Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House Books in Order
12 books by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce. Reading level: Grades 4.2–5.1. Lower Grades (Ages 5–8).
Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House (12 books by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce) lands at reading level Grades 4.2–5.1, with average content intensity 1.2/5. Intensity stays consistent across the series — a kid who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.
The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.
Content Intensity Across the Series
ConsistentContent stays at a steady intensity level throughout the series.
Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House Reading Order
| # | Title | Reading Level | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dolphins and sharks Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
| 2 | Knights and Castles Will Osborne | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
| 3 | Leonardo da Vinci Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 4 | Mummies and Pyramids Unknown | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 5 | Penguins and Antarctica Unknown | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 6 | Pilgrims Unknown | Level 4-5 | Mild |
| 7 | Pirates Will Osborne | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 8 | Sabertooths and the ice age Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 9 | Sea monsters Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
| 10 | Titanic Will Osborne | Level 5-6 | Mild |
| 11 | Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters Unknown | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
| 12 | Twisters and other terrible storms Will Osborne | Level 4-5 | Gentle |
All Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House Books
Dolphins and sharks
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Dolphins and sharks
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Knights and Castles
Will Osborne
Knights and Castles
Will Osborne
Leonardo da Vinci
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Leonardo da Vinci
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Mummies and Pyramids
Unknown
Mummies and Pyramids
Unknown
Penguins and Antarctica
Unknown
Penguins and Antarctica
Unknown
Pilgrims
Unknown
Pilgrims
Unknown
Pirates
Will Osborne
Pirates
Will Osborne
Sabertooths and the ice age
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Sabertooths and the ice age
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Sea monsters
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Sea monsters
Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
Titanic
Will Osborne
Titanic
Will Osborne
Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters
Unknown
Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters
Unknown
Twisters and other terrible storms
Will Osborne
Twisters and other terrible storms
Will Osborne
Questions about the Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House series
- What reading level is the Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House series?
- The Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce is at a Grades 4.2–5.1 reading level (average Grade 4.8). Intended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). There are 12 books in the series.
- What order should I read the Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House books?
- The reading-order table above lists all 12 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
- What age is the Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House series appropriate for?
- The Stepping Stone; Magic Tree House Research Guides; Magic Tree House series is recommended for Lower Grades (Ages 5–8). The average content intensity is 1.2/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.