The Magic School Bus Going Batty: A Book about Bats

A fun book in the "Magic School Bus" series, this is a fact- and pun-filled account of Ms. Frizzle's students (and parents) going on a field trip to learn more about bats. Some of the kids are a little nervous at first: Ralphie believes that bats are really vampires! The field trip shows otherwise, as bat-facts are presented in a creative and interesting manner.The famous bus does do some magic here: Turning into a "bat bus" to demonstrate echolocation, and then turning the children into bats (temporarily!) so they can learn about bat food, bat predators, bat flight speed, and general "hanging around (upside down from the branches of a tree)." Facts replace suspicion (Is Ms. Frizzle herself a vampire? Did she turn the parents into vampires?), and the story ends with yet another pun. (Be your own judge about whether this story might be too frightening for the very young). With bright, colorful (but not extraordinary) illustrations on each one of the story's 28 pages, and two pages with letters about bats and bat facts. Probably not as exciting as Batman, but fans of "The Magic School Bus" and nature facts should love it.