"Magic School Bus" author Joanna Cole has died

Sad news in the literary world: Joanna Cole, author of The Magic School Bus series, has died.

Scholastic announced yesterday that Cole died Sunday; she was seventy-five.

Cole was already known for her humorous children’s books before the publisher invited her to answer teachers’ calls for books about science, according to the Associated Press.

Cole teamed up with illustrator Bruce Degen to bring to life the iconic Ms. Frizzle, who was partly inspired by Cole’s fifth-grade teacher.

The pair had recently completed The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution, which was set to come out next spring, and a live-action version of the books is in the works as well.

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