Magic School Bus

by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan

This series is both fiction and nonfiction.  With the help of a remarkable teacher and a shape/size shifting bus, the students find themselves inside science concepts.  Their adventures take them anywhere science is to be had.

Audience
I started in first.  I think up through third grade would be excited about them.  After that, the students would pretend they were too cool for them, but still secretly love every minute of it.

Why I Love This Book
1)The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System is the book that got me hooked on reading.  I was in 1st grade and I spent the entire book holding my breath, because I knew there was no air in space.  Seriously, I was so lost in the book, I forgot to breathe
2) The illustrations are so fun.  Sometimes looking at them will give you parts of the story that aren't in the writing.
3) I like the thought bubles.  The kids are really smart aleck-y.  

Cautions
1) The words are sometimes hard to read against the backdrop of the illustrations.
2) In the original series there's lots of information on every page, with lots of sidebars.  Some kids find that a distracting challenge to read

The Original Series

1. The Magic School Bus At the Waterworks
2. The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth
3. The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body
4. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System
5. The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor
6. The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs
7. The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
8. The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
9. The Magic School Bus And the Electric Field Trip
10. The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses
11. The Magic School Bus And the Science Fair Expedition
12. The Magic School Bus And the Climate Challenge

[edit]Chapter Books

1. The Truth About Bats
2. The Search for the Missing Bones
3. The Wild Whale Watch
4. Space Explorers
5. Twister Trouble
6. The Giant Germ
7. The Great Shark Escape
8. Penguin Puzzle
9. Dinosaur Detectives
10. Expedition Down Under
11. Insect Invaders
12. Amazing Magnetism
13. Polar Bear Patrol
14. Electric Storm
15. Voyage to the Volcano
16. Butterfly Battle
17. Food Chain Frenzy
18. The Fishy Field Trip
19. Color Day Relay
20. Rocky Road Trip

[edit]Scholastic Reader Level 2

1. The Magic School Bus Has A Heart
2. The Magic School Bus Gets Caught In a Web
3. The Magic School Bus Gets Recycled
4. The Magic School Bus And the Missing Tooth
5. The Magic School Bus Fights Germs
6. The Magic School Bus Gets Crabby
7. The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Bugs
8. The Magic School Bus Weathers the Storm
9. The Magic School Bus At the First Thanksgiving
10. The Magic School Bus Arctic Adventure
11. The Magic School Bus Lost in Snow
12. The Magic School Bus and the Shark Adventure
13. The Magic School Bus Builds the Statue of Liberty
14. The Magic School Bus in a Bat Cave
15. The Magic School Bus Comes to Its Senses
16. The Magic School Bus and the Wild Leaf Ride
17. The Magic School Bus and the Butterfly Bunch
18. The Magic School Bus Rides Into Space
19. The Magic School Bus Rides the Wind
20. The Magic School Bus in the Rain Forest
21. The Magic School Bus Sleeps for the Winter
22. The Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals
23. The Magic School Bus to the Rescue: Blizzard
24. The Magic School Bus to the Rescue: Forest Fire
25. The Magic School Bus to the Rescue: Earthquake
26. The Magic School Bus to the Rescue: Flash Flood
27. The Magic School Bus Inside Your Mouth
28. The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean
29. The Magic School Bus Flies with Dinosaurs
30. The Magic School Bus Takes a Moonwalk
31. The Magic School Bus Flies From the Nest
32. The Magic School Bus Blasts Into Space
33. The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up

[edit]Science Readers

1. The Magic School Bus Gets Ants in its Pants
2. The Magic School Bus Going Batty
3. The Magic School Bus in the Haunted Museum
4. The Magic School Bus Gets all Dried Up
5. The Magic School Bus In the Arctic
6. The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad
7. The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top
8. The Magic School Bus Answers Questions
9. The Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie
10. The Magic School Bus Gets Programmed
11. The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm
12. The Magic School Bus Plays Ball
13. The Magic School Bus Plants Seeds
14. The Magic School Bus Ups and Downs
15. The Magic School Bus Gets a Bright Idea
16. The Magic School Bus Butterfly and the Bog Beast
17. The Magic School Bus Makes a Rainbow
18. The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake
19. The Magic School Bus Out of this World
20. The Magic School Bus Taking Flight
21. The Magic School Bus Takes a Dive
22. The Magic School Bus Gets Cold Feet
23. The Magic School Bus Shows and Tells
24. The Magic School Bus Spins a Web
25. The Magic School Bus Gets Planted
26. The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten
27. The Magic School Bus Wet All Over
28. The Magic School Bus Goes Upstream
29. The Magic School Bus In A Pickle
30. The Magic School Bus Hops Home
31. The Magic School Bus Sees Stars
32. The Magic School Bus Looking for Liz (sticker book)