Title: High Tide in Hawaii
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Young Adult
Age level: 9-12
Themes: Weather, geology, adventure, exploring the unknown, finding information
Synopsis: Jack and Annie are whisked away to old Hawaii. When they arrive they are just in time to attend a Luau and meet two young Hawaiians who open their home to them for the night. The next day the four children go surfing, an activity that Jack is uncertain about. After his first failed attempt, and teasing from the other children, he waits on the beach while the other children go surfing again. While he is waiting he feels an earthquake and consults one of his books on Hawaii for more information. He reads that earthquakes at Hawaii can result in a tsunami and quickly catches the other children's attention and warns them of the danger. The children make it to safety just in time and Jack and Annie soon return to their own time. Tidbits of information about Hawaiian culture and history intersperse the text, along with illustrations of scenes occurring in the chapters. Some background information is provided concerning how the children found the Magic Tree House, and how they know where they are going and the tasks they are supposed to perform. However, the book would be more interesting if read as part of the series instead of as a stand-alone piece of fiction. A very brief Hawaiian timeline and brief facts about Hawaii appear at the end of the text, along with a list of titles in the Magic Tree House Series.
Synopsis: Jack and Annie are whisked away to old Hawaii. When they arrive they are just in time to attend a Luau and meet two young Hawaiians who open their home to them for the night. The next day the four children go surfing, an activity that Jack is uncertain about. After his first failed attempt, and teasing from the other children, he waits on the beach while the other children go surfing again. While he is waiting he feels an earthquake and consults one of his books on Hawaii for more information. He reads that earthquakes at Hawaii can result in a tsunami and quickly catches the other children's attention and warns them of the danger. The children make it to safety just in time and Jack and Annie soon return to their own time. Tidbits of information about Hawaiian culture and history intersperse the text, along with illustrations of scenes occurring in the chapters. Some background information is provided concerning how the children found the Magic Tree House, and how they know where they are going and the tasks they are supposed to perform. However, the book would be more interesting if read as part of the series instead of as a stand-alone piece of fiction. A very brief Hawaiian timeline and brief facts about Hawaii appear at the end of the text, along with a list of titles in the Magic Tree House Series.
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: Have the students read the first page of every chapter; have them write down what emotions come to them as they read the first page, any vocabulary they don't know, and what they think the chapter will be about.
Post-reading activities: At the end of each chapter, review what Jack and Annie encountered in the reading, and at the end of the book, have the students recall how the tidal wave was caused.
Reflection: I read High Tide in Hawaii for a project in my undergrad career at Cortland, and this was the first time I had encountered the Magic Tree House series.
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