Independent Reading Level: Grades 2-4

Hold your horses! Jack and Annie must find four secrets of greatness for Merlin the magician. To start, they travel back in time to meet Alexander the Great. He should know all about greatness, right? But young Alexander is bossy, vain, and not great at all! How can they learn from him? It’s going to take a wild black stallion, magic from Merlin, and a lot of bravery to succeed. Are Jack and Annie clever and bold enough to complete their mission?

In this popular Magic Tree House book, siblings Jack and Annie are sent on another mission by their friend Merlin the Magician. For this mission they are sent back in time to meet Alexander the Great and figure out the four secrets of greatness. However, Alexander ends up being the opposite of great and is rude and unhelpful to Jack and Annie. However, Jack and Annie can't return back to the treehouse failures, so they have to use their adventurous minds to save Merlin. ( )

This was interesting and beautiful. It showcased a point in history that doesn't get near enough attention in American classrooms. I liked it. ( )