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"The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up"

Magic School Bus

Cover of the book The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up

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Publication Number:
EPA420-K-07-001

EPA’s Clean School Bus USA program has partnered with Scholastic to write, illustrate, and publish a new book in the popular "Magic School Bus" children’s series. In this acclaimed educational series of books and videos for children from kindergarten through fourth grade, a teacher named Ms. Frizzle takes her class on several science-oriented field trips, riding in their magical school bus.

In “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up,” the children and Ms. Frizzle explore the pollution emitted from their own diesel school bus and learn about how to reduce the emissions as they find themselves traveling through a diesel engine. The children learn about idle reduction and ways the community can help reduce the health risks from diesel exhaust. At the end of the book, the "Magic School Bus" gets its own pollution control device, a diesel particulate-matter filter.

Released on October 18, 2007, this special-edition book is intended to be used by libraries, schools, state and local air programs, non-profit education and outreach campaigns, and for other targeted opportunities to increase awareness of the importance of reducing diesel emissions.

Quantities are limited due to the popularity of the book.

Real Magic School Bus Gets a Retrofit

Based on the magical yellow school bus of the "Magic School Bus" children's series, Scholastic operates a traveling science laboratory Exit EPA Disclaimer housed in a yellow school bus. The bus tours the United States, offering hands-on science lessons to children at schools, fairs, and other community events.

Similar to the story line in “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up,” this traveling bus was retrofitted with a diesel particulate filter. With the filter on the engine exhaust system, particulate matter will be reduced by up to 90%.

The physical representation of the Magic School Bus that visits events.

Scholastic's traveling magic school bus is equipped with a diesel particulate filter.

Photograph of the diesel particulate filter installed on the Magic School Bus

Undercarriage view of the diesel particulate filter installed on the traveling magic school bus. The filter was donated by Caterpillar.

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