A cup, a compass, a key: the magic tree house has brought siblings Annie and Jack to Camelot, where they embark on a mysterious mission to find these enigmatic gifts. In this special hardcover addition to the bestselling Magic Tree House series, the young adventurers must travel to the Otherworld, an "ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of the Earth, the place where all magic began" to save Camelot from dark wizard Mordred's evil spell. If they fail, Camelot will be forgotten forever. Fans of the beloved, highly readable series by Mary Pope Osborne will rise to the challenge of this longer, more complex companion to her other titles, which include Earthquake in the Early Morning and Twister on Tuesday. As in every story in the sequence, Jack and Annie bravely plunge into their quest, learning about a culture and time very far removed from their own, and prove once again that children can make a difference. (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
With a dose of seasonal enchantment, the latest Magic Tree House installment takes readers not to a historical era, but to the legendary Round Table in Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne, illus. by Sal Murdocca. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-In this series installment, Jack and Annie are transported to the legendary kingdom, which has been put under a dismal spell by King Arthur's enemy Mordred. To bring joy and hope back to Camelot, the youngsters volunteer to journey to the Otherworld in order to bring back the Water of Memory and Imagination that will break the spell. This isn't really a Christmas story, but rather a rousing adventure tale filled with dancing fairies, white stags, and hideous beasts. Jack and Annie undertake the rigors of the quest with enthusiasm and aplomb, and if it all seems a bit too easy, fledgling fantasy readers and fans of the series shouldn't mind at all.E. M. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 2-5. Although not a numbered volume in the Magic Tree House series, this adventure features young Annie and Jack on a return trip to Camelot. There they journey into the Otherworld to save Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and Sir Percival and to lift Mordred's evil spell from the kingdom. Osborne introduces young readers to two of the most venerable conventions of fantasy: a rhyming riddle that must be solved and magical objects (whose legendary origins are described in a fine author's note) that help the children complete their quest. Despite a series of trials, the children's triumph seems to come easily. The print is fairly large, the text lively, and appealing illustrations appear every few pages. This is longer than the early Magic Tree House books, but children who have read the entire series are probably ready for somewhat longer chapter books by now. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
The Magic Tree House series has become a staple for inspiring kids to read. Christmas in Camelot is a very special Magic Tree House book. Here, author Mary Pope Osborne uses the literary skills for which she’s known to create a longer, more in-depth story featuring the characters kids have come to love. The result is magical: a fast-paced but detailed, easy-to-read story. Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference.
Card catalog description
On Christmas Eve, Jack and Annie's tree house transports them to King Arthur's castle at Camelot, where they undertake a quest to the castle of the Otherworld.
From the Inside Flap
The Magic Tree House series has become a staple for inspiring kids to read. Christmas in Camelot is a very special Magic Tree House book. Here, author Mary Pope Osborne uses the literary skills for which she’s known to create a longer, more in-depth story featuring the characters kids have come to love. The result is magical: a fast-paced but detailed, easy-to-read story. Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference.
Christmas in Camelot (Magic Tree House: Merlin Mission Series #29) FROM OUR EDITORS
Celebrate the wonder of the Middle Ages with this enchanting addition to the Magic Tree House series! When Jack and Annie receive a Royal Invitation to spend Christmas in Camelot, they expect feasting and fun with King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. But instead, they find themselves on a quest to recapture the kingdom's joy and save Camelot from being forgotten forever.
ANNOTATION
On Christmas Eve, Jack and Annie's tree house transports them to King Arthur's castle at Camelot, where they undertake a quest to the castle of the Otherworld.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Magic Tree House series has become a staple for inspiring kids to read. Christmas in Camelot is a very special Magic Tree House book. Here, author Mary Pope Osborne uses the literary skills for which sheﾽs known to create a longer, more in-depth story featuring the characters kids have come to love. The result is magical: a fast-paced but detailed, easy-to-read story. Jack and Annie go on a quest to save Camelot, a quest that will prove to a beleaguered King Arthur that children and imagination really can make a difference.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
What could be more exciting than a Christmas Eve quest back in the time of King Arthur? Young listeners are swept into historical fantasy as author Mary Pope Osborne reads her own bestselling works on the audiobook Christmas in Camelot, which includes the Magic Tree House titles Christmas in Camelot and Magic Tree House Research Guide #2: Knights and Castles. ( Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
What a wonderful adventure awaits readers who accompany Jack and Annie on their thrilling trip to the Otherworld in a quest to save Camelot. Jack and Annie, the brother and sister team of the author's "Magic Tree House" series, receive an invitation to spend Christmas Eve in Camelot. They mistakenly believe the invitation was sent by Morgan le Fay, their trusted friend from past adventures. Once they arrive, however, Morgan sadly informs the children that Camelot is dying because of a dark wizard's evil spell. The Christmas Knight arrives and tells the children and that Camelot will be lost forever unless someone travels to the Otherworld to recapture its joy. Annie and Jack meet the challenge and begin an incredible and exciting journey. Children familiar with the "Magic Tree House" series will love this new addition. This book is a compelling introduction to the series for the uninitiated. The excellent prose and black and white illustrations combine to make this a fantastic book from start to finish. 2001, Random House, $11.95. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati
School Library Journal
Gr 2-5-In this series installment, Jack and Annie are transported to the legendary kingdom, which has been put under a dismal spell by King Arthur's enemy Mordred. To bring joy and hope back to Camelot, the youngsters volunteer to journey to the Otherworld in order to bring back the Water of Memory and Imagination that will break the spell. This isn't really a Christmas story, but rather a rousing adventure tale filled with dancing fairies, white stags, and hideous beasts. Jack and Annie undertake the rigors of the quest with enthusiasm and aplomb, and if it all seems a bit too easy, fledgling fantasy readers and fans of the series shouldn't mind at all.-E. M. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Anyone who hasn't yet heard of the Magic Tree House has evidently spent the last several years on another planet (at Midnight on the Moon, perhaps?). Judging from this latest series entry (the first in trade hardcover), the popularity of these transitional chapter books is richly deserved. Jack and Annie, the brother-and-sister pair from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, here take their 25th magical journey in Morgan le Fay's magic tree house. This time, however, instead of traveling to actual places and times in history, they find themselves at Christmas in Camelot--a Camelot sadly transformed from a place of celebration and laughter to one from which joy has been robbed and magic banished. Their quest is to travel to the Otherworld to bring back the Water of Memory and Imagination in order to restore Camelot to its former glory. While the launching of the quest is rather labored--Mordred's involvement in Camelot's plight is explained quickly and not altogether satisfactorily--once Jack and Annie get going, the story moves along at a good clip, full of magical talismans, rhyming clues, Otherworldly foes, and a happy ending. If the kids accomplish their tasks rather easily-well, this is a book for younger readers, and it makes a terrific introduction to the more complex fantasies to come. Osborne (Kate and the Beanstalk) never dumbs down the language for her young readers, instead introducing a rich vocabulary while seamlessly providing contextual clues for decoding: "Miraculously, the silver cup still brimmed with water from the cauldron. Not a drop had spilled out." Black-and-white spot illustrations are scattered throughout, although frequently a page turn is required before thereader sees the scene being described-a minor design quibble. An almost entirely pleasing offering; if Osborne and her publisher can produce another 25 of this quality, chapter-book readers will truly have been well served.
Art & Photography
Book Info
