The Magic Tree House books pale in comparison to these fantastic chapter books. I know, you're skeptical if your child is a fan of the Magic Tree House. However, this is the case.)

The fact that I have some issues with the Magic Tree House series is well-known to anyone who knows me. Classics, on the other hand, have a good reason for being so popular with children. No need to worry about your children sneaking out of the house or having a loose interpretation of the word "history" with these secular and Christian chapter books like Magic Tree House.

Christian Series of Books Like Magic Tree House

The Imagination Station by Focus on the Family

If the Magic Tree House series had a baby Jesus, we'd have the Imagination Station series. Seriously. Two elementary school-aged cousins embark on time-travel adventures, but they do so from the perspective of their Christian faith. There are consequences for sin, the historical setting isn't supernatural, and it's all very historically accurate. This fixes everything I don't like about Magic Tree House. You should take responsibility for it, in my opinion.

Furthermore, listening to Adventures in Odyssey isn't necessary to enjoy or comprehend the stories in the series. My kids have only listened to a few episodes of the Odyssey radio drama, but they really enjoy these books and audiobooks that are part of the Odyssey universe.

Just a heads-up that this project has been worked on by numerous authors. The quality, on the other hand, remains consistent throughout all 26 books. Yes, there are 26 books in total. Want to keep the kids occupied? In addition, the audio books are excellent. Don't get too attached to any one reader in the series, as there are a lot of them.

I'd say go for it. My daughter was only 3 1/2 years old when I started reading these books to her, and we had no problem, especially if you only read one chapter a day. Start them at a younger age than six if you want to.

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by M. J. Thomas

In the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series, a brother and sister travel back in time with their dog, Hank, to witness biblical events firsthand. You could imagine Magic Tree House going to college at a small Bible college in the middle of nowhere.

The only thing I'd advise you to consider before handing these out to your young readers is the fact that Satan is always present. Satan is the dark "bad guy" in every story. Children benefit from the assistance of "good guys" like the angel Michael.

That's not a good or a bad thing, in my opinion. However, it's something to keep in mind. It is my opinion that there are genuine spiritual forces at work in the world. However, I also believe that we do a lot of bad things on our own, because our hearts are so wicked. As a result, some children may have a hard time comprehending the spiritual warfare aspect of these stories, especially when the rest of the setting is a Bible story.

 

As a result, I don't recommend reading them aloud to young children or letting them read them on their own without some instruction on what is Biblical fact and what is literary speculation. Personally, I'd recommend children between the ages of 8 and 12. I'm aware that the publisher recommends the book for ages 6 to 9. However, since the protagonists of the story are nine- and ten-year-olds, I believe you can target an older demographic. However, if you decide your younger children can handle them, there will be no slams.

This Christian spin-off of the popular Magic Tree House series currently has eight volumes published, with more on the way.

The Cooper Kids by Frank E. Peretti

If Indiana Jones went to seminary, met a nice girl, and had a family, the Coopers would be the offspring. Like Magic Tree House, these books feature resourceful children embarking on historical journeys. Archeology rather than time travel is the focus here, however.

Those who like Magic Tree House but are a little older will definitely enjoy this! These are tense reads. However, as a family, we haven't yet read them aloud. The publisher recommends the game for ages 9 and up, but I'd go a step further and recommend it for ages 10 or 11. However, it has the potential to rise significantly – this series is popular with adults as well.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

The original tale of a young person traveling to a magical location and intervening to save the day. In other words, these are books for adults to enjoy together, not necessarily for children under the age of 6. However, I do believe a precocious 8-year-old could handle them. Despite the high level of vocabulary, the syntax is quite simple. No, it's not my 8-year-old, but it could be someone else's.

I'd say this is a good read-aloud for kids 6 and up who are used to chapter books, but the content is at a level where I'm comfortable reading it aloud to my own small children as well. A lot of characters make it difficult for the little girls to keep up with the plot. Here are some short chapter books that I recommend if you're working your way up to a longer one like this.)

If you want to say, "Oh my word, get these on your bookshelf now," I'd say "recommend as a read-aloud." My mouth is watering. There is a great story, kids who save the day after being whisked to a different world, and just enough danger to keep the story interesting but not scary. However, the siblings are kind to one another, there are repercussions for sin, and "good will win for eternity" is the overarching theme.

The larger and colored-in illustrations are also a personal preference of mine. Even though it costs more, my children couldn't tell what was in the editions with the tiny black-and-white illustrations. As a Christmas present...to myself, I'm treating myself to the nicer ones this year...

Some mild British strong language (think "drat," etc.), and the audio books and radio dramatizations are so British that my sweet midwestern children ask what foreign language the readers are speaking.

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