The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes

Just like when I was a kid, I still love The Magic School Bus books. I like how the author includes quote boxes in the illustrations for some of the characters to give us a better understanding of their personality. On the fourth page for example, Arnold says, “Oh, no! Not another field trip!” As a reader you get the feeling that Arnold does not enjoy these field trips like his classmates do. I also like how the author includes a “Memo to: Parents, Teachers, and Kids” at the end of the book. This page gives extra information on volcanos that might not have been explained in the book. From this book we can learn that shifting plates in the earth’s crust can lead to volcanos erupting and forming new islands.

There is no such thing as an ordinary day in Ms. Frizzle’s class. When the class doesn’t have all of the pieces that they need to put together a globe, they set off to find a new island that has not been discovered. The class boards their school bus and journeys deep into the ocean to find an earthquake that will eventually form an island.

The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top was a very fun story. I loved the graphics and the placement of the words on the page. It was a combination of a traditional book and a comic book. I know that there is often a debate on whether or not these books are actually nonfiction. I have seen them referred to as hybrid books because they combine fiction and nonfiction. I have also seen them being referred show more to as Information Picture Books. I think that this is a better description. The concept that Joanna Cole was trying to convey is factual, and there are some details in the book that are accurate; however, the overall storyline is fiction. I was curious as to whether or not a child would be able to separate the fact from the fiction. I have a six-year-old daughter, and she loves to read. I asked her to read the book, and to tell me what she thought about it. After she read the book, she said that it was really cool and that she learned a new word (magma). She didn’t understand the entire process of how volcanoes are formed, but the book did provide some information, and it peaked her interest about the subject. The memo at the back of the book provided additional information that helped her to better understand the subject. Even though Ms. Frizzle signs the note, it explained the scientific process without the use of fictitious elements. show less

I gave this book a 5/5 stars because it is extremely interactive and unique! The illustrations are super detailed and along with that, there are so many text bubbles with information too. The combination of these things gives the reader an exciting experience while reading the book. I would recommend this to any teacher or child to read.

Great quick read to help teach students a bit about volcanoes. Much of the information is true but there is also some fantasy added in to make it exciting and fun to read! This book helps describe how one underwater volcano can become an island. Could be a great way to introduce a new science unit!

I gave this book a 4/5 review. I think this is a good book to get a student interested in the events that are happening. It gives very good information as to the events that happen in the story. This is a good book to use in the classroom for comprehension questions to understand the events. There are a lot of pictures that will help the student understand what is going on. This is a book that would make students critically think about what is happening as the story continues on. I think I would use this in my class with some older students to see what they are able to pick up on.

In this Magic School Bus book, Ms. Frizzle takes her class on an adventure to discover a brand new island. The island turns out to be a volcano. The students learn all about lava and how volcanoes are formed. This would be a fun book for teachers to read to their students or have their students read before they begin a volcano project.

La clase de la señorita Frizzle tiene dificultades en armar un rompecabezas del mundo. Le falta una pieza. ¡Una nueva isla que no ha sido descubierta todavía! Y la Friz sabe donde está. De repente los niños se encuentran bajo la superficie del océano, explorando un volcán submarino.