Dinosaurs Before Dark

Title: Dinosaurs Before Dark
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrator: Sal Murdocca
Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Chapter Book

Theme: Learning about dinosaurs

Primary and Secondary Characters: Jack and Annie/ Dinosaurs and Mom
Date of publication: 1992

Publishing company: Random House
Summary: Jack and Annie were walking through the woods and ran into a tree house. Annie climbed up the ladder and Jack followed after her. In the tree house there were lots of books. Jack found one about dinosaurs and wished he could see one in really life. All of a sudden the tree house started to spin and when it stopped Annie and Jack were in some strange land. They looked out the window and saw a real dinosaur then they realized they went 65 million years in the past when the dinosaurs were alive. Jack and Annie then climbed down from the tree house and explored. The saw lots of dinosaurs in really life and were able to learn about them from the book and observing them. Annie and Jack then ran into a Tyrannosaurus rex that was going to eat them. Annie made it back to the tree house, but Jack did not because he ran to get his pack. Annie then asked the nice dinosaur Pteranodon to fly over and get him and he did. Jack made it back to the tree house just in time and quickly found a book and wished to be back home. One Annie and Jack made it home they decided not to tell anyone about their adventure, but they did decide they would go back to the tree house for another adventure.
Summary of how to use with students: This book could be used to help students be excited about dinosaurs. It could also be base to start teaching about dinosaurs. The students could read the book and then in class go into more detail about dinosaurs. Another way this book could be used with students is after reading the book the students could be asked to think of a place they would go if they had their own magic tree house. Each student could then tell the class about their place. This would get the students to use their imagination and creativity.