Part of Magic Tree House, book 13
First published 1998
Jack and Annie step out of the Magic Tree House into ancient Pompeii during the height of the Roman Empire. The bustling city seems like any other destination until they realize what day it is. Mount Vesuvius looms over the city, ready to unleash the eruption that will bury Pompeii in volcanic ash. The siblings face their most urgent mission yet. They must locate an ancient library hidden somewhere in the doomed city before the volcano destroys everything. Time runs short as tremors shake the ground and ash begins to fall. Jack and Annie race through Roman streets, dodging panicked citizens and crumbling buildings. Their magical adventure becomes a desperate rescue mission. They must save precious knowledge from being lost forever while finding their own way to safety before Pompeii disappears under tons of volcanic debris.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: desperate-rescue, fish-out-of-water, race-against-time
Setting: Pompeii, Roman Empire
Period: Ancient Rome
74 pages · Paperback · Random House Books for Young Readers