The Magic School Bus facts for kids

The Magic School Bus is a popular series of books, TV shows, and video games. It's all about learning in a fun way! The stories follow Ms. Frizzle, a super cool teacher, and her class. They go on amazing field trips in a magic school bus. This bus can take them anywhere, like back to the time of dinosaurs, into outer space, or even inside a human body!

The Magic School Bus: How It Started

The idea for The Magic School Bus first came from a book series. Craig Walker, who worked at Scholastic Co., wanted to mix science facts with exciting stories.

Creating the Books

Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen were asked to create this new series. Joanna Cole had written both science and funny stories before. Craig Walker was inspired by his own school field trips and a teacher he once had. The very first book, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, came out in 1986. The books are told from the point of view of one of Ms. Frizzle's students.

New Adventures and TV Shows

In 2001, Cole and Degen started a new series called Ms. Frizzle's Adventures. These books taught about social studies. They made three books in this series.

In 1994, The Magic School Bus became a computer game series. That same year, it was also made into an animated television series. This TV show was created by Scholastic Entertainment and a Canadian animation studio.

The Original TV Series

The TV show first aired on PBS on September 10, 1994. The catchy theme song was sung by the musician Little Richard. Deborah Forte, who was in charge at Scholastic Entertainment, said turning the books into a cartoon was a great way to help kids learn science. At the time, many parents and teachers wanted better science education for girls and minority groups. Ms. Valerie Frizzle, the magical teacher, became a great example of a female science expert on TV. Lily Tomlin was the voice of Ms. Frizzle in the series.

The New Series

Later, another animated series called The Magic School Bus Rides Again was made. It started on Netflix in 2017.

Traveling Exhibits

Scholastic Entertainment, the American Meteorological Society, and the Children's Museum of Houston worked together. They created a traveling exhibit called Scholastic's the Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm. This exhibit was about 2,600 square feet (240 m2) big. It was partly paid for by the National Science Foundation. The exhibit first opened at the Children's Museum of Houston in 2003. Another copy opened in New Jersey the next month.