Winter of the Ice wizard
Written by: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrated by: Sal Murdocca
Recommended for ages: 8-10
Random house $17.95

The famous brother–sister duo of Jack and Annie is back in this Merlin Mission of a wintry sort. As the siblings head out to play in the freshly fallen snow on the winter solstice they run into their old friends, Teddy and Kathleen. It seems Merlin the Magician and his partner Morgan have disappeared and it is the job of the foursome to find them. The problem is they have to deal with the one-eyed Ice Wizard. Although he sits in the thrown and appears to be royal he is a strange and frightening character who demands that Jack and Annie find his long lost eye if they want to see Merlin and Morgan again. As is their nature, the duo accepts the challenge and heads off in the Ice Wizard’s sleigh in search of the lost eye. On there way they encounter wolves, Norns, and the Frost Giant but they persistent and are able to retrieve the treasured item and visit with there missing friends.

Along the way Jack and Annie learn much about ancient people and their beliefs about nature. As with all Magic Tree House stories, children will learn facts about things that may not necessarily come up in everyday conversations. For that matter, we as parents will no doubt learn something new each time one of these stories are read.