Product Description

What is the strangest plant in the rain forest? Which rain forest animal is the creepiest? What medicines have been discovered there? How can we save our rain forests? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Rain Forests, Jack and Annie’s very own guide to the mysteries of the rain forest. Includes information on rain forests around the world; fun facts about rain-forest bugs, birds, plants, and animals; maps and photographs; and much more!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61683 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-25
• Released on: 2001-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780375813559
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-In this companion to Afternoon on the Amazon (Random, 1995), Jack and Annie encourage readers to undertake their own research related to the rain forest, and that is excellent advice. With the number of full-color, larger-format titles available on the topic, it is hard to justify sticking with the brief introduction and small, black-and-white photos this book offers. Drawings of the children appear somewhere on almost every page, and perhaps their die-hard fans will slog along to keep them in view. However, the book doesn't even provide detailed information on some plants and animals that play an important role in the fictional adventure. For example, the frightening vampire bats and piranhas the children encounter are barely mentioned. The mango, which is the item they need to bring back from their adventure, isn't even included in this title. Tips for research and lists of books, museums, videos, and Web sites could be useful, but it's hard to recommend purchasing a resource that lacks the attributes necessary to do its own subject justice.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap
What is the strangest plant in the rain forest? Which rain forest animal is the creepiest? What medicines have been discovered there? How can we save our rain forests? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Rain Forests, Jack and Annie?s very own guide to the mysteries of the rain forest. Includes information on rain forests around the world; fun facts about rain-forest bugs, birds, plants, and animals; maps and photographs; and much more!

Customer Reviews

Good info, v. readable
Our girls read this after a trip to the Amazon, and found lots that they recognized & enjoyed. The standard of information is rather higher than that in the Magic Tree house books, which is reasonable, given that they don't have to worry about plot & characters as well!

If your child enjoys Magic Tree house, and would like to know more about the Amazon this is fine, but I would also recommend One Small Square: Tropical Rainforests (by Donald Silver). We took this with us to the rainforest (see review) and found it to be excellent.

Companion guide to Afternoon on the Amazon
The world of informational books created by Will and Mary Osborne are designed for children in early elementary grades. They present such topics as the Amazon Rain Forest, knights, ninjas, saber tooth tigers, the Titanic, the dingos of Australia, and so on. There are 28 books in the series, as well as the more detailed nonfiction informational research guides. "Rain Forests: Research Guide" is one such book.

The story line is basic in each adventure book. Two children, Jack and Annie, 8 and 7 respectively, find a tree house in the woods one day, then discover dozens of books in it. But the most wondrous thing of all is pointing to a picture in a book, then magically being transported across space and sometimes time to go there.

On many occasions after the children return home, they research the topic. It's that additional effort that makes these Research guides unique. Not only do Jack and Annie (or Will and Mary) provide details of the topic at hand, but they also teach the research process. What better way to show children how information gets into books AND how that information can be included in a fantasy adventure. The Osbornes, along with their favorite illustrator, Sal Murdocca, are giants in my book.

As for "Rain Forests," information is presented in a logical order with illustrations depicting each explanation. The rain cycle, geographic placement, layers of the forest, specific plants, animals, and people tribes are covered. This particular guide ends with a suggestion for ways for children to help save the rain forests, disappearing at an alarming rate. Then the standard conclusion lists other resources to consult.

I'm aghast that two other reviewers on the product page find fault with "Rain Forests." One descries the lack of color in showing the vibrant life of the rain forest. Another finds fault with the Osbornes' statistical facts about the deforestation rate. As for color, the book is written from the viewpoint of Jack and Annie doing the research and presenting the information. They could have created a PowerPoint, but how would we see it? Remember, this is written for lower elementary (even though the product page lists ages 9-12), so the format matches the level. Besides, the Osbornes include other resources in the back of their book.

As for the deforestation rate, the Osbornes quote one baseball field per second disappears. I visited an exhibit of the rain forests at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. some years back. That statistic was several football fields--quite a bit larger and a dozen years ago. It was so staggering that I shudder every time I think about it.

Bottom line: the Osbornes have created a fantastic series of books, one adventure, one additional research to serve as an impetus to children that their education is an ongoing matter and they can enhance it through the magic of tree houses (books).

AWESOME BOOK!!!!
What a delightful experience you get with the Magic Tree House Books.
Go on a magic adventure with your kids and there imaginations.
Hands down winning by an easy victory for our Family!!!!!!!