Dinosaurs Before Dark

Title: Dinosaurs Before Dark

Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrator: Salvatore Murdocca

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Genre: Fantasy

Age level: 6-8

Themes: Exploring the unknown, looking for information, adventure, traveling in time, anxiety of unknown situations, escaping danger
Synopsis: Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House! Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark...or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?

About the author: Mary Pope Osborne was brought up in a military family, and her parents' work led to a lifestyle full of change. Although many kids would've been traumatized by constant moves, she wouldn't have had it any other way.  After trying a variety of jobs such as window dresser, medical assistant, travel consultant, waitress, bartender, and assistant editor, it took a first attempt at writing a story for her to realize that was what she wanted to be when she grew up. Ever since 1992, Mary Pope Osborne has been thrilling kids everywhere with her delightfully exciting Magic Tree House series. The globetrotting escapades of time travelers Jack and Annie are brimming with adventure and magic (not to mention some subtly placed lessons on history and geography). With a life like Osborne's, it's only natural that she would be capable of bringing such wondrous stories to life.

Pre-reading activities: Do the children think the characters really come across dinosaurs? Brainstorm about dinosaurs- difference between carnivores/herbivores, if some fly or walk on the ground.

Post-reading activities: Review the kinds of dinosaurs the characters came across, make a chart of what they eat/what they looked like. Students can draw the dinosaur the characters came across that was their favorite, as well as two facts about the dinosaur found in the book/outside sources.

Reflection: I read this book while student teaching in 2nd grade as part of my students' guided reading groups.  I had read the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne before, so I already knew a little bit about the books and the characters Jack and Annie and the adventures the pair go on.  I liked this book because it incorporated dinosaurs, which fascinated my students.
Works cited:
Amazon 
Barnes & Noble   
Dinosaurs Before Dark picture