The wild imagination of 8-year-old Michael Gross took him farther than a day dream adventure when his essay describing the wonders of air and space travel gained him national recognition. Kids Crooked House teamed up with Random House Children's Books last year to kick off the Magic Tree House Essay Contest, inspired by author Mary Pope Osborne's "Magic Tree House" series. Random House is the long-time publisher of Osborne's popular series filled with themes of adventure, imagination, and creativity.