book series doesn’t involve time travel with brother-sister protagonists Jack and Annie — it’s actually the connection that author Mary Pope Osborne and her husband, Will Osborne, an actor and playwright, have with young readers.

They’ve journeyed together to visit dinosaurs and pirates and mummies and even to the moon. They’ve met famous people like Jackie Robinson and William Shakespeare and Clara Barton.

Mary will publish the 60th book in The New York Times bestselling series next January on whales called narwhals.

The creative duo, who graduated from Carolina in 1971 and now live in Massachusetts, cherish the time they get to spend with their biggest fans. Mary said of her loyal 6- to-8-year-old followers, “We’re there at the sweet spot of life.”

“The irony is when Random House approached me, I was just going to do four Magic Tree House books, but I spent five to seven years visiting schools all over America, and I found a calling,” Mary said. “Since then, whatever role I’m supposed to play, to get kids to love reading became my destiny.” (She’s done that all over the world, as more than 143 million copies have been sold in 35 languages.)

It’s been particularly fun in the last few years when they run into grown-up Magic Tree House readers, Will said — young adults who were first exposed to the books in the early ’90s.

“We can often spot them. We’ll check into a hotel, and we’ll see a likely candidate and ask, ‘By any chance did you happen to read the Magic Tree House books when you were growing up?’ Then Mary will admit she wrote them,” Will said. “It just tickles us to death.”

That Carolina Connection

Despite sharing a love of theater and the same graduation year, the Osbornes barely knew each other when they were students at Carolina. They like to say they were “ships passing in the night.”

Originally a psychology major, Will got interested in theater after a fraternity brother encouraged him to try out for The Taming of the Shrew, and he shifted his major to dramatic art.

Before college, Mary was heavily involved in the Fayetteville theater run by former Carolina Chancellor Holden Thorp’s mother, Bo, and she even babysat Thorp when he was a toddler. She entered Carolina intent on majoring in dramatic art, but a class taught by professor emerita Ruel Tyson helped to ignite a great interest in world religions, and she switched to religious studies. After graduation, she backpacked across Europe and Asia for nearly a year.

It wasn’t until four years later that deep Carolina ties would prove serendipitous. Both were in Washington, D.C.Mary was working for the Russian Travel Bureau. Will was starring in the Ford’s Theatre production of Diamond Studs: The Life of Jesse James, written by Carolina alumni Jim Wann and Bland Simpson, who is today a longtime creative writing professor.

“I fell in love from the balcony, and I went backstage and met Will,” Mary said. “They say timing is everything because at that point in our lives, it was an immediate attraction, and we’ve been together ever since.”

They were married in 1976.

Mary said her sister, her two brothers and all of their spouses attended or graduated from Carolina.

“I was telling a friend recently that on that first day of college at Carolina, I wished I would never have to leave,” said Mary, who received an honorary doctor of letters at Carolina’s 2013 graduation ceremony and a 1994 Distinguished Alumna Award. “I felt like I had landed in heaven.”

A family affair

The Magic Tree House enterprise has grown to include companion research guides, musicals, planetarium shows, curriculum materials and a philanthropic arm.

Will launched and co-wrote the Fact Trackers series, nonfiction research companions to Mary’s fiction books, in 2000. After the first eight books, Mary’s sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, took over the nonfiction series, and has authored more than 30 of them. Meanwhile Will has branched out in other interesting creative directions.

Remember the Holden Thorp connection? When Thorp was director of the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (2001-2005), his young son read the Fact Trackers companion book to Midnight on the Moonand told his dad that it would make a good planetarium show.

Will wrote Magic Tree House: Space Mission, along with several other shows narrated by William Shatner and the late Walter Cronkite. In 1995, the planetarium awarded the Osbornes the Jupiter Award for Outstanding Contributions to Science Education. Space Mission has been among Morehead’s most popular shows since its premiere in 2004 and is now available to other planetariums.

“For a playwright, it was an amazing and challenging experience. You have to write in 180 degrees, which is a wonderful canvas for a writer to paint on,” Will said.

Will also teamed up with best friends Jenny Laird and Randy Courts to write multiple touring musical productions based on the books. The five members of the creative team talked for the first time about their shared work in January at the Normal Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

And let’s not forget the dogs! Joey, Bezo and Little Bear — all 15 years old — are the stars of Mary’s Instagram account.

“They have different handicaps, and we say we’re running an assisted living home for elderly dogs, but we couldn’t love them more,” Mary said.

Love what you’re doing; learn your craft

Mary said she and Will have never had more fun than they’re having right now.

“It’s always an adventure to learn about a new place and to start to live in that setting with my characters. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop writing the series — someone will have to stop me,” she said.

Still, it took lots of hard work and toiling away at their respective crafts in New York City for many years to get to where they are today. “You have to be resilient and willing to fail,” Mary said in offering advice to students hoping to pursue artistic careers. “You have to keep working, keep trying, keep getting better.”

“I tell young writers to write from their hearts. Don’t worry about getting published. Just write, study great writing, learn your craft and love the process. The rest will fall into place,” she said.

“It’s important to expose yourself to other artists in your field so you can discover what you like,” Will added.

“And while it’s good to be passionate about your own projects, don’t be so focused on your work that you leave out life experiences,” he said. “Your work is enriched when you bring those experiences to the stage and the canvas and the page.

Magical words indeed.

Natalie Pope Boyce Interview

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 15:00:00 GMT

Authored by Caitlyn Maltese on November 16, 2017

POSTED IN: AUTHOR VOICES

Natalie Pope Boyce has always been one for the details. She grew up in a military family with her sister, author of the Magic Tree House series , Mary Pope Osborne , and lived abroad at a young age. While learning different languages, Natalie found delight in the nuances of different words and information. She loved trying to explain the world around her and to discover the reasons behind why things happened and how they happened.

She currently writes the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series with her sister. The books act as a reader’s guide that delves into complex subjects from the series and transform them into simple concepts that young children can understand. They give children an appreciation for the wonders of the “real” world and inspire a curiosity for learning more about history and natural science.

We were lucky enough to get to talk to Natalie about what it is like working on the series. She was full of fun facts about animals and the natural world. Although she claims to be a bore at dinner parties, we’d sure love to have her at ours!

You traveled a lot as a young person and as a young adult. How have these travels impacted your writing and interest in trivia and facts?

As a child and an adult, I lived in Austria, Germany, Ireland, and for many years, in Mexico and later on the Arizona/Mexican border. Among the things I’ve learned is that nothing is trivial, especially when you’re trying to grasp the differences in cultures. The smallest nuances usually speak volumes and attention should be paid to them.

As for facts, it’s a cliché to say this, but facts are a bridge into the joys of imagination.

In Austria, we played on the grounds of the Hohensalzburg Castle. We knew some facts about the castle, which was actually a fortress, but we imagined a sort of Camelot and pretended to wear crowns that we wove out of dandelions and galloped around jousting. Most facts are so incredibly interesting that in order to understand them, you must first imagine them.

One of our favorite things about the Magic Tree House series is the combination of the chapter books with the Fact Trackers. Why is it important for kids to have both the fictional story and the nonfiction information about a specific topic?

The pairing of fiction and nonfiction has the practical value of training a child’s mind to anticipate the consequences or import of a fact. Children read the two very differently. In fiction they ask what comes next. In nonfiction they’re forced to ask why something follows from the previous fact. They have to ask themselves what conclusion the facts lead them to make. Nonfiction teaches children not to talk rubbish but to take a reasoned, knowledgeable look at the world, its history, and to back up their thoughts with facts.

What advice would you give to a child that claims to hate reading?

If children hate reading it’s because 99.9 percent of the time, they’re having a hard time mastering it.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching facts before beginning a new Fact Tracker?

Gosh…research is a huge, huge part of what I do. I cannot include information in the text that is incorrect and consequently go on Google all the time, sometimes 20 times for just a short paragraph. The problem is that there are often disagreements among the experts about the subject that makes it all a little challenging.

Even though I use books plus the web, even the latest books can be out of date, so I have to rely on credible websites to ferret out current research on a subject.

Also I often learn as I go because the more you learn, the more you realize that you don’t know.

Many times I make assumptions that just aren’t true and have to face the fact that I’m totally ignorant about the subject.

What is the most challenging part about writing nonfiction?

My biggest challenge is to make sure that children understand what I’m telling them. And to make sure the information is accurate and interesting.

I have a phalanx of excellent people who triple check everything. They include a very smart editor; experts in the field who are usually academics: plus a team of very tough copy editors. I am so lucky to have all of them, but at times, the amount of information that needs to be simplified and the restrictive vocabulary that is appropriate for young children, make writing a slow process fueled only by cups of strong tea.

How many hours or days, on average, go into writing a Fact Tracker?

What’s the most surprising, unexpected thing you have learned while writing?

Do you ever find while researching a topic that you have strayed into another area equally as interesting? If so, do you then try to incorporate your discoveries into your books?

Do you enjoy reading in your spare time? What type of books do you like to read?

What else do you enjoy doing in your free time?

In my spare time, I love to be with friends and family. Also I have a garden, a dog, cooking, my church, and an old house to take care of . My deepest joy circles around all of these things.

What Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are you working on currently?

I just finished “Texas” which is a companion to Mary’s book on the great Galveston hurricane of 1900. It was a difficult book to write because the state’s history begins in the 1500s; six different flags have flown over the state; and everything is rather complicated. But what an amazing story Texans share. I hope this book reflects that.

Follow “Magic Tree House” on Facebook and Mary Pope Osborne on Twitter .

Mary's Q & A with FirstBook.org

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 13:00:00 GMT

Authored by Melanie Boyer on November 7, 2017

POSTED IN: EXPERT VOICES

The Magic Whistle? Before deciding on a tree house, author Mary Pope Osborne considered a whistle, a museum, and an art studio.

A note from Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO, First Book:

This year, First Book is celebrating our 25th year of providing brand new books and educational resources to educators serving kids in need. Today, we are so delighted to share that celebration with a very special First Book friend who’s also marking 25 years: Mary Pope Osborne, the beloved author of the award-winning “Magic Tree House” series of books, which she started writing 25 years ago. Since that time, “Magic Tree House” has been translated into more than 33 languages and has sold more than 135 MILLION copies worldwide! Mary has also been an avid supporter of First Book, working side-by-side with us to distribute millions of copies of her books to the children and educators we serve. Mary – thank you for helping us ring in our 25th year, in part by celebrating your 25 years of creating magic for millions of children.

Find “Magic Tree House” titles and companion Fact Trackers on the First Book Marketplace

Follow “Magic Tree House” on Facebook and Mary Pope Osborne on Twitter

Q&A With First Book

First Book (FB): First Book is delighted to partner with you and your Classroom Adventures Program which supports so many educators serving students in Title I schools across the country. Can you tell us how long the program has been around and what inspired you to create such an enriching way to spark an interest in reading?

Mary Pope Osborne (MPO): During the first 10 years of writing “Magic Tree House” books, I traveled to hundreds of schools around the country. Educators were very enthusiastic about the books and often told me the series was getting many of their kids to read – and to love reading. Teachers inspired me to keep writing the series. I often turned to them for advice and feedback as I grew the series. For instance, teachers were enthusiastic of the development of our nonfiction Fact Trackers , and they gave great advice on what subjects to cover.

FB: You traveled a lot as a young person and as a young adult. How have these travels impacted your writing? What advice would you give to aspiring adventurers?

MPO: I grew up in the military, traveling often with my family. As a young adult in the early 1970s, I had an unquenchable wanderlust that sent me halfway around the world with a pack on my back. I traveled for nearly a year from Greece to Nepal, passing through Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, and Nepal. It was a relatively peaceful time in that part of the world before all the turbulence that erupted in mid to late 70s. Still, I faced a lot of danger, natural disasters, and serious illness – and was lucky to have survived. That wild, adventurous year informs nearly every day of my life…and has contributed greatly to more than two decades of “armchair traveling” with the “Magic Tree House” series. I suggest kids not seek themselves by looking in the mirror or pointing their fingers negatively at others. Turn self-obsessed introspection into action. Be brave and seek the unknown, teach in the inner city, join the military, study or work abroad, spend time in the woods, investigate the sky and ocean, relate deeply to animals, learn lots about history and other cultures. By exploring worlds outside our own, by “loving the world in all its manifestations,” as Tolstoy said, we discover our true selves.

Be brave and seek the unknown, teach in the inner city, join the military, study or work abroad, spend time in the woods, investigate the sky and ocean…”

FB: Your books have meant so much to so many kids around the world. What has been the most rewarding interaction you have had with a young reader?

MPO: Most people don’t have the privilege, as I do, of meeting thousands of six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds. Over the years, all the kids I’ve met have been wonderful. Seriously, I’ve never interacted with even one mean or rude child! I’ve also met many kids who are in crisis: I visited schools in lower Manhattan right after 9/11. I visited children in Japan who’d survived the terrible tsunami of 2008. I visited with New Orleans children after Katrina. I’ve met with children from orphanages and spent time with critically ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The surprising news is that children who’ve suffered from disasters have comforted me more than I have comforted them. I find a compassionate quality in early elementary school age children that constantly moves and inspires me. The letters I receive from kids also display a giving spirit. Kids often try to make me feel good – they praise me and try to build my confidence. One of my favorite recent letters was from a boy who wrote that he’d never actually read any of my books, but maybe he would someday. He signed the letter: “Your greatest fan.” I also love that children send me their own creative works – illustrations and stories. One of the first times I ever spoke to a class of children, a third-grade boy squeezed through the raucous crowd around me to whisper in my ear, “Mrs. Osborne, you may not know this, but I’m an author, too.”

FB: Do students inspire your work?

MPO: Young readers certainly inspire my work. I identify easily with kids, probably because I loved my own childhood, and in many ways, I’ve never given it up. So, it’s always fun for me to enter the world of Jack and Annie. What will they do next? Where in time and space will they go? What will they see? How will they react? What will they learn? The kids I meet — their enthusiasm about the series and their curiosity about Jack’s and Annie’s world — propel me to keep asking these questions, even after 55 books.

FB: It can be hard to know which ideas are brilliant and which should probably go in the trash bin. How do you decide on which of your ideas/inspirations to pursue or keep exploring?

MPO: I love to throw away inert ideas and bring in new ones. When I was trying to get the series off the ground, I spent over a year, working on different time travel manuscripts. I tried writing about a magic cellar, a magic artist studio, a magic museum, and even a magic whistle. Nothing was working, until one day Will and I came across a tree house in the woods of Pennsylvania near our weekend cabin. We started talking about the possibility of Jack and Annie finding a magic tree house that could take them through time and space. That day, a new idea enthusiastically took over—and “ Dinosaurs Before Dark ” was written soon after. Here’s the irony, though: I think the right idea would never have come along without my having spent a year struggling with many wrong ideas. This pattern happens with each of the books in the series; as I work on a manuscript, I constantly add and subtract elements. I like to tell kids that every “bad” idea is leading to a better one. The important thing is not to give up – and not to hide behind the claim of “writer’s block.” Young writers need to learn how to release plot ideas that don’t honestly excite them or lead anywhere—and how to welcome fresh alive possibilities that inspire them. Paying attention to their own feelings will help them discern which is which.

I like to tell kids that every “bad” idea is leading to a better one. The important thing is not to give up.”

FB: What advice would you give to a child that claims to hate reading?

MPO: First, I would try to find out whether or not the child is truly able to read. I’ve met quite a few children who say they don’t like reading, only to discover they have an undiagnosed reading disability. If a child can read, I would encourage him/her to find a book that fits with their interest. Do they prefer nonfiction? Do they like history or contemporary life? Animal stories? Sports stories? Time-travel? Graphic novels? Comic books? Picture books? Magazines? I think all children should be encouraged to read what they most love to read, no matter how simple it is. Once they discover the joy of reading, their interests will naturally expand and draw them to a broader variety of books.

FB: How has the “Magic Tree House” series grown and developed over the years as a resource for teachers?

MPO: On the 20th anniversary of the series, in collaboration with First Book, I founded the non-profit “Magic Tree House” Classroom Adventures Program . Cindy Mill, the managing director of this MTH program, added a number of educators to our team (which also includes my husband, Will and my sister, Natalie Pope Boyce). As a way of expressing our gratitude to teachers, we promise them the “Gift of Time” and the “Gift of Books.” The “Gift of Time” includes lesson plans for all MTH books, as well as an extensive reading level guide, and a curriculum guide, all free of charge. The “Gift of Books” involves a simple grant process for Title I teachers to get MTH books for their classrooms. Often, performances of one of our Magic Tree House musicals includes giving books to the Title I kids who see the show. It’s been so much fun partnering with educators, First Book folks, and different theaters around the country. Everyone involved seems to relish the idea of bringing more joy to the educational process.

FB: You’ve had an incredibly diverse history of teaching acting, being a travel agent, and even a being medical assistant. If you couldn’t be a writer, what do you think you would you do?

MPO: Hmm. Perhaps be a librarian in a Title I elementary school and have the freedom to make the library a warm, enchanting place – with dioramas, murals, soft lighting, comfortable chairs, classical music, and enticing book displays. In such a place, I’d like to give encouragement to kids, ignite their imaginations, and give them a love of reading. Years ago, I visited a school district on the outskirts of Houston where librarians had created just such magical spaces such as I’ve described.

Or, perhaps be the minister of a country church and sponsor speakers and discussions and study theology and philosophy.

Or teach a course in children’s literature of the 1800s and early 20th century, from Hans Christian Anderson to Kenneth Graham (“Wind in the Willows”) to Beatrix Potter.

Or own a used book store in a quiet New England town and do nothing all day but read – as well as watercolor. I’d serve coffee and tea to book lovers and invite dogs – of which I’d have many, all of them friendly and easy-going – to lie on the rug near a warm winter stove; and I’d encourage my husband and his musician friends to play old-time music in a back room.

A New Look!

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 17:16:00 GMT

Magic Tree House celebrates 25 years with a brand new look!

Magic Tree House celebrates 25 years with a brand new look!

The Magic Tree House look now clearly delineates a reading journey through three distinct lines:

Magic Tree House titles for beginning chapter book readers

Merlin Missions for more advanced readers

Fact Trackers for nonfiction fans

By renumbering the 55 fiction titles in two groups (plus a Super Edition), we hope to help readers stay with the series longer, giving them a sense of accomplishment as they move from the classic adventures into the Merlin Missions.

“Educators have inspired me for the past 25 years, and I am excited to continue reaching young readers together. There are topics for every reader in the Magic Tree House series - science, sports, geography, wildlife, history, the arts - and always a bit of mystery and magic.”

In 1992, I began writing Magic Tree House chapter books, and to my sincere delight, they sparked a love of reading in children. The series has become a classroom staple and has proven to have a significant impact on the way children around the world learn to read.

In 2017, we celebrate 25 years of growing readers with a new look for the series. The refreshed packaging reflects what teachers and librarians consistently tell us: that Magic Tree House books encourage readers to learn, progress, and discover.

“Learning to read and loving to read can be a passport to freedom.

With books, children can travel over boundaries and borders.

They can gain knowledge to help overcome the hardships they face.

They can discover the best in themselves -

and then use their talents to help others.”

United Nations Speech

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:16:00 GMT

On April 27, I had a great adventure with my husband Will and my sister Natalie — we went to the United Nations in New York City! We attended a conference on Health and the Environment where I gave a speech called A Bridge of Children’s Books. I include a copy of my talk below:

I’d like to thank Dr. Durbak and the World Information Transfer for inviting me to speak at this conference on health and the environment.

At first, as an author of children’s books, I was unclear what I would have to contribute to your discussions about nuclear security, energy resources and environmental health.

But then I realized that no conference on health and the environment would be complete without addressing the needs of children, as they will eventually have the responsibility of solving many of the problems discussed today.

I derived the title of my talk, A Bridge of Children’s Books, from the title of an out-of-print autobiography written by a remarkable woman little known by most of the world: Her name was Jella Lepman.

Jella Lepman escaped the Nazi’s in the 1930s; but after Hitler was defeated, she returned to war-ravaged Munich as an advisor for the needs of women and children. Jella quickly decided that Germany’s traumatized children needed more than food and shelter. They needed to reconnect with the world of the imagination.

So Jella began collecting children’s books from all over the world. She believed that a bridge made of children’s books would move the children beyond the landscape of their bombed-out surroundings. Books would not only link them to the playful realm of folklore and fairytales, but would also connect the children to history and to cultures outside of Hitler’s Germany.

With the help of Eleanor Roosevelt and others, Jella Lepman founded the International Youth Library, which is now housed in Blutenburg Castle in Munich, which my husband Will and I visited last May. There we walked through a maze of basement stacks where nearly 600,000 children books in over 130 languages are kept. The library has an art studio for children and offers writing classes, readings, and foreign language classes.

I find it fitting that Eleanor Roosevelt gave her support to Jella Lepman’s project. At the same time, Mrs. Roosevelt was helping to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The influence of that extraordinary document has helped promote all over the world the concept of the inherent dignity of all members of the human family. Every person on earth is entitled to a sense of self-worth and purpose.

In my opinion, there is nothing more dignified than a child reading a book. There is nothing more likely to help that child escape from undeserved pain, poverty and oppression — than using his or her imagination.

I witnessed the power of the imagination to transcend hopelessness many years ago while teaching a writing workshop at a runaway shelter in Times Square, NY.

Every day I would ask the homeless teenagers to write about their lives. The daily writings were so unhappy and distressing I finally couldn’t take it anymore. One day, from a sidewalk vendor, I spontaneously bought a bundle of old National Geographic magazines. I took the magazines home and cut out all the pictures I could find of wondrous places – the Amazon River, the Himalayas, the Serengeti Plain.

I passed out the pictures the next day and asked the kids to take themselves away from Times Square, travel to these exotic places in their imaginations and make up a story. The writing that day was joyful and refreshing. The teenagers laughed as they read their pieces; they added boyfriends and family to the stories they told about canoeing down the Amazon or climbing the Himalayas. My experience at the shelter taught me that the imagination was perhaps the only way out for these children. The circumstances of their lives seemed so hopeless that this was their only means of escape.

Every child is capable of using imagination. Every child has a hunger to know things. But not all children live in an environment where their imaginations might be stimulated or their thirst for knowledge satisfied. Nearly all the children at the shelter came from extremely impoverished neighborhoods. Most likely there were no books in their homes – and hardly any in their schools.

Studies show that in low-income neighborhoods in this country there is approximately 1 book for every 300 children. Approximately 50 percent of unemployed youth in this country are functionally illiterate. 60 percent of America’s prison inmates cannot read above a fourth grade level. And 85 percent of juvenile offenders have serious reading problems. The fact I find most compelling is this: Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help – as opposed to 70% for those who receive no help.

It’s obvious that we need to find better ways to teach all children to read. But I believe that literacy alone is not enough. We need to give children a passion for reading. Once ignited, this passion can be a fierce motivation for a young person to try to change his or her life for the better.

A number of years ago, I along with other children’s authors spent a year visiting a number of disadvantaged schools in the New York area. After a visit to a school in the Bronx that had no windows and no library – the school was housed in an old bowling alley — I received a letter addressed to me in very crude handwriting.

The letter was from a second grader at the school. I could only imagine the trouble she must have gone to to find a stamp and an envelope and mail me a letter. She was asking me to send one of my books to her at her school so that she could own it. I wrote her back, and tried to explain that I could not send a book to her school just for her, because it wouldn’t be fair to all the other kids. It pains me now to think about my answer.

A week later, I signed books at a book fair at a private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The children in line all had blank checks from their parents and were encouraged to buy as many books as they wanted.

On the very day of the book fair, when I returned to my apartment, I found a second letter from the girl in the Bronx waiting for me. Twice now she had found a stamp and an envelope and written to me personally!

“I figured out a way you could do this,” she wrote. “Send me the book to my house and I don’t tell nobody. I promise”.

What a passion for reading this child had. I burst into tears, and of course, sent her a book. But now I wish that I had sent books to all the children in her school as well.

By not providing children with books, by not helping them discover the joy of reading — we are suppressing not only their dreams, their hope for the future, but their inherent dignity.

What strikes me the most about this situation is this:
It doesn’t have to be this way. In the greater scheme of things in this world, it should not be that difficult to provide all children with the tools to learn how to read and with literature that helps their imaginations soar.

Some people are trying to change this situation:
Every year publishers must destroy untold numbers of unsold children’s books that are remaindered in warehouses. Twenty years ago, a Washington lawyer named Kyle Zimmer and others became aware of this fact, so they formed an organization called First Book. First Book invites major publishers of children’s books to give them their remaindered books. First Book then works with community-based programs to get free books to children in low-income neighborhoods.

My friends from Random House here today should be proud that their company has donated almost 19 million books to First Book. I’m happy to say that Random House also donated 50 titles from my Magic Tree House Series to another organization called Worldreader.

The goal of Worldreader is to put digitized books into the hands of every family in the developing world.

According to UNESCO there are 1 billion non-literate adults in the world. 98% of them live in developing countries. Half the children in sub-Saharan Africa do not go to school. Of the ones that do, many of them do not have a single book in their classrooms.

So Worldreader started with 6 schools in Ghana, providing children and teachers with 500 e-readers. The e-readers have a total of 40,000 books. They’ve found that the average child shares the reader with 3 family members and downloads a free book a week.

Worldreader is headed to Kenya this spring. Over the next 2-3 years they hope to roll out their program to at least 20,000 students, primarily in Sub-Sahara Africa. Their dream is that in 5 years they will enable 1 million new children and families in the developing world to have access to books.

Not long ago, I’ve received word from Worldreader that the children in Ghana love the adventures of the characters in the Magic Tree House series. Forgive me if for the moment, I ask you to look through the lens of the Magic Tree House at its young readers.

For 20 yrs, I’ve been told by teachers and parents that the main reason kids love the Magic Tree House books is because they identify so strongly with the main characters, Jack and Annie.

Jack and Annie are ordinary kids who travel in a magic tree house throughout time and history, visiting other cultures. They quibble with each other and have insecurities and fears. But they also love to help others. They love learning new things. They have great respect for other cultures. They rescue people from earthquakes, blizzards, floods, forest fires, volcanoes, and tsunamis. They also celebrate the natural world and try to save endangered species.

I’m amazed that children identify with Jack and Annie in so many countries besides the United States –in Ghana, Japan, Korea, China, Latvia, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Italy, Serbia, the Czech Republic. The books are available in 35 countries that I know of.

To me, the fact that all these children from so many different countries identify with Jack and Annie means that there is one children’s world, a world where small people are inherently the same: They all value compassion, curiosity, and courage; they have respect for the wonder and beauty of nature and respect for the inherent dignity of all members of the human family.

I can tell you from this small United Nations of readers that our future is in good hands. Children everywhere are ready and eager to meet the challenges that are being discussed at this conference.

But for them to do their job someday, we need to do our job today: We need to teach the children of the world to read; and we need to expand the reach of children’s books. Like First Book and Worldreader, many other non-profit groups are trying to get books into the hands of under-served children. We need to support these groups all over the world.

Learning to read and loving to read can be a passport to freedom. With books, children can travel over boundaries and borders. With books, they can discover the best in themselves– and then use their talents to help others. They can overcome the hardships they face.

This message was brought home to me recently by my Japanese publisher. As we corresponded after the earthquake and nuclear disaster, he wrote to me:

“Post earthquake all Japan is facing up to a very difficult and tragic situation. Some people might think that in the devastated areas it is not a time for reading books – that there are much more important things to do first, even for the children. But that is not what I think. …I think that it is important to offer children wonderful experiences through books…such as going on adventures with Jack and Annie. Whenever the children open a book it brings them to its own world. They have fun and also learn many things….it gives them hope and motivation for their future.”

As Jella Lepman said 65 years ago:

“Bit by bit, let us set this upside down world right again by starting with the children. They will show the grown-ups the way to go.”

Blog Feed

Mary is Featured in The Harvard Crimson: Rekindling Wonder Through Magic Tree House

Artist Spotlight in the Harvard Crimson: Mary Pope Osborne on Rekindling Wonder through the ‘Magic Tree House’ Series

The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University’s daily newspaper, recently published a thoughtful profile of Mary Pope Osborne and the enduring impact of the Magic Tree House series.

In the interview, Mary shares how the idea for the series first emerged, the research and imagination behind each adventure, and the deeper purpose that has guided her work—helping children cross the threshold into a lifelong love of reading.

Below is an excerpt from the article. You can read the full feature in The Harvard Crimson here.

Returning to Your Magic Tree House

Mary Pope Osborne Introduces Her Official YouTube Channel

Mary Pope Osborne Launches her Official YouTube Channel Sharing Stories, Reflections, and Inspiration Behind Magic Tree House

Mary Pope Osborne_Official YouTube Channel

American Theatre Magazine Features MTH On Stage

American Theatre Magazine Spotlights Magic Tree House On Stage January 27, 2026

Below is an excerpt from the feature. Read the entire article here: American Theatre Magazine .

﻿

Returning to Your Magic Tree House

First Book, First Play, First Love

MTH Literacy Program for Native American Youth

A Powerful Literacy Partnership

with Eve's Fund: Promoting Native Health and Wellness

Bringing the Joy of Reading to Kids in Need

A Remarkable Partnership with First Book

MTH On Stage: TYA Podcast with Mary and Will

A glimpse into the process of adaptation for stage

Commencement Address

People Magazine Article

Questions for Mary

The Growing Readers Podcast

A Podcast Interview with Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne on The Growing Readers Podcast

An Insightful Interview with Mary

More from Natalie Pope Boyce!

Publishers Weekly Article

Fascinating Facts!

Most facts are so incredibly interesting that in order to understand them, you must first imagine them.

Magic Tree House Graphic Novels

Q & A with Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne answers questions about the writing & bookmaking process:

A Magical Life

That Carolina Connection

A family affair

Natalie Pope Boyce Interview

Authored by Caitlyn Maltese on November 16, 2017

POSTED IN: AUTHOR VOICES

You traveled a lot as a young person and as a young adult. How have these travels impacted your writing and interest in trivia and facts?

As for facts, it’s a cliché to say this, but facts are a bridge into the joys of imagination.

One of our favorite things about the Magic Tree House series is the combination of the chapter books with the Fact Trackers. Why is it important for kids to have both the fictional story and the nonfiction information about a specific topic?

What advice would you give to a child that claims to hate reading?

If children hate reading it’s because 99.9 percent of the time, they’re having a hard time mastering it.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching facts before beginning a new Fact Tracker?

Also I often learn as I go because the more you learn, the more you realize that you don’t know.

What is the most challenging part about writing nonfiction?

How many hours or days, on average, go into writing a Fact Tracker?

What’s the most surprising, unexpected thing you have learned while writing?

Do you ever find while researching a topic that you have strayed into another area equally as interesting? If so, do you then try to incorporate your discoveries into your books?

Do you enjoy reading in your spare time? What type of books do you like to read?

What else do you enjoy doing in your free time?

What Magic Tree House Fact Trackers are you working on currently?

Mary's Q & A with FirstBook.org

Authored by Melanie Boyer on November 7, 2017

POSTED IN: EXPERT VOICES

A note from Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO, First Book:

Q&A With First Book

Be brave and seek the unknown, teach in the inner city, join the military, study or work abroad, spend time in the woods, investigate the sky and ocean…”

I like to tell kids that every “bad” idea is leading to a better one. The important thing is not to give up.”

A New Look!

Magic Tree House celebrates 25 years with a brand new look!

Magic Tree House celebrates 25 years with a brand new look! The Magic Tree House look now clearly delineates a reading journey through three distinct lines:

United Nations Speech

American Theatre Magazine Spotlights Magic Tree House On Stage
January 27, 2026

A Podcast Interview with Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne on
The Growing Readers Podcast

Magic Tree House celebrates 25 years with a brand new look!

The Magic Tree House look now clearly delineates a reading journey through three distinct lines: