The Magic School Bus (book series) explained

The Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science, written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen. Designed for ages 6-9, they feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Felicity Frizzle and her class, who board a sentient anthropomorphic Type A school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations, including the solar system, clouds, the past, and the human body. The books are written in the first person from the point of view of an unnamed student in "the Friz's" class. The class has a pet lizard named Liz, who accompanies the class on their field trips.

Since the Magic School Bus books present scientific facts in the form of stories in which fantastic things happen (for example, the bus turns into a spaceship, or children shrink to the size of blood cells), each book has a page at the end detailing in a humorous manner which parts of the book represented scientific fact and which were fanciful storytelling. Similarities to Maurice Dolbier's The Magic Bus (1948) illustrated by Tibor Gergely are strictly coincidental.

History

Craig Walker, vice-president and senior editorial director at Scholastic Co., stated that the concept began with the idea of combining science with fictional stories, and Joanna Cole (who had written both science and humor before) and Bruce Degen were then approached with creating such a series. Walker also states that his own memories of school field trips and of a teacher he had once, served as further inspiration.[1]

The first book "At the Waterworks" was written in 1985 and published the following year.

Cole and Degen started a new series called Ms. Frizzle's Adventures in 2001, which teaches social studies. In those books, Ms. Frizzle travels through time via a special watch. There are now three books in that series. Microsoft Home started publishing Magic School Bus software in 1994. TW Kids published four audio cassettes/activity book "Fun-Kits" in 1994 and 1995, these audio cassettes use audio from the TV Series. Scholastic has also published the original series books as read-along book-on-tapes and book-on-CDs.

Scholastic Entertainment, the American Meteorological Society and the Children's Museum of Houston created a Scholastics the Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm, a 2600square feet, a traveling exhibit funded in part by the National Science Foundation, which premiered at the Children's Museum of Houston in 2003 (a copy of it opened in New Jersey the month after that).[2]

Characters

In the original series books, Ms. Frizzle's class had a larger number of multiethnic students and consisted of Arnold, Tim, Ralph (changed to "Ralphie" on the show and later books in this series), Alex, Amanda Jane, Arnold, Carmen, Dorothy Ann, Florrie, Gregory, John, Michael, Molly, Phil, Phoebe, Rachel, Ralphie, Shirley, Tim, Wanda, Carlos and Keesha (19 students). Janet was first introduced in the 1987 book, The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth. Carlos and Keesha were added in the 1994 book, The Magic School Bus In the Time of Dinosaurs.

In the other books and merchandise --including the TV series and TV tie-in books-- Ms. Frizzle's class was whittled down to eight kids (Arnold, Carlos, Dorothy Ann, Keesha, Phoebe, Ralphie, Tim and Wanda).

List of books and merchandise

Original series books

  1. The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks (1986)
  2. The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth (1987)
  3. The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body (1989)
  4. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System (1990)
  5. The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor (1992)
  6. The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs (1994)
  7. The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane (1995)
  8. The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive (1996)
  9. The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip (1997)
  10. The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (1999)
  11. The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition (2006)
  12. The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge (2010)
  13. The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution (2020)[3]

Notes: *The Science Fair Expedition released 20 years after at its anniversary.

Chapter books

  1. The Truth about Bats (1999) by Eva Moore
  2. The Search for the Missing Bones (1999) by Eva Moore
  3. The Wild Whale Watch (2000) by Eva Moore
  4. Space Explorers (2000) by Eva Moore
  5. Twister Trouble (2000) by Ann Schreiber
  6. The Giant Germ (2000) by Anne Capeci
  7. The Great Shark Escape (2000) by Jennifer Johnston
  8. Penguin Puzzle (2001) by Judith Bauer Stamper
  9. Dinosaur Detectives (2001) by Judith Bauer Stamper
  10. Expedition Down Under (2001) by Rebecca Carmi
  11. Insect Invaders (2001) by Anne Capeci
  12. Amazing Magnetism (2001) by Rebecca Carmi
  13. Polar Bear Patrol (2002) by Judith Bauer Stamper
  14. Electric Storm (2002) by Anne Capeci
  15. Voyage to the Volcano (2003) by Judith Bauer Stamper
  16. Butterfly Battle (2003) by Nancy White
  17. Food Chain Frenzy (2003) by Anne Capeci
  18. The Fishy Field Trip (2004) by Martin Schwabacher
  19. Color Day Relay (2004) by Gail Herman
  20. Rocky Road Trip (2004) by Judith Bauer Stamper

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 Inside a Volcano
  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

TV tie-in books

  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)

TV tie-in fun kits

  1. The Magic School Bus: Fun With Sound
  2. The Magic School Bus: Habitat
  3. The Magic School Bus: Kicks Up A Storm
  4. The Magic School Bus: Goes to Seed

A Science Fact Finder Book

  1. Skeletons Fact Finder
  2. Bats Fact Finder
  3. Field Trip Facts

Ms. Frizzle's Adventures

  1. Imperial China
  2. Medieval Castle
  3. Ancient Egypt

Liz series

  1. Liz Finds a Friend
  2. Liz Takes Flight
  3. Liz Looks for a Home
  4. Liz Sorts It Out
  5. Liz on the Move
  6. Liz Makes a Rainbow

Magic School Bus Presents: A Nonfiction Companion to the Original Magic School Bus Series

  1. Our Solar System
  2. The Human Body
  3. Sea Creatures
  4. The Rain Forest
  5. Wild Weather
  6. Dinosaurs
  7. Planet Earth
  8. Insects
  9. Volcanoes & Earthquakes
  10. Polar Animals

DVDs

See main article: The Magic School Bus merchandise.

  1. AND THE ENVIRONMENT - Rocks and Rolls & Holiday Special
  2. AND THE FLYING ANIMALS - Going Batty & Butterfly and the Bog Beast
  3. BIG AND SMALL - BATMAN The Busasaurus & Gets Ants in its Pants
  4. EXPLORES CELLS AND MOLECULES - Meets Molly Cule & Goes Cellular
  5. EXPLORES INSECTS - Beehive & Spins A Web
  6. EXPLORES NEW HABITATS - In The City & Get Swamped
  7. EXPLORES THE HUMAN BODY - Works Out & Makes A Stink
  8. FOOD - Meets the Rot Squad & Gets Ready, Set, Dough
  9. FOOD CYCLE - Gets Eaten & Goes to Seed
  10. GETS A BOOST - Getting Energized & Revving Up
  11. GETS ROCKING - Out of this World & Blows its Top
  12. GETS TO SHINE — Gets a Bright Idea & Makes a Rainbow
  13. GOES ON A FIELD TRIP - In The Arctic & Goes Upstream
  14. HABITATS AND DESERTS - Hops Home & All Dried Up
  15. THE HUMAN BODY - Inside Ralphie & For Lunch
  16. IN MOTION - Taking Flight & Flexes Its Muscles
  17. IN THE AIR - Kicks Up a Storm & Gets Lost in Space
  18. IN THE WATER - Ups and Downs & Wet All Over
  19. LEARNS ABOUT MICROBES AND REPTILES - In A Pickle & Cold Feet
  20. LEARNS ABOUT PLANTS AND FORESTS - Gets Planted & In The Rain Forest
  21. LEARNS SOMETHING NEW - Cracks a Yolk & Gets Programmed
  22. LEARNS TO BUILD - Under Construction & Shows and Tells
  23. LIGHTS UP - Sees Stars & Gets Charged
  24. PHYSICS - Plays Ball & In the Haunted House
  25. TESTS THE WATERS - Goes to Mussel Beach & Takes a Dive
  26. UNDER PRESSURE - Goes on Air & Gains Weight
  27. SUPER STAR POWER - Gets Planted, Goes Cellular, Sees Stars & Taking Flight
  28. TAKES A DRIVE - Goes to Mussel Beach, Gets Swamped, Takes a Dive & For Lunch
  29. TAKES FLIGHT - Kicks Up a Storm, Taking Flight, Hops Home & Gets Swamped
  30. HUMAN BODY - For Lunch, Inside Ralphie, Flexes Its Muscles & Gets Planted
  31. BLAST OFF FROM SPACE TO SEA - Wet All Over, Ups and Downs, Rocks and Rolls, Gets Eaten, Meets the Rot Squad, Gets Ready, Set, Dough, Gets Lost in Space, Out of This World, Gains Weight, Goes Upstream, Butterfly and the Bog Beast & Plays Ball
  32. FIELD TRIP FUN & GAMES - The Busasaurus, Cold Feet, Goes Upstream, Plays Ball, Shows & Tells, Works Out, Gets Ants in Its Pants, Butterfly and the Bog Beast, In a Beehive, Gets Eaten, Rocks and Rolls, Gains Weight
  33. THE COMPLETE SERIES - All 52 episodes from the 4 season run

VHS

  1. Flexes Its Muscles
  2. Gets Lost In Space
  3. Gets Charged
  4. All Dried Up
  5. Hops Home
  6. Inside The Haunted House
  7. Inside Ralphie
  8. Gets Eaten
  9. For Lunch
  10. Blows Its Top
  11. Plays Ball
  12. Goes To Seed
  13. Kicks Up A Storm
  14. Going Batty
  15. Creepy Crawly Fun
  16. Greatest Adventures
  17. Under Construction
  18. Out Of This World
  19. Gets Ants In Its Pants
  20. Gets Planted
  21. Butterflies!
  22. Ready, Set, Dough
  23. The Busasaurus
  24. In The Rainforest
  25. Makes A Rainbow
  26. Taking Flight
  27. Getting Energized
  28. Magic School Bus Holiday Special
  29. Spins A Web
  30. In A Beehive

Individual books

The original Magic School Bus books are:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Two Decades of Fun and Learning on the Magic School Bus . 2012-10-03 . Lodge . Sally . 2006-07-27 . Publishers Weekly.
  2. Web site: Scholastics the Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm Museum Exhibit . 2009-03-23 . McCallum . Cheryl D. . L. Nazarani . The Children's Museum of Houston . 2007-01-04 . ams.confex.com . American Meteorological Society.
  3. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/the-magic-school-bus-is-back-and-its-tackling-evolution The Magic School Bus Is Back and Its Tackling Evolution