Weekend Fun: Magic Tree House Author

Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House books will give a presentation, at 2pm at the Wellesley Middle School (map). After the presentation, Ms. Osborne will also sign books.

This event is sponsored by Wellesley Booksmith, an excellent local bookstore (its sister store, Brookline Booksmith, is also great). The store expects a big turnout, so read their information about when the doors will open, getting in line for autographs, and how many books the author will sign.

The books' vocabulary and grammar are both pretty basic, making them accessible to English learners. They can really help kids who are having trouble following social studies or science classes. If your child's class will soon be studying ancient Egypt, for example, have him or her read Mummies in the Morning a week or two before they start the unit at school. Students can read them at their own pace and get a head start on the special vocabulary for each subject. Many books also have non-fiction research guides (such as the Mummies & Pyramids partner to Mummies in the Morning), which can be a good second step if your child wants even more information about the subject.

Magic Tree House: The Musical will be in Boston February 21-28. The 40th MTH book, Eve of the Emperor Penguin, was published last September