LitPick Review
The Magic Treehouse Survival Guide is a nonfiction book that is a fun reminder of Jack and Annie’s popular adventure stories. It has step-by-step, easy to remember advice for how to stay safe in situations that can become scary and dangerous. Just about anyone anywhere in the world could use what is written in the “Wilderness” and “Extreme Weather” sections, but whether or not readers use information in “Lions and Tigers and Bears—Oh, Man!” or “Disasters” depends on where they live or travel. The “Incredible Survival” section is filled with extraordinary information that probably would not be needed in real life, but readers could enjoy thinking about what they might do in similar circumstances. The book is loaded with colorful pictures and photos that add interest to the various topics, and it even has a working compass embedded in its front cover. Young readers also might appreciate the complete list of Magic Treehouse, Merlin Missions, and Fact Trackers books that appears in the back of the book if they are still trying to read all of them.
Opinion:
The Magic Treehouse stories were my favorite books to read when I was in elementary school, and this Survival Guide is just as awesome! It doesn’t have to be read cover to cover to make sense, so I could flip through and read any section I chose first. I also enjoyed playing with the compass that is included. Above and beyond helpful information to use in emergencies, the book is chocked-full of interesting facts and trivia. It is always fun to read about time periods in history from long ago or to learn about places around the world that I may never get to visit. Overall, I think this book is a great handbook of practical common sense that is written so readers can remember it if they do need the information one day.
