Part of Magic Tree House: Merlin Missions, book 16
First published 2010
Jack and Annie find themselves transported to the foggy streets of Victorian London on an urgent mission. The famous writer Charles Dickens sits locked in jail, and the brother and sister must figure out how to free him. The bustling city presents new challenges as they navigate unfamiliar streets and customs. They discover that saving Dickens will require more than clever planning. Three mysterious ghosts appear to assist them, but even with supernatural help, the task proves difficult. Jack and Annie must use all their magical resources to prevent the celebrated author from destroying his own future. The siblings race against time in a world of gas lamps and horse drawn carriages, where one wrong move could change literary history forever. Their success depends on understanding both the power of their magic and the complicated circumstances that landed Dickens behind bars.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, fantasy, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, time-travel
Setting: London, Victorian London
Period: 19th Century
113 pages · Hardcover · Random House Books for Young Readers