The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System facts for kids
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| Author | Joanna Cole |
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| Illustrator | Bruce Degen |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Magic School Bus |
| Genre | Educational fiction |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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October 18, 1990 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) also Audio book |
| Pages | 40 |
| ISBN | 0-590-41429-1 |
| OCLC | 33844928 |
| Preceded by | The Magic School Bus inside the Human Body |
| Followed by | The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor |
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System is an exciting book from The Magic School Bus series. It's the fourth book written by Joanna Cole and drawn by Bruce Degen. This story is one of the most famous adventures in the series. It also introduces a new character named Janet.
Contents
The Story of the Solar System Adventure
Ms. Frizzle's class is learning all about the solar system. Arnold's cousin, Janet, joins them. Janet loves to talk about how great she is. Ms. Frizzle decides to take the class on a field trip to the planetarium.
When they get there, the planetarium is closed for repairs. On the way back to school, Ms. Frizzle presses a button. The bus suddenly turns into a rocket! It blasts off into outer space.
Exploring Space
First, the bus flies to Earth's Moon. The kids have fun jumping around because there is less gravity there. Next, Ms. Frizzle takes them to the Sun. They also visit Mercury, Venus, and Mars. After that, they fly into the asteroid belt.
While in the asteroid belt, an asteroid hits the bus. One of its tail lights gets broken. Ms. Frizzle flies out to fix it. She is connected to the bus by a safety line. But then, the bus's autopilot system stops working right. The bus flies away, breaking Ms. Frizzle's safety line! She is left floating in the asteroid belt.
Finding the Way Back
Janet looks through Ms. Frizzle's things. She finds Ms. Frizzle's lesson book. This book has all the information Ms. Frizzle was supposed to share. It even has notes like "Arnold, are you listening?" written in it.
Janet reads the book as they pass the outer planets. They fly past Pluto and even leave the solar system! Then, Janet finds the instructions for the autopilot. Now they can fly back to the asteroid belt! They go to rescue Ms. Frizzle.
After they save Ms. Frizzle, they return to Earth. The children tell grown-ups about their amazing trip. But the adults do not believe them. They think the kids just imagined it all. They believe it was just a game they played.
The TV Episode: Lost in Space
| "The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space" | |
|---|---|
| The Magic School Bus episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Lawrence Jacobs |
| Written by | Brian Muehl Jocelyn Stevenson |
| Produced by | Hasmi Giakoumis |
| Featured music | Peter Lurye |
| Production code | Unknown |
| Original air date | September 10, 1994 |
The book was made into the very first episode of The Magic School Bus TV show. This episode is called The Magic School Bus Gets Lost In Space. It was the first one shown on TV.
Book vs. TV Show
The TV episode is mostly like the book. But there are some big differences. In the show, Janet always wants "proof" for amazing claims. She makes Arnold collect "proof" from every planet. She wants to show her own classmates that she really traveled to space. Arnold even suggests going to outer space himself to prove Janet wrong!
Also, in the TV show, Ms. Frizzle does not stay in the asteroid belt. She uses her jet pack to fly to another planet. She gives the kids clues about where she is using the bus radio. It turns out she is on Pluto.
The ending is also different. On Pluto, all of Janet's "proof" falls out of the bus. She refuses to leave without it. Arnold refuses to leave without her. To show Janet what would happen, Arnold takes off his space helmet. He freezes instantly! This makes Janet leave Pluto right away.
As they get back on the bus, Janet yells, "BACK TO EARTH!" She tells Ms. Frizzle, "AND STEP ON IT!" In this ending, Arnold becomes the hero, not Janet. When they get back to Earth, Arnold only has a cold from freezing. Then, Ralphie, who loves aliens, pretends to be a news reporter. He makes up a story about aliens on Pluto complaining about Janet's junk.
Fun Facts from the Episode
- The episode shows Arnold surviving without a helmet in space for a short time. This is not really possible in real life.
- The show also repeats a common idea that you can catch a cold from being cold. But a cold is caused by a virus, not just cold weather. Arnold could not catch a cold in the airless space around Pluto.
- This episode is the first time Janet appears in the TV series.
- It is also the first time the bus is driven by the kids or someone other than Ms. Frizzle. The bus does not have autopilot in the episode.
The Video Game: Explores the Solar System
| The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System | |
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| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Home |
| Series | The Magic School Bus |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows, Macintosh) |
| Release date(s) | September 22, 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Educational |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System was the first software game based on the Magic School Bus series. It came out in 1994. In the game, Ms. Frizzle gets lost right after the bus flies into space. A meteor hits the bus during a meteor shower. Your goal in the game is to find her using clues she gives you. Ms. Frizzle's hiding spot changes each time you play.
How to Play the Game
The main screen of the game looks like the bus's dashboard. You can "drive" the bus to any of the nine planets or Earth's moon. Some planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune do not have solid surfaces. So, in this game, the bus lands on one of their moons instead. For example, it lands on Io for Jupiter or Mimas for Saturn.
Once you are on a planet, you can leave the bus. You need to click on a strange satellite called the "whatsit." This brings up a mini-game. In this game, you control one of the students. You must collect one of Ms. Frizzle's tokens. These are giant coins with her face on them. Each token gives you a clue about where Ms. Frizzle is. It also activates the "Friz-finder."
There are only three clues in total. But you still need to collect tokens to use the "Friz-finder" even after you have all the clues. Clicking the "Friz-finder" tells you if Ms. Frizzle is on your current planet. If she is, you win the game! If not, you need to collect another token and try again.
Game Details
- In three of the Magic School Bus games, Liz the lizard can speak. Only the player can hear her.
- Most of the voices in the game sound like the TV show characters. But Lily Tomlin, who voices Ms. Frizzle in the show, did not voice her in the game. Tina Marie Goff took her place.
