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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | J FICTION SHE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Oakdale Library | J FICTION SHE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J FICTION SHE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J FICTION SHE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J FICTION SHE | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Travel around the United States of America with twins Finn and Molly in this new chapter book series that highlights a different state in each book!
Magic and mystery from sea to shining sea!
We must be dreaming! That's what twins Finn and Molly Parker think when they discover a camper in their driveway--and it talks! When the RV transports them to a cattle ranch in Colorado, the twins know something magical has happened. Then the camper disappears, leaving Finn and Molly to wonder . . . how are we going to get home?
Each Magic on the Map book includes a map of the US, a map of the state that Finn and Molly visit, and 10 amazing facts about that state!
Where will Finn and Molly go next? Find out in the next adventure- Magic on the Map #2- The Show Must Go On
Author Notes
Courtney Sheinmel is the author of over a dozen highly celebrated books for kids and teens, including the young readers' series Stella Batts, the middle grade series The Kindness Club, and the young adult novel Edgewater . In addition to writing, Courtney served as a judge on the national level for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and she received a National Scholastic Outstanding Educator Award for her work as a writing instructor at Writopia Lab, a non-profit organization serving kids ages 8-18. She lives in New York City. Visit courtneysheinmel.com and follow @courtneywrites.
Bianca Turetsky is the author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista On Board the Titanic , The Time-Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette, and The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile , which have been translated into 9 languages. After graduating from Tufts University, Bianca began working for artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, where she managed his studio for over 11 years and was his assistant on the Academy Award-nominated film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly . She is currently the regional Brooklyn coordinator and an instructor at Writopia Lab, an award-winning non-profit that offers writing workshops for kids and teens from all backgrounds. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit biancaturetsky.com and follow @BiancaTuretsky.
For half of the year Stevie Lewis travels out of her van, furthering her passion for art and the outdoors. She is also an avid hiker and rock climber. With a background in animation, she now illustrates children's books, including Sun! One in a Billion, by Stacy McAnulty, Prince & Knight, by Daniel Haack, and Lost in the Library, by Josh Funk. She is currently based in northern Arizona, where she lives with her partner and two dogs.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-At the very start of the summer, second-grade twins Finn and Molly find a camper in front of their home. Their father has swapped their family car for his dream vehicle with plans to take the family on the ultimate vacation. But before he gets the chance, curiosity overcomes Finn and Molly when they decide to check out the camper in the middle of the night. The twins discover that the camper is actually a magic transporter called Planet Earth Transporter (aka PET) that sends them on assignment from their home in Ohio to Colorado where their adventure begins. They end up on a cattle drive where they make new friends, gear up like cowboys, and learn about the state. But when Snowflake, the ranch's prized cow, is stolen, the twins embark on solving the mystery before returning safely home. VERDICT A beginning chapter series that's part geography lesson, part adventure, and part mystery. A solid addition for medium and large -collections.-Vivian Ho, Port Washington Public Library, NY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A magical camper van whisks twins Molly and Finn to a dude ranch for a mystery mission.This first in a beginning chapter-book series blends cozy sibling adventure with a geography theme. The Planet Earth Transporter literally introduces itself to Molly and Finn as they explore the spacious van parked in their Ohio driveway. The rising third-graders, illustrated with white skin and friendly demeanors, find themselves transported to Colorado by the PET in a matter of minutes. Gentle black-and-white illustrations break up text as the pair are deposited at Snowflake Ranch until their "work is done." The careful balance of dialogue and somewhat-advanced vocabulary throughout will build confidence among emergent readers as they see newer words paired with context clues. Normative gender roles are reinforced: Maternal Helen prepares all the food in the mess hall, Finn is physically brave and a sports fan, and Molly is timorous and book smart. When the ranch's prize cow, Snowflake, is wrestled by "rogue cowboys" during a cattle drive, Molly, Finn, and newfound friend Ella break off from the grown-ups for a rescue operation. Ella, the lone dark-skinned character depicted, lives part-time in Colorado with her ranch-hand father and with her mother in Florida. Backmatter includes fun facts about Colorado, suggesting that each book in the series will focus on a different U.S. state.Light fare for emergent chapter-book readers who've exhausted the Magic Tree House series. (Adventure. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
On the last day of second grade, Finn and Molly Parker came home to find a camper in their driveway. It was white with one orange stripe and one yellow stripe. It had a rounded roof and three windows on the sides. The twins checked to make sure the school bus had let them off at the right house. Yep. This was 24 Birchwood Drive. With its hunter-green mailbox out front and purple Johnny-jump-up flowers in the window boxes. But you couldn't see the window boxes now. They were blocked by the camper, which was as big as a boat! Molly turned to Finn. "What's this doing here?" she asked. "How would I know?" Finn asked. "I just got here, same as you." Molly and Finn walked up the driveway slowly and carefully, as if the camper were a UFO. Finn was wearing his favorite baseball cap. It was from his Little League team, the Moonwalkers, and he never took it off. Well, not never . He took it off at school because hats were not allowed during class. And he took it off each night when he had to shower before bed. But every other minute of the day, he wore it, even when he was sleeping. Except right now, he took the hat off and shielded his eyes with his hand, peeking through the camper's tinted windows. Their dad jumped out of the driver's side door. "AH!" the twins yelled in surprise. "Dad, you scared us," Finn said. "What are you doing home?" "And what's this?" Molly added. "It's a camper! Isn't it beautiful?" Mr. Parker said. He patted the side of the camper as if it were a new puppy. "Now we can take the trip I've always dreamed of taking." "What trip?" Finn asked. "A family road trip!" their dad exclaimed. "We can go anywhere our hearts desire." "That's not true. We can't go to Bora Bora," Molly said. "Huh?" Finn asked. "Bora Bora is an island in Tahiti," Molly said. "It's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which means we can't drive there. Anywhere we travel in the camper has to be on this continent." "That's right, Mol," their dad said. "Can't get anything past you! But there are lots of other places these wheels can take us this summer! We can go anywhere in North America. Doesn't that sound great?" "I get carsick," Molly said. "Remember the time we drove to Grandma's house and I threw up all over Finn?" " I remember," Finn said. "It was so disgusting!" "I didn't do it on purpose," Molly replied. "But you didn't have to do it on me ," Finn said. "Do you get camper-sick, too?" "Probably," Molly said. "Gross," Finn said, placing his cap back on his head. "Kids, where's that Parker family spirit?" their dad asked. Just then, Mrs. Parker stepped out of the front door, her cell phone pressed to her ear. Her eyes widened at the sight of a camper in her driveway. "Carol, I'm going to have to call you back," she said. She lowered the phone and shook her head. "What in the world . . . ?" "Family vacation, honey!" Mr. Parker said. Mrs. Parker's eyes scanned the driveway. "Where's your car?" "I traded with Professor Vega in the astrophysics department!" Mr. Parker exclaimed. "It was a steal of a deal! The car only sat five, and this camper sleeps eight!" "Oh no," Mrs. Parker said. "You have to trade back. This takes up the entire front yard. And it's crushing my poor marigolds!" "Phew," Molly and Finn sighed with relief. The camper would be returned tomorrow. Dad would get his regular old car back. Everything would be normal again. But that night, Molly couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned until there was a faint morning light peeking through her window shade. Molly put on her fuzzy bunny slippers and carefully tiptoed down the stairs. She wanted to look at the camper one last time, and maybe go inside it before Dad traded it back. She couldn't get carsick (or camper -sick) if it was standing still. She quietly slipped outside and opened the unlocked camper door. To her surprise, someone was already there. Excerpted from Let's Mooove! by Courtney Sheinmel, Bianca Turetsky All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
