Nart Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Does it matter in what order the books are read? Will my son miss something from skipping from book 2 to to book 8. He just finished the second one and saw the cover of the 8th book that has a space theme (we have books 1-3 and 4-8). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 My son says yes. He won't read them out of order. I think that they could stand alone but there are references to the last adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 There is an overarching storyline. For four books they work on one mystery that appears in the treehouse, then once that is solved they are sent on adventures to retrieve certain things for several books, then there is a different mystery they solve over the course of several books, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I have read these out of order to my son. He does not mind. However, when they are looking for clues, there will be references to clues from the books right before. At times there is backstory with the little penguin, the wand of dianthus, teddy, who is Merlin, who is Morgan. It is not hard to read/listen anyway. But if there is a book where the kids are wondering who the mysterious m is, that is not going to e a surprise if they have heard a book where Morgan is a character they talk to fairly often. But my son doesn't mind. The first books are not nearly as good as the later books. I think the series gets really good around book 20. But the reading level then is higher than the lower ones. Edit: yes, they are meant to be read in order. 1) the reading level gradually increases. 2) there are characters and places that get introduced and a long-term story involving the characters discovering things about how the magic tree house works, and stuff like that. So, yes. But it is usually not difficult to figure out what is going on, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellojwolford Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Yes, they are meant to be read in order; but we haven't, and I don't think we missed much. We are always just checking out what the library has on the shelf, and my ds has read about 10 of them. There is always a prologue in the beginning to tell you enough of the back story so that you can jump in at any point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 We found out the hard way that yes, you want to read them in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Should be, but don't HAVE to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 There have been ones we have not finished bc they were boring or too scary or too something, though. It is not at the point that you would be really missing things (imo). I am reading a lot aloud or with some guided reading, and in hopes of interesting him in a series to encourage reading. Some books just look dull to one of us. Then the Louis Armstrong book and a Christmas books both had a hint of ghosts and my son just didn't want to finish them. We are not missing anything that way. But, for the wand of dianthus, we knew what it was, but still enjoyed the book where they get it (blizzard in a blue moon -- one of my favorites). For the little set where the penguin was turned to stone, it was a little difficult to know why the penguin was turned to stone, but just not a big deal to us. I can see this bothering another child, though, and I can see another child not wanting to read certain books, already knowing the answer to the mystery they are trying to solve or the goal they are trying to reach. Just has not bothered us. I also did think the books where they were in Camelot more were not favorites here, so we skipped quite a few through there. With future kids, I do want to read the wand of dianthus books in order. And generally move in order to some extent. But having read as many as is I have now, I can just fill in backstory I think. But my older son kind-of needs a little help for comprehension, and even benefits from knowing some plot points ahead of time (when he knows from a future book how a plot point will resolve). But it is a different experience than reading in order and letting things unfold. However in practice I will be surprised if my older son does not fill the little kids in on some plot points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I think it's more important in the later books, but there is a storyline over several books. Having said that, my DD picked and chose the ones she liked the looks of best (basically, anything relating to Asian history, plus Blizzard of the Blue Moon because it had a dinosaur), then went back and read the entire series in as close to "correct" order as she could get at our local library. I have to say, I was very glad when the "Magic Tree House" phase passed in our house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lecka Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 Those are my son's favorites, plus the one about Leonardo da Vinci. I really liked Night of the New Magicians, also. He didn't like it as much as I did, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 DD is reading them in order, but skips all around with the Research Guides, for example, she has read the MTRGs on da Vinci, Ancient Rome, Rain Forests, and Knights and Castles in that order, even though she hasn't gotten to Monday with a Mad Genius or Afternoon in the Amazon yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 My dd read them out of order and didn't have a problem. It is easier, though if you read each set of 4 in the right order (1-4, 5-8, 9-12, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thanks everyone for answering. I think I will try to have them read them in order at first and then let him decide if he wants to skip around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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