In terms of Arthurian mythology, it was Mary Pope Osborne’s book series Magic Tree House that captured my imagination as a kid. Thanks to this series, my ears perk up a bit when I hear the names Morgan le Fay or Merlin. Additionally, it’s probably why I became a voracious reader.
Recommended VideosSo many nerds that grew up in the U.S. had some fixation on Arthurian mythology, even if only for a moment. Like many kids, I got my first impactful exposure to the many characters that make up the loose canon of King Arthur through two popular sources. One instance came via the 1963 Disney feature The Sword in the Stone (go rewatch it if you haven’t in a while, because it’s great), but the other was the Magic Tree House.
Osborne sought to channel the sense of adventure gathered from a life of traveling around the U.S. and Eurasia, plus reading Lord of the Rings, into children’s literature. In each Magic Tree House story, elementary school-age siblings Jack and Annie Smith get whisked away to another place in time. Other than trying to get home safely and ending on a cliffhanger, each book (after #4) features Morgan le Fay and, later, Merlin. Unlike her historical and mythological counterpart, le Fay is kind in this book series.
After solving the main mystery, the kids return to their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. Since 1992, Osborne has written dozens of books on the Smith siblings’ travels, with Salvatore Murdocca illustrating the series until 2016. Osborne still publishes new ones and graphic novel versions, too.
These early chapter books were loved by kids and lauded by parents and teachers, not just for Osborne’s ability to get children interested in reading, but for the repetitious style. As historical fantasy, the traveling element also helped kids build empathy for new places and people. She continues to this day, with a new book coming spring 2024.
While le Fay served as a recurring adult character at first, she would later take turns with Merlin. After a while, he became their permanent guide. At first, these books were numbered directly in order. However, on the 25th anniversary of the series’ publication, Osborne began to rerelease the original books. She divided them up as le Fay books (Magic Tree House) or Merlin books (Merlin Missions Series).
This list puts the first dozen books in chronological order and publication order up to 2017. When looking at newer editions of Magic Tree House, you’ll only be getting le Fay titles. Nothing really changes until #29, a.k.a. the first book Merlin takes le Fay’s role. Another way of reading this series is by reading them as separate series.
