Mary Pope Osborne (born May 20, 1949, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma) is a renowned American children's author, best known for creating the internationally celebrated Magic Tree House series. Raised in a military family that moved frequently—including several years in Austria—she developed an early love of travel, adventure, and storytelling. After earning a degree in religion from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she worked a variety of jobs before devoting herself to writing.
In 1992, Osborne published Dinosaurs Before Dark, the first of the Magic Tree House books, which follow siblings Jack and Annie as they travel through time and around the world. The series has sold over 130 million copies, been translated into more than 30 languages, and expanded to include the Merlin Missions.
Her other notable works include Tales from the Odyssey, a retelling of Homer's epic for young readers; the novel Adaline Falling Star; picture books such as Kate and the Beanstalk and New York's Bravest; and anthologies like American Tall Tales. Osborne has received numerous honors for her contributions to children's literature, and her books are widely used in classrooms to inspire curiosity about history, geography, and reading.