Magic Tree House is a popular children's book series written by Mary Pope Osborne. The eighth book in the series is titled "Midnight on the Moon." In this installment, the main characters, Jack and Annie, travel to the moon in their magic tree house. In "Midnight on the Moon," Jack and Annie find themselves on a mission to help a computer engineer named Morgan le Fay. Morgan tells them that she needs a special object from the moon in order to break a spell that has been cast on her. Using their trusty tree house, the siblings make their way to outer space and land on the moon.
Being basically the government of the Magic world, the Council has an array of armed forces at its disposal, which it uses to maintain peace and make sure that none breaks the established laws.
However, their fighting prowess is mostly unknown; it is known, however, that particular squadrons, such as the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit, are capable of using Magic similar to Jutsu Shiki , generating glyph barriers which can prevent those caught inside them from leaving until the spell is nullified. Around the soldiers neck is a long, light cape bearing the Council s insignia on the back, held closed below the neck by a rhomboidal clasp adorned by a gem, and on their head sits a light headgear, with a decorated lower part, reminiscent of a mitre, but with three tops, a central one and two more at its sides.
Using their trusty tree house, the siblings make their way to outer space and land on the moon. Once on the moon, Jack and Annie must navigate the lunar landscape and face various challenges. They encounter low gravity, which allows them to jump and float effortlessly.
The Magic Council
Description: The Magic Council is a unique neutral organization that was formed by the joint efforts of the countries spread across the continent of Ishgar in order to combat the magical crimes and catastrophes that ran rampant in the past: Devastating Guild wars, attacks from intercontinental, or even extradimensional enemies.
The Magic Council consists of powerful and influential individuals from all over the continent representing the different Countries. The Council is responsible for managing the various Guilds, Mages, and Adventurers spread throughout the continent as well as minimizing the magical threats. They're the highest authority on Magic for every member country, and it's said that the color white will become black the moment the Council says it is black.
Politics: Branches of The Council have been established in each of the countries where representatives of the council work alongside the various governments. The Council distributes quests and bounties among the Legal, Neutral, and Independent guilds through their various branches and outposts.
Bounties issued by the Magic Council are valid in every member country, and their holders can be arrested and extradited to their home country for trial. Among their other responsibilities, the magic council also manages the various dangerous artifacts and ruins spread across the continent in order to prevent catastrophic incidents related to magic.
At times, The Council even fulfills the role of mediator between the various countries: Should a war break out between any of the Countries, The Council’s role during that situation is minimizing the damages done by magical warfare and preventing the activation of any weapons of mass destruction. If the scope of a war or the threat to the general population exceeds a certain level, the Rune Knights would be deployed as peacekeepers in order to bring an end to the conflict.
Location: The Magic Council is Headquartered in Era, close to the Capital of Fiore, with branch councils near the decision making centers of every country, and Rune Knight bases scattered across every member country. Spread out across most of the country of Ishgar, it includes Fiore, Bosco, Minstrel, Caelum, Seven, Iceberg, Joya, Bellum, Sin, Desierto and Perengrande Kingdom, with various degrees of integration.
The Council's Headquarters in Fiore is often a point of contention between nations, but the council has long proved its impartial standing. That said, it has a strong investment in the stability of Fiore, as any threat to this country will invariably threaten its own Headquarters.
Military: The Rune Knights are the exclusive military force of the council stationed throughout the continent. They execute the direct orders of The Magic Council, and fill the gaps left by the guilds spread throughout the continent. While their exact dynamic and responsibilities vary from country to country, the ranks among the Rune Knights are equal regardless of branch.
The Magic Council has multiple weapons of mass destruction at its disposal, starting with the Etherion Cannon (Stolen by Grimoire Heart and later destroyed by Icarus in a suicide attack against the demonic invasions), and even bombs said to be capable of killing only mages. They use these weapons as a deterrent against stronger magical-using world powers or Dark Guilds who grow too powerful to be suppressed.
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The Chairman: The Chairman of the Magic Council is the de facto leader of the Organization. They're elected by the members of the High Council with votes from the different Branch Councils. Despite this authority, their main role is to act as a tiebreaker in situations where a swift, unanimous decision proves impossible to reach.
Heavy incidents happening in the Magic world might inflict serious damage to the Council's reputation, going as far as to cause the dismissal of one or more of its members. Following the events of the Tower of Heaven, during which two members of the Council were revealed to as traitors and the Council's most powerful weapon, the Satellite Square: Etherion, was fired, the Magic Council disbanded, this until a personal request for it to be reformed was issued by the King of Fiore himself. The new Magic Council has a single member of the former Council left in it (namely Org), and is much stricter than the old one, very single-minded and heavy-handed in its goal to remove all of the Dark Guilds, even if that means sacrificing legal guilds in the process. In addition, they seem to have grown more and more intolerant to Fairy Tail, despite the fact that the powerful Dark Guild Oración Seis, a member of the Balam Alliance, was destroyed by it assisted by the Legion Corps; such intolerance has led the new Chairman Gran Doma to say that, if Fairy Tail were to cause another incident, it would be disbanded.
The siblings also learn about the moon's extreme temperatures and the lack of air and water. It becomes clear to them that survival on the moon would be impossible without proper spacesuits and equipment. While exploring, Jack and Annie stumble upon a moon base, where they meet astronauts who are conducting research. The astronauts are surprised to find two visitors from Earth and share their knowledge and experiences with the young adventurers. The siblings learn about the Apollo missions and the first human landing on the moon. With the help of the astronauts, Jack and Annie manage to retrieve the special object Morgan needs. They return to the tree house and deliver it to her. Morgan is overjoyed and breaks the spell that had been cast on her. "Midnight on the Moon" is an educational and captivating adventure that introduces young readers to the wonders of space and the significance of the moon landing. It combines fantasy elements with real historical events, allowing children to learn while being entertained. The book inspires curiosity about science and sparks the imagination of its readers..
Reviews for "The Fascinating World of Ancient Greece in Magic Tree House 8"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magic Tree House 8". I found the plot to be repetitive and predictable. It felt like the author was just recycling the same ideas from previous books in the series. The characters also lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to connect with them. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this installment and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 3 stars - "Magic Tree House 8" was okay, but it didn't live up to my expectations. The story had potential, but it felt rushed and incomplete. There were many unanswered questions, and I was left wanting more. Additionally, I found the writing style to be lacking, with overly simplistic language and dialogue. While it's an easy read for young readers, I was hoping for more substance and complexity.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I have enjoyed previous books in the "Magic Tree House" series, but book 8 fell flat for me. The plot seemed disjointed and lacked a clear direction. I found myself getting bored and disinterested halfway through. The characters also didn't have the same charm and likability as in earlier books. Overall, it was a forgettable read and not one that I would recommend to others.
4. Mark - 2 stars - "Magic Tree House 8" was a letdown for me. The premise had potential, but the execution fell short. The adventure felt rushed and lacked excitement. I also struggled to connect with the main characters, Jack and Annie, as they seemed one-dimensional and lacking in personality. The writing style was simple, which may work for younger readers, but I was hoping for more depth. Overall, this book just didn't capture my attention or imagination.
5. Julia - 2.5 stars - I found "Magic Tree House 8" to be a mediocre addition to the series. The plot felt repetitive, following a similar structure to previous books, and lacked any surprises or twists. The dialogue was also lacking, with unnatural and unrealistic conversations between the characters. While the book is an easy read, it didn't captivate me like earlier installments. I would recommend skipping this one and moving on to other books in the series with more engaging storylines.