High Tide in Hawaii: Magic Tree House #28    by Mary Pope Osborne & Sal Murdocca Order:  USA  Can Random House, 2003 (2003) Hardcover, Softcover     Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke The sun is setting when Annie senses 'it was back' - the magic tree house in the Frog Creek woods. Jack and Annie climb the ladder up the tallest oak tree in the forest. They find a note and read their assignment: 'Dear Jack and Annie, Good luck on your fourth journey to find a special magic. This secret rhyme will guide you: 'To find a special magic, / build a special kind of ship / that rides the waves, / both high and low, / on every kind of trip.' Thank you, / Morgan le Fay.' Jack and Annie make a wish which takes them back in time to old Hawaii. From the top of a palm tree, they see mountains, clouds, and waterfalls beyond the rooftops of a village. Jack consults his research guide and learns, 'Hawaii is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean ... The islands were formed millions of years ago by volcanoes.' In the village, fifty people of all ages are having a party and dancing the hula ('a blend of dancing and chanting poetry'). Kama and her brother Boka invite Jack and Annie to join in the hula, eat poi, and spend the night in their family's hut. The next morning the four head to the beach for some surfing. While reading his guide book, Jack feels the ground shaking under the beach sand. Jack reads about tsunamis caused by earthquakes, and about warnings to look for, such as that 'water grows higher and higher as it moves toward land'. He has to warn Annie, Boka, and Kama who are on the water with their surfboards. Soon, a wave high as a mountain is 'surging toward shore'! Jack and Annie find special magic - 'the magic of friendship'. Like them, you can 'catch the wave' when the surf's up, by reading High Tide in Hawaii. Mary Pope Osborne receives letters from students and teachers, including this from Jamie Z., quoted in the book: 'Every time Jack or Annie smells something, it's almost as if I can smell it too. That's how much I'm really inside your books? Can you keep writing until you're very, very old?' Aloha! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews