A Bibliophile’s Nostalgia: Magic School Bus
I’m back again with my blog post series to revisit some bookish things that give me all the nostalgia feels. Today, I’ll be talking about the beloved children’s show Magic School Bus.
As it is a running theme with a lot of entries in this series, I used to watch a lot of Children’s educational TV series when I was younger. One of the many shows based on books that I was an avid fan of was the Magic School Bus which I feel has had a resurgence in TV and pop culture as a whole.
The Magic School Bus is an animated educational children’s television series, based on the book series of the same name by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. The series originally ran from 1994 to 1997 and then again from 2017-2020 with the Magic School Bus Rides Again (reboot). The series follows eccentric science teacher Miss Frizzle embarks on adventures with her class on the school bus. As they journey on their exciting field trips they learn about the wonders of science.
The Magic School Bus left a long-lasting impression on 90s kids like me because it made science fun. I enjoyed learning science in school but the books and TV shows made it even more entertaining. Episodes would take the viewers on very unrealistic adventures and places no human could travel to, but it made the audience more invested in what they were learning.
Even today I can remember how I learned about how the human body worked as the students floated inside as red blood cells or how rainbows are formed through their field trip inside a pinball machine. It was so memorable, and each episode had me laughing out loud. Plus the theme song performed by Little Richard had you amped up for what was to come in each new episode. It’s one of my top favorite childhood theme songs down pat.
Most of this series has inspired me and many others to always take chances, make mistakes, and that sometimes life may be a little messy. It made me more interested in science too! I’m glad to see the series be rebooted for a new generation and I hope that Miss Frizzle will motivate them as well.
Did you watch Magic School Bus growing up? Did you have a favorite character? Did the show leave an impact on you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
That episode where they go inside the human body was one of my favorites too. I learned so much from that one. I still use the knowledge today, like how we get used to certain scents. I think that was in that episode.
I agree too. I feel like in the human body I can’t unsee some of that animation, lol. Even though it’s been years since I’ve seen it. Magic School Bus always put that unique spin on learning about science.