Penguin Puzzle (Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books #8) by Judith Bauer Stamper

Rating: Needs minor parent supervision

Reading Level: Mid Elementary

The class travels to Antarctica and encounters penguins. Pretty predictable magic school bus stuff, with an added potion that turns them into penguins.

Possible concerns:Conservatives

• Conservatives on the on the age of the Earth won’t like a reference to ice caps being formed over millions of years.
• Magic. As usual in this series, the magic bus transforms into different vehicles and miraculously provides supplies for Mrs. Frizzle and the class.
• “Scientific” potion is actually really magical. An uncle created a potion modeled after penguin feathers. Unfortunately it does more than that; it accidentally turns the kids into penguins! This is the first time I’ve seen a transformation like that come from anything outside of Frizzle and the bus. So it was new to have another human with a source of magic, and I think this might make the book less comfortable for some families who avoid magic (like you also could get ingredients and make potions like this vs. only if you have a crazy bus, (which you don’t)).