Reading Detectives: Magic Tree House ®️

Description

Grab your passport and join us as we travel with Jack and Annie through time and space, from country to country as they collect clues to solve riveting mysteries and engage in fascinating missions. This adventurous brother-and-sister duo from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, discover a magic tree house full of books that will catapult them to other time dimensions, cultures, and ecosystems, while searching for clues. Come along for the fun!

PARENTS/SUPERVISORS:

This course is a great way to inspire the love of learning through the cornerstone of education – READING! While we’ll be discussing the excursions of Jack and Annie, we’ll also be:

• Practicing reading fluency and expressive reading
• Expanding vocabulary
• Improving spelling
• Learning about story structure
• Strengthening higher-level reading skills

This course will be cross-curricular, reinforcing various aspects of:

• Reading and Language Arts
• Math
• Science
• Geography
• Social Studies
• Art

The themes and focus for the 2025-2026 series of eight-week mini-courses are as follows:

Semester 1 (Fall 1 and Fall 2 sessions):

• Mini-course Fall 1, 2025: Whose tree house is it anyway?
  
  • Description: Meet Jack and Annie! Two curious siblings who are always up for an adventure! While out exploring in the woods, they found a TREEHOUSE! But whose treehouse is it? In each of the four books, Jack and Annie discover a clue that leads them to see who built the treehouse. Come along on a reading adventure while Jack and Annie find the clues! Required books:
    • Dinosaurs Before Dark
    • The Knight at Dawn
    • Mummies In The Morning
    • Pirates Past Noon

• Mini-course Fall 2, 2025: Jack and Annie Help a Friend
  
  • Description: Jack and Annie discover a cryptic note from their new friend asking for HELP! During their efforts to respond to their request, Jack and Annie take a tour through time, leading them from ancient Japan to the Moon while learning about woolly mammoths and creatures of the rainforest along the way. Do Jack and Annie help their friend in time?? Join us and find out! Required books:
    • Night of the Ninjas
    • Afternoon on the Amazon
    • Sunset of the Sabertooth
    • Midnight on the Moon

Semester 2 (Winter and Spring sessions):

• Mini-course Winter, 2026: The Road to Becoming Master Librarians
  
  • Description: Pack your bags with clothing for all types of weather, cause this excursion serves up a variety of temperatures and climates. Don’t forget your swimsuit, sunscreen, and parka! We’ll be traveling with Jack and Annie on the backs of dolphins, through a ghost town, on a safari, and cuddling with polar bears in a variety of settings during this mini-course! Required books:
    • Dolphins at Daybreak
    • Ghost Town at Sundown
    • Lions at Lunchtime
    • Polar Bears Past Bedtime

• Mini-course Spring, 2026: Master Librarians on a Mission!
  
  • Description:

    ANCIENT /ˈān(t)SHənt/  – belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence.

    As Master Librarians, Jack and Annie are on a mission to the ancient civilizations of Pompeii, China, Ireland, and Greece to save some priceless books from being destroyed! They received some assistance from the mythological characters of those books, but did they complete the mission? Join us and find out!

    Required books:

    • Vacation Under the Volcano
    • Day of the Dragon King
    • Viking Ships at Sunrise
    • Hour of the Olympics

Course Structure

Each week, students will join us for a live one-hour class, where we will discuss the assigned book chapters and engage in some fun-filled discussions and activities. Class attendance is encouraged to keep this class engaging and lively, but it will be recorded if the student needs to be absent from the live meeting.

Weekly assignments may include:

• Reading assigned chapters for the following week’s class
• Completing simple science experiments
• Drawing or creating
• Completing worksheets

Who should enroll?

This course is ideal for 3rd – 5th 5th-grade students, regardless of reading level

Technology Requirements

• High-speed, broadband Internet
• Sound card and working microphone (for live sessions)
• Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures

Evaluation and Feedback

This is not a graded course. At the end of the course, students will have time for self-reflection and growth and will receive feedback from the instructor on those observations.

Communication

I will be available via email to answer any questions within 24 hours during the school week.