Can we escape the "Dinosaurs Before Dark"? (Week 3: Boys Book Children's Selection)

“So let’s not tell anyone,” said Annie. “Dad won’t believe it,”-- Mary Pope Osborne

    This week’s selection for children’s literature is the first book in the beloved Magic Tree House series, Dinosaurs Before Dark. This book is a fantastic introduction to the series and provides readers with an action pack, fast paced adventure.

    The story begins when Annie climbs up the ladder of a treehouse she discovers, despite the hesitance of her older brother, Jack. He quickly follows her and is in awe of the book collection contained in the tree house. Jack finds a book about dinosaurs and a book about their hometown, Frog Creek. He touches a picture of a Pteranodon in the dinosaur book; suddenly, the children are transported through time to the Cretaceous period.

    The children see a real Pteranodon and are able to touch it. Jack notes his observations of the dinosaur in his notepad. The children encounter a triceratops and an Anatosaurus; Jack checks the book for facts about them and continues to write his observations in his notebook.

    The children are horrified when they cross paths with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The children run to the treehouse to escape the dinosaur, but Jack discovers he has left his backpack containing his notepad and the books; they need the books to get back home. Jack runs to retrieve his backpack and returns to the treehouse only to find that the Tyrannosaurus is standing between him and the ladder. A Pteranodon allows Jack to climb on its back and flies him to the treehouse. After Jack touches the picture of Frog Creek and making a wish, the pair are transported back home.

In the Classroom

    I use this book as a whole group read aloud after recess to allow my students a smooth transition back to the classroom setting. The chapters are short, and the story is engaging with some illustrations; my students love the entire series. I generally read one or two chapters at a time and ask my students to summarize what we have read prior to each read. It is an excellent book for students to make and check predictions; to facilitate this, I read the chapter title and ask my students for predictions prior to the read.

    This is usually the first chapter book I read aloud, because I want my students to know that they can read chapter books. Some students find longer texts intimidating, but after they hear me read it, they notice that the language in the book is not out of their reach. Sentences in this book are short and utilize language most of my students are familiar with. This series is in my library at the beginning of the year, but does not really get used by the students until after I read this book. This is a great first chapter book for readers to dive into to make longer pieces less intimidating.