MAGIC TREE HOUSE COLLECTION #1, BOOKS 1-4 Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, Pirates Past Noon

Mary Pope Osborne has written many wonderful books for children of varying ages, but her Magic Tree House books are surely the most popular. Written for readers who have just graduated to "chapter books," they offer simple vocabulary, simple sentences, and limited characters--the same two children go on a series of adventures that all kids dream about, learning some interesting information along the way. Osborne's reading of her stories both enhances and detracts from their success. Although at first the two children, Annie and Jack, sound the same, by the fourth story Osborne has developed more nuance and vocal differentiation for her characters. She reads very slowly, as if to slow, or calm down the action with her pacing, which makes it a wonderful audiobook for children reading along. Unfortunately, her slow, sweet, breathy voice also keeps the (adult) listener from truly engaging in the story. The sound quality is excellent, and the musical flourishes for each story add to the experience. On the whole, children will enjoy these far more than adults. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 01]