The Magic School Bus (book series) facts for kids

The Magic School Bus is a super popular series of science books for kids. Written by Joanna Cole and drawn by Bruce Degen, these books are all about the amazing adventures of Ms. Valerie Frizzle and her class. They travel on a special school bus that can change into anything, taking them on incredible field trips! Imagine visiting the solar system, exploring clouds, traveling back in time, or even shrinking down to explore the human body! Each story is told by one of the students in Ms. Frizzle's class. They also have a pet lizard named Liz who joins them on every adventure.

What makes these books cool is how they mix fun stories with real science facts. Since the bus can do impossible things (like turning into a spaceship or shrinking kids to the size of blood cells), each book has a special page at the end. This page humorously explains which parts of the story are true science and which parts are just for fun!

How The Magic School Bus Started

The idea for The Magic School Bus came from Scholastic Co., a publishing company. They wanted to create books that combined exciting stories with science lessons. So, they asked Joanna Cole, who had written both science books and funny stories, and Bruce Degen, an illustrator, to create the series. The first book, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, was written in 1985 and published in 1986.

Later, Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen started a new series called Ms. Frizzle's Adventures in 2001. These books teach about social studies instead of science. There are currently three books in this new series.

In 2003, Scholastic Entertainment, the American Meteorological Society, and the Children's Museum of Houston worked together to create a traveling exhibit. It was called Scholastics the Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm and taught kids about weather.

Meet the Characters

In the original books, Ms. Frizzle's class had many students! Some of the main students you'll meet are Tim, Arnold, Ralph (who became "Ralphie" in the TV show), Dorothy Ann, Wanda, and Phoebe. Phoebe was first introduced in the 1987 book, The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth. Later, Carlos and Keesha joined the class in the 1994 book, The Magic School Bus In the Time of Dinosaurs.

The Magic School Bus Books

There are many different types of Magic School Bus books!

Original Series Books

These are the main books that started it all:

• The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks (1986)
• The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth (1987)
• The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body (1990)
• The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System (1992)
• The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor (1994)
• The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs (1994)
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane (1996)
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive (1998)
• The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip (1999)
• The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (2001)
• The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition (2006)
• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge (2010)
• The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution (2020)

Other Book Series

Besides the original books, there are also:

• Chapter books: These are longer stories for kids who enjoy reading more.
• Scholastic Reader Level 2 books: These are simpler books for younger readers.
• TV Tie-In Books: These books are based on the popular Magic School Bus TV show.
• A Science Fact Finder Books: These books focus more on facts about specific science topics.
• Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: As mentioned, these books teach about social studies.
• Liz series: These books focus on the adventures of Liz, the class pet lizard.
• Magic School Bus Presents: These are non-fiction books that go along with the original series, giving even more facts about topics like the solar system or dinosaurs.

Exploring Individual Books

Let's take a closer look at some of the original Magic School Bus books:

The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks

• Theme: The water cycle and how waterworks clean water.
• What happens: Ms. Frizzle's class thinks a trip to the waterworks will be boring. But soon, they find themselves in scuba gear, shrinking inside a cloud, and even raining down into the water purification system! They learn all about how water moves and gets cleaned.

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth

• Theme: geology (the study of Earth's rocks and layers).
• What happens: The class is learning about rocks. When they can't find enough for homework, Ms. Frizzle takes them on a field trip. The magic bus helps them dig all the way through the center of Earth! They collect many rocks and learn about different types. This book is also special because it's the first time Phoebe Terese appears as the "new kid."

The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body

• Theme: The human body.
• What happens: The class is going to a museum to see a human body exhibit. But after lunch, Ms. Frizzle "accidentally" pushes a button, and the class finds themselves inside a human body! They travel through the digestive system and even the brain, learning how everything works.

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System

• Theme: The solar system.
• What happens: Arnold's know-it-all cousin, Janet, joins the trip to the planetarium. But when it's closed, the bus blasts off into outer space instead! They visit all the planets and learn about them. However, in the asteroid belt, they lose Ms. Frizzle and get lost in space! The rocket bus from this book is a famous symbol of the series.

The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor

• Theme: The ocean.
• What happens: The class is learning about the ocean on a hot day. They're excited for a trip to the beach, but Ms. Frizzle drives the bus right into the water! They explore the deep ocean, and even a lifeguard named Lenny accidentally joins their underwater adventure.

The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs

• Theme: dinosaurs.
• What happens: The class is turning their room into Dinosaur Land. Ms. Frizzle gets a letter from a paleontologist friend. When they find out some Maiasaur bones are missing from a dig site, the bus turns into a time machine! They travel back to the age of dinosaurs to find the bones, learning about different dinosaur periods. This book is also the first time Ms. Frizzle's first name is mentioned, and it introduces Carlos Ramon and Keesha Franklin.

The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane

• Theme: weather.
• What happens: The class is heading to the weather station. On the way, the bus turns into a hot air balloon, and they soon find themselves inside a hurricane! They learn all about how hurricanes form and move.

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

• Theme: bees and insects.
• What happens: The class is learning about insects and going to meet a beekeeper. While waiting, Ms. Frizzle accidentally pushes a lever, turning the bus into a tiny beehive and the class (including Ms. Frizzle) into bees! They explore the hive and learn about bee life, even trying to save the hive from a bear.

The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip

• Theme: electricity.
• What happens: Ms. Frizzle's niece, Dottie Frizzle, joins the class on a trip to the town power plant. The bus turns into a dump truck, pouring the kids into the plant! They shrink and travel through the Walkerville electric system, learning how electricity works.

The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses

• Theme: The five senses.
• What happens: The class is preparing a song about the senses for a teacher meeting. Ms. Frizzle gets the meeting date mixed up. The assistant principal, Mr. Wilde, tries to find her and accidentally gets on the magic bus. He shrinks the bus, and he and the class go on a trip exploring the senses!

The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition

• Theme: Famous scientists in history.
• What happens: This book came out in 2006, celebrating 20 years of The Magic School Bus! Ms. Frizzle's class needs ideas for the Walkerville Science Fair. They decide to visit famous scientists throughout history, like Louis Pasteur, George Washington Carver, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, and even Albert Einstein!

The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

• Theme: climate change.
• What happens: Ms. Frizzle takes the class on a flight over the Arctic. They see how the polar ice caps have melted. They travel around the Earth, observing the effects of global warming and learning about different ways to get energy. Back at school, they discuss how people can save energy and help the environment.