Why I Like the ‘Magic Tree House’ and ‘Merlin Mission’ Series – part 1

By Kim Ye-in, Shinhyun Girls Middle School

Have you ever heard of a book series called the “Magic Tree House”? What about the “Merlin Missions”? Both series are written by Mary Pope Osborne, and they are popular among young readers around the world. The “Merlin Missions” series is the sequel to the “Magic Tree House” books, in which Jack and Annie travel through time in a tree house and carry out some specific missions. I fell in love with these books, and in this article, I’m going to tell you why I like them.

First of all, the books tell me about history. In one book, Jack and Annie travel back in time and arrive in New York City, the United States, during a period of the Great Depression. Before reading the book, I thought that the Great Depression meant that all the people had serious psychological illnesses. However, after reading this book, I was able to learn that it meant a bad economic period that left people out of work, hungry, and even homeless.

I thought that the history in the book s were well-writ ten so that I could understand what had happened during that period. What’s more, the book allowed me to have a peek into how people dressed, what they read, and where they lived, which made my reading experience even more enjoyable.

Secondly, both book series are full of imagination and magic. Some books describe Irish fairies called leprechauns and a magical horse that could fly in the sky. Some magical characters, such as the talking penguin from the book, “Eve of the Emperor Penguin,” felt alive to me, as if they existed in reality. It made me think that I was actually entering the world of fairy tales.

Lastly, the stories are filled with meaningful quotes. Almost every story contains quotes that I think about even after I finish reading the book, such as “You reap as you sow,” and “The thing that you decide to do would come true.” Also, the quotes themselves give me guidance every time I reflect on them. For example, after reading the quote, “The true value is nearby,” I felt that the values that guide our lives can be found close by.

Another memorable quote was “Life with a good friendship is a true ship to navigate the sea of life.“ I will always cherish this phrase whenever it pops into my mind and try my best to be someone else‘s true friend.

The book that inspired me the most was the 12th book of the “Merlin Mission” series, titled “Eve of the Emperor Penguin.” This book describes the intimate relationship between two characters, the wizard Merlin and a penguin from the Antarctic. In this story, the baby penguin comes across humans, and in one heartwarming scene, it starts to rub its fuzzy face against Merlin’s robe. Merlin’s grief started to melt as he feels huge comfort just by looking at the penguin’s fuzzy face. After reading this passage, I became very curious about the behaviors of penguins. This got me interested in the job of a veterinarian who studies the health and disease of the animals, and how animals are connected to humans. It also led me to passionately read books about animals.