From the Inside Flap
Jack and Annie are off on another mythical mission at the request of Merlin the magician. Luckily, they have a young sorcerer, Teddy, to help them. From underwater caves to a Spider Queen, from mystical selkies to a magical sword, this is a Magic Tree House adventure kids won’t want to miss!
About the Author
Mary Pope Osborne is the author of all the Magic Tree House books, as well as American Tall Tales and New York’s Bravest for Knopf. The author lives in Goshen, CT.
Sal Murdocca has been illustrating and writing books for children for many years. He has illustrated every book in the Magic Tree House fiction series and the Magic Tree House Research Guide nonfiction companions. Sal and his wife Nancy are avid runners and have toured Europe on bicycles. He lives in Rockland County, NY.
Summer of the Sea Serpent (Magic Tree House Series #31) FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House kids are on a pre-Camelot quest in the 31st installment -- and the third Merlin Missions book -- in the smash-hit series.
After Jack and Annie find a seashell challenging them to locate a "shining sword" or "Camelot's king shall meet his doom," the Magic Tree House spins them off to a jagged coastline, where their harrowing journey begins. Almost immediately, a mysterious Water Knight astride a horse-fish appears and takes them to the Cave of the Spider Queen, where the duo fight tidal waves and come face to face with the arachnid herself. After escaping and meeting two seals -- who turn out to be the magician Teddy and a selkie, a human on land who becomes a seal in the water -- they dive back under the sea and eventually confront their worst battle yet: an enormous, slithering sea serpent who guards the sword. Thankfully, Jack and Annie use brain power to get past the creature and take their prize, returning it to mighty Merlin and securing Camelot.
Chock-full of suspenseful adventure as never before, Osborne's 31st tale will keep fans happily hissing for what's to come. Now that the Merlin Missions books are done, kids will be anxious to learn what magical adventures await, and, as always, they'll appreciate the author's note that adds a helpful historical perspective on the book. Jack and Annie's serpent-y summer gives a whole new dimension to beach reading. Matt Warner
ANNOTATION
Jack and Annie travel in their magic tree house to the land of the mystical selkies to seek a magical sword for Merlin.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Jack and Annie are off on another mythical mission at the request of Merlin the magician. Luckily, they have a young sorcerer, Teddy, to help them. From underwater caves to a Spider Queen, from mystical selkies to a magical sword, this is a Magic Tree House adventure kids won't want to miss!
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Kathryn Erskine
In the third "Merlin Mission" from the "Magic Tree House" series (#31), Jack and Annie travel to a misty seacoast, reminiscent of Ireland or Scotland, to retrieve the Sword of Light. To accomplish their task, they—along with the reader—must solve the clues in Merlin's riddle and face such frightening sounding creatures as the Spider Queen and the Old Gray Ghost. Once in the mystical land, they meet their friend, Teddy, from the second "Merlin Mission," Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve ("Magic Tree House" series #30) and a selkie, a creature who is seal in the water and human on land. The Spider Queen turns out to be helpful and the Gray Ghost merely the fog, but the Sea Serpent itself, who guards the Sword of Light, is a foe until the children realize that the revered sword is special because its purpose is peace, not war. Returning the sword to Merlin, they save the future of Camelot. Although this story is not as compelling or informative as others in the "Magic Tree House" series, it provides the usual adventure and plot that fans are so fond of. 2004, Random House, Ages 7 to 10.
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