Dinosaurs Before Dark

Written by: Mary Pope Osborne

Adapted by: Jenny Laird

Illustrated by: Kelly and Nichole Matthews

Genre: graphic novel, fantasy

Awards: Massachusetts Children's Book Master List 1994

               Delaware Diamonds Award (Grades K-2) 1997

Summary:

In this adaptation of Mary Pope Osbourne's award-winning chapter book, Jack and Annie begin their journey in the Magic Tree House. The siblings find what seems to be an abandoned treehouse in the woods near their home; to their surprise, it's filled with books! The books address a range of subjects, including one about their hometown, Frogcreek, Pennsylvania. The treehouse magically transports the duo when Annie accidentally wishes she were in one of the books. Jack and Annie face off against dinosaurs while trying to get home and figure what is special about this treehouse.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for first through fourth-grade classes. This book would be a good subject for story mapping in these grades because it is high interest with low reading difficulty. Students would keep a journal (written or digital) that tracks important things from the story. The class would complete a story map by filling in characters, settings, main events, and details. To complete the lesson, students would reconstruct the story using the story map. Dinosaurs Before Dark could be a companion text for a non-fiction book about dinosaurs, and students could compare the information presented in each book.