Book Review: Magic School Bus, Inside a Beehive
Do you know a child between 4-10 who is insatiably curious and asks endless questions about how the world works? If so, then the Magic School Bus books written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen just might work for you.
My sister sent three of the original 11 books to my 6-year-old daughter at Christmas this year. Just like her cousins before her, my daughter loves these books. They are science books full of real facts and they are funny too. Ms. Frizzle, a whacky teacher who is obsessed with science, takes her class on adventures in her trusty old magic school bus.
One of our favorites is The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive. In this wonderful book, Ms. Frizzle, aka “the Friz,” takes her students to visit a bee keeper. They are accidentally turned bee-sized and the school bus turns into a beehive. But, not one to be discouraged, Ms. Frizzle leads her students into the real beehive where they learn all about the lives of bees and how honey is made. Along the way they learn about pollination, the social structure of a beehive, and how honey is made. Kids learn, but through story and engagement. Heck, I learn by reading the Magic School Bus books.
Be warned that these are not short reads, but can be broken into several sittings. It takes us about 30 minutes to read each book cover-to-cover. There is humorous dialogue on every page, along with fascinating facts that curious kids will love. The story lines are also engaging. And, there is always adventure and excitement, with a hint of potential danger.
I do recommend, however, that you stick to the original 11 books. The newer versions written and illustrated by other authors are shorter and lack the depth, wonder and humor of the original series. Over the next few days I’ll be reviewing all of the books in the original series.
Age appropriateness for these books is open for debate. Scholastic, the publishers of the Magic School Bus books, lists the original series as suitable for ages 7-10. However, I know 4-year-olds who love them, as does my own 6-year-old. You can always skip some of the facts and stick to the storylines if your child isn’t ready to learn about the different types of volcanoes or that there is only one queen bee in each hive.