Dinosaurs Before Dark

This was one of my absolute favorite series as a child, and as an adult I now collect them when I see them in thrift stores or garage sales! That being said, I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually sat down to read one of them so getting to revisit this was such a good time!! The few illustrations that there were included were so much cooler than I remembered them being! The line work is so simple but it adds such a cool effect to the book and makes it feel like someone was maybe drawing these things that happened from memory! Overall, the story was definitely attention keeping and fast paced enough to keep me interested. You also learn a lot more than you think you are going to throughout the course of all of these books making show more them fun and educational at the same time! Overall I would recommend this series to almost anyone I think!! show less

Jack and his sister, Annie discover a tree house in the woods that transcends them back to the prehistoric time of the dinosaurs. In this magical tree house, Jack finds stacks of books . As he opens the book about pteranodons and says “I wish I could see a pteranodon for real”, the tree house starts to spin and when they open their eyes they found they have landed in the time of the dinosaurs. Seven –year-old Annie embraces the adventure and eagerly explores her new surroundings. Jack, on the other hand, wants to go back home but instead is confronted with a T-rex and their adventures begin. The plot moves along as a good pace and entices readers to continue with the series when Jack finds a gold medallion with a mysterious show more ‘M’ on it. To whom does it belong and where did it come from? “Dinosaurs Before Dark” encompasses a nice balance of text and illustrations. I would recommend this chapter book (and series) for elementary schools. Although it is labeled as fantasy, it also provides a brief snapshot of history. show less

The novel Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne is about siblings Jack and Annie that discover a magical tree house that is filled with books. Jack then wishes that he can see a real dinosaur; the tree house then begins to spin and transports them to the Cretaceous period. Jack and Annie then need to figure out how to use the books to go back home before nighttime. The overall main theme of the story is bravery, sibling relationships, and the excitement of learning. The story explores and puts their sibling relationship to the test throughout their journey in the Cretaceous period. As they rely on each other throughout their journey, it strengthens their relationship and showcases their different personalities. As show more Jack is more known for being cautious, Annie is known for being bolder to try to do new things. Overall, I think this is a good book because it showcases siblings and how going on fun journeys can create a stronger bond. show less

I love these children's chapter books because I think they are an excellent way of incorporating factual information with a great story. I also think that this collection of chapter books is an entertaining way to introduce a factual topic. For instance, the facts stated are incorporated within the language of the story. When Annie and Jack come across a triceratops, they are afraid they are going to get eaten. Jack considers his dinosaur book, and he looks inside to find the triceratops page. The book tells them that it is an herbivore, or plant-eater. When Jack reads this information, the author puts it in a bold black ink and a different font. This way, the reader knows this is the factual information in the text. I thought this was show more a great and obvious technique to show contrast between story and facts.
I also liked the authors use of dialogue in this story. Since this was the first book in the series, the only two characters conversing were Jack and Annie. Further into the series, they will meet different historical figures, the creator of the tree house, and others they will communicate with. The author did a great job using the dialogue throughout the text. In addition, the dialogue always had phrases to describe how that person was saying the dialogue. For example, the author would say "Annie whispered" if she was amazed or "Jack screamed loudly" if Jack was scared.
In addition to dialogue, I liked how this series introduced the idea of inner dialogue. When the characters would think to themselves, their thoughts would be written in italics. This way readers could decipher between what was being though and what was being said. For example, on page 52 the text reads, "Okay, though jack. Don't think! Just do it!" Lastly, this chapter book incorporated colored illustrations. A lot of chapter books either have images in black and white, or they have no images at all. This chapter book gave illustrations of numerous different dinosaurs and adventures. The dinosaurs drawn were accurate to pictures found in informational text. For example, the T-Rex still had short arms, a large head, and razor-sharp rows of teeth. It made the story come to life! I think the overall message of this book and this series as a whole is that learning is exploring. Learning can happen through adventures and discovery, and it can be fun! show less

In the first book in the popular Magic Tree House series, the reader is introduced to main characters Jack and Annie, intelligent and curious children who stumble upon a most amazing adventure. One day, walking home from school, they discover a mysterious tree house in the woods near their home. Annie, the younger and more impulsive sibling, races up to explore. Jack decides it is too dangerous, and demands that she come back, but Annie tempts him up by describing the mounds of books inside the tree house. Jack can't resist a book and joins his sister in the treetops. He opens a book on one of his favorite subjects - dinosaurs - and wishes he could really see a pteranodon. Suddenly, the tree house whirls around and around. When it show more settles, the children don't immediately notice anything amiss, until they see the pteranodon flying in the sky beside the tree house window.

Annie's bold choices send her out into the Jurassic world, despite Jack's protests. She befriends a triceratops that turns out to be as friendly as she predicted, but stumbles into trouble when she comes between an anatosaurus and its babies. The real trouble arrives in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which sends both kids scrambling back to the tree house for safety. After a few close calls, Jack and Annie make it back up in the treetops. They find a book about their home town, wish to go there, and the magic tree house does its business and spins them back to the present. The two children are left with a lot of mysteries to solve, including the owner of the anachronistic medallion they found in the Jurassic period that was engraved with the letter M. However, the prospect of these questions fills the children with excitement, and they resolve to keep the mysteries of the tree house a secret amongst themselves.

So starts a series that has become a household name in the children's book world, and is certainly one of the most popular beginning chapter book offerings on the market. Most kids know the Magic Tree House series, and many kids love it. The story has two engaging characters, a boy and a girl, a fun concept that involves magic and adventure, and a focus on topics that are popular with children audiences. The first book centers on dinosaurs, and the next one is about Egyptian mummies. It's no surprise that kids are eager to read about Jack and Annie, and my daughters were also instantly smitten, ready to read the next book as soon as we finished the first. I also, as a mom, appreciate finding early reader books that are interesting and engaging. The writing here is simple but authentic, and the plot requires suspension of belief, as do all fantasies, but is well grounded in the narrative world. I appreciate that the story also teaches children scientific or historic facts in a way that is organic to the story. Jack and Annie are inviting, diverse personalities that can carry the plot, and the story is fast moving and exciting. The writing is solid - not especially inventive or literary, but good and smooth. The book appealed to me and my girls, and I am certain we will be reading many more Magic Tree House stories in the future. show less

The first in a popular series your newly independent readers, Dinosaurs Before Dark includes many elements which will appeal to young readers, including dinosaurs, adventure, both a male and female character, and time travel. The fact that Annie tends to take the lead in this story will appeal to girls, and Jack's knowledge also helps the two get out of many scapes. Children will love the fast-paced plot and the message that books, which is what they find in the treehouse in the woods, help to feed your imagination.

I knew that I wanted to review Magic Treehouse books because these books bring back nostalgic memories from my childhood. My brother and I loved reading these books to each other, and this particular one was his favorite since he loves dinosaurs. The book Dinosaurs Before Dark, written by Mary Pope Osborne, follows two siblings named Jack and Annie as they discover a treehouse that can transport them back to when dinosaurs were around. If I had to pick one main idea from Dinosaurs Before Dark, it would be about the value of teamwork. Throughout their adventure, Jack and Annie work together to overcome challenges, look out for each other, and find their way out of tricky situations. This book falls under the time-travel fantasy genre. show more Time travel is a make-believe idea. However, the historical periods they visit, like the age of dinosaurs, the American Civil War, and medieval times, are based on real events. This series is excellent for younger children because it combines magical elements with lessons about history. Many kids might relate to the characters- Jack is cautious, while Annie is curious and adventurous. To tie back to my childhood, I related to these books a lot as my brother and I would read these books together, and I was like Annie, and my brother was like Jack. Overall, this book is very entertaining and educational, making it a perfect choice for young readers! show less