A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time is the 44th book of the Magic Tree House Book Series.
Summary[]
Jack and Annie travel back to Victorian London when Merlin asks them to use their magic to inspire Charles Dickens to write "A Christmas Carol".
Chapters[]
- Did You See That?
- Two Gentlemen from Frog Creek
- Riches to Rags
- Out! Out! Out!
- Stop, Thief!
- To Jail
- Bah, Humbug!
- A Terrible Story
- The Three Ghosts
- A Christmas Carol
- Gifts to the World
Plot[]
In November, Jack and Annie were walking home from soccer practice at 4:30 P.M. They looked at the beautiful sky with its setting sun, when Jack saw a stream of light heading for the woods. This meant the magic tree house had finally returned, when the kids arrived, they found Teddy and Kathleen, who had been transforming frogs and boys. They told them that Merlin was sending them to Victorian England to help Charles Dickens, the name sounded familiar to Jack and Annie, but they couldn’t quite remember him. This time was over two hundred years after Shakespeare’s time, when the queen was Victoria. Annie didn’t want to wear a hoop skirt again, Teddy said he could work out something more comfortable, but she’d have to pretend to be a boy. Kathleen gave them a research book and turned the Wand of Dianthus’ whistle form into a violin.
Jack and Annie landed in London, dressed in fancy velvet jackets and boots. They quickly spotted the bustling city, filled with gardens, horse-drawn carriages, and autumn sunlight. Jack wondered why they were needed there if Charles Dickens was already famous. After asking around, they found out Dickens lived at One Devonshire Terrace and took a ride through the city in a red carriage. As they approached Dickens' house, they realized it was not the right time to meet him, as he was busy writing. However, two chimney-sweeping boys approached, asking to ring the bell. Annie proposed they switched places with the boys to get inside and talk to Dickens. After a quick trade of clothes and boots, they managed to get the boys’ dirty outfits and sneak past the housekeeper, preparing to meet Dickens at last.
Jack and Annie quickly began working as chimney sweeps. As they explored the house, they discovered a study filled with books and wondered where Charles Dickens was. After cleaning the chimneys, they accidentally startled Dickens, who was deeply absorbed in his writing, causing him to flee the house in distress. Mrs. Tibbs, the housekeeper, scolded Jack and Annie before forcing them out. They quickly followed Dickens, spotting him weaving through the streets, and attempted to catch up. However, their ragged appearance made it difficult to gain help from others, and soon they were chased by two boys. When the boys stole their green bag, Jack and Annie chased them through the streets, creating a scene where bystanders yelled "stop thief." Eventually, the chase led them into an alley where they were cornered by the crowd. As they were about to be overtaken, Jack tried to use the magic violin to escape, but a policeman intervened, demanding the bag. Jack and Annie tried to explain the tense situation, but the policeman was not convinced, they were about to be taken to jail. Just as things look grim, Charles Dickens arrived and vouched for them, revealing that the bag had been with the thieves earlier. He defended Jack, urging the crowd to reconsider their assumptions about the poor, showing compassion for the boy. The policeman apologized, and Jack and Annie are freed.
Dickens took Jack and Annie to an inn, where they’re treated to a grand meal. While they eat, they noticed a poor man and boy outside, staring at the food. Annie, moved by their plight, snuck out and gave them some of their meal, which caused an uproar with the innkeeper, Mr. Pinch, who was unsympathetic to the poor. Dickens defended Annie’s actions, calling out the innkeeper’s greed. After a tense confrontation, Dickens paid for their meal and left the inn, giving Jack and Annie money for food and boots before disappearing into the fog, leaving the children to ponder his kindness and the struggles of the poor. Jack and Annie followed Charles Dickens through a foggy, desolate street, concerned about his well-being after he expresses despair and reluctance to talk about his troubles. Charles shared a painful story from his past: when he was twelve, his father was sent to debtor's prison, and Charles had to work in a factory, barely surviving. Jack and Annie tried to comfort him, but Charles felt hopeless about his writing and the world’s injustices.

Jack and Annie playing a violin to summon a ghost of Christmas Past to help Charles.
After Jack and Annie discovered that Charles wrote “A Christmas Carol”, Annie decided to play a magic violin to create a ghost story that will help him, inspired by the ghosts from his own famous story. The violin music summoned three ghosts who each show Charles different visions of his past, present, and potential future. The first ghost showed Charles as a young boy, remembering his love for books, which gave him hope. The second ghost revealed how Charles' books have impacted society, with people appreciating his writing. The third ghost presented a chilling vision of Charles' death, with a woman mourning the loss of a writer who stopped creating too soon. This last vision prompts Charles to reconsider his decision to stop writing, and he resolves to continue his work. Jack and Annie watch over him as he experiences these revelations. Charles Dickens, shaken after experiencing visions from the three ghosts, enthusiastically shared his newfound resolve with Jack and Annie. Inspired by these ghosts, he planned to write a story about a miserly man, Scrooge, who is transformed by the three spirits. After a quick ride through the foggy streets of London, Charles decided the story will be titled “A Christmas Carol”. Jack and Annie, content with their mission, parted ways with him, leaving him to focus on writing.
Once Jack and Annie returned home to Frog Creek, they met up with Teddy and Kathleen, who were joined by Morgan Le Fay and Merlin. The group announced that Jack and Annie’s missions have helped four artists—Lady Augusta Gregory, Louis Armstrong, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Charles Dickens—share their gifts with the world. As a reward, they saw how the artists' works continue to influence others, including a “Christmas Carol” performance, a Mozart concert, a Louis Armstrong jazz festival, and an Irish folk tale storytelling event. The group thanked Jack and Annie for their role, and the children headed home, inspired by the lasting impact of the great artists.
Notes on time and place settings[]
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the book, there is a passage from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Tree. "There is probably a smell of roasted chestnuts and other good comfortable things all the time, for we are telling Winter stories-Ghost Stories...round the Christmas fire..." The story is of an old narrator reminiscence of holidays past.