Back in Time! Rebecca Macias June 14, 2014

The Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Who is Mary Pope Osborne? Mary Pope Osborne is an American writer of children’s books. She is best known for the award winning and best selling Magic Tree house series. The series consists of 45 Magic Tree House fiction books. Wow!

Facts about Mary Pope Osborne.. Mary Pope Osborne grew up in the military and has lived in Oklahoma, Austria, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. Before she became an author Mary was an acting teacher, a waitress, a travel agent, a window dresser, and a medical assistant! She married an actor and has a twin brother.

In Dinosaurs Before Dark Jack and Annie, who are brother and sister, discover a tree house that takes them to a time when dinosaurs existed. As Jack and Annie embark on their first, exciting journey they come across different types of dinosaurs. Some are harmless and appear friendly but others not so much. There trip was cut short after they encountered one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs. They made it home just before dark and couldn’t believe what had happened!

Plot A story’s plot is what happens in the story and the order it happens in. The plot is what readers usually retell when asked about a story. A good plot contains suspense and conflict and makes the story interesting. In the story Dinosaurs after Dark, the plot is illustrated as a physical event. When Jack and Annie discover a magic tree house that takes them back to the Dinosaur era, they come across a frightening t-rex. They were able to safely escape after recovering the book they needed to wish themselves back home.

More about the Plot… The plot is important in this story because it moves the story from beginning to end in an enticing manner and also produces a conflict. An example of the plot that is illustrated in the story is the conflict which occurs when Jack realizes he has to return to the area where the Tyrannosaurus rex is to retrieve the book they need to wish themselves back home. “Jack took off. He raced up to the hilltop. He started down the hill. He stopped. The Tyrannosaurus rex was back! And he was standing between Jack and the tree house!”

Characterization Characterization highlights and explains the details about a character in a story. Through characterization the writer can reveal each characters personality and can include their physical appearance. In the story Dinosaurs before Dark the author describes two main characters which are Jack, who is the older brother, and Annie, who is the younger sister.

More about Characterization… Characterization is important in the story because we see that the author created Jack and Annie’s personalities to be very different from each other which helps create an interesting story. Jack being the older brother feels that he is much more mature than Annie and acts very cautiously. Annie being the younger sister is much more care-free and fearless about her surroundings. An example that illustrates both of their characterizations can be seen at the beginning of the story. “Help! A monster!” said Annie. This is what he got for spending time with his seven-year-old sister. Annie loved pretend stuff. But Jack was eight and a half. He liked real things” The story also includes images of Jack and Annie that are found throughout the book which illustrates their physical characteristics.

Setting The setting is the time, location, and under what circumstances the story takes place. A setting sets the mood for the story and it is essentially what the reader pictures. In the story Dinosaurs Before Dark the story takes place in two different locations. One is in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania where the main characters are from and the other is 65 million years ago during the Dinosaur time period.

More about the Setting.. Since there are images of the setting throughout the story, the reader is able to see how the author illustrates the environment. The setting is important in this story because the conflict Jack and Annie experience is due to the setting. Part of the focus of the story is how Jack and Annie were transported to a time that took place millions of years ago. An example of the setting is found when Jack and Annie look outside from the tree house after Jack wishes he could see a Pteranodon in real life. “The ground was covered with ferns and tall grass. There was a winding stream. A sloping hill. And volcanoes in the distance.”

Theme Theme is the central idea the author is trying to convey such as a message. The theme is what the writer wants the reader to learn from the story. It is not uncommon for stories especially novels to have multiple themes. In the story Dinosaurs before Dark, since it is a fiction book, the theme is the belief of magic and the wonders that it can do. We see this in the story in how the magic tree house took Jack and Annie on an exciting adventure.

More about the Theme… The central idea of this story is how magic was able to transport Jack and Annie to a different time and place and eventually back home. The Magic Tree house series emphasis the use of magic from the tree house so that is a key element in determining the theme of the stories. An example from the story that illustrates the theme is at the end of the story. “Jack laughed. Suddenly he felt very happy. He couldn’t explain what had happened today. But he knew for sure that their trip in the magic tree house had been real.”

Thank you The Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot The great thing about the story Dinosaurs before Dark is that the wonders of The Magic Tree House does not stop here! Listed on the right are the next couple of books from The Magic Tree House series. What’s wonderful about these books is that they are similar in theme which is magic but all differ in plot and setting. This takes students on a new and different journey with every book they read! The Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot The Magic Tree House: Thanksgiving on Thursday The Magic Tree House: Summer of the Sea Serpent