Under the Christmas Tree: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne

For the legions of fans and followers of Mary Pope Osborne's notable Magic Tree House series, there is a special Christmas story, Christmas in Camelot (Magic Tree House #29) which takes Jack and Annie back, not back in history, but in legend to the court of King Arthur in Camelot.

Walking home from the last school day before the holidays, Jack and Annie follow a strange white dove into the Frog Pond woods, where they find the Magic Tree House waiting for them with a special invitation inside:

Dear Jack and Annie,
Please accept this Royal Invitation to spend Christmas in the Kingdom of Camelot.
-- M.

But at the legendary court of King Arthur, Jack and Annie find nothing but sadness. Surprised, Morgan Le Fay insists that she is not the one who left the message but welcomes the children with great gratitude. It seems that the Dark Lord Mordred has cast an evil spell upon Camelot and there will be no music, no celebration, no laughter or joy, until until the enchantment is broken. Arthur has already sent his three best knights on a quest to the Otherworld, the distant land which is the source of all magic, but they have not returned, and the Round Table is sunk in despair.

Brave Jack and Annie promise to take up the quest, and with Morgan's gift of her soft, red robe the two strike out to save Camelot. Met by a great white stag who carries them deep into the Otherworld, Jack and Annie begin their quest for the cup, the key, and the compass which will enable them to return with the powerful Water of Memory and Imagination.

When at last the children find their magic tokens and locate the magical waters, they find them guarded by four fiery dragons, the Keepers of the Cauldron. Using the magic cup, Jack and Annie quickly drink of the water and gain the strength to escape with the cup filled with the Water to restore joy to Camelot and ensure it will always be remembered by humankind.

"You both have a great desire to fight for the good. And you use the gift of imagination very well. These are the two qualities needed to succeed in any quest," says Merlin to Jack and Annie.

Mary Pope Osborne's Christmas in Camelot (Magic Tree House #29) is a different sort of holiday story which has the added bonus of introducing beginning chapter readers to the Arthurian legends which thread their way through much of English literature. It's a magical ride which sets Jack and Annie back down near their own home just in time to begin their own joyful holidays.