Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
by Mary Pope Osborne
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mary Pope OsborneBrand: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Illustrator: Sal Murdocca
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Box set
Published: 2001-05-29
ISBN: 0375813659
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
Book Review: Get the kids reading!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a parent of an almost first grader and we have started reading these books together as our summer reading at home. I read a chapter and my son reads a chapter. I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would knock these books--especially for the supposed bad grammar. Now, I suppose if one expected young children to be reading classical literature we could debate proper English use. But who are we kidding? We should be fostering a love of reading in today's children--goodness knows there are a million other gadgets, gizmos and shows to draw kids away from books.
These books are simple enough for early readers, high interest and suspenseful enough to keep them engaged in the first chapter style books as opposed to picture books, and has enough new vocabulary that my son and I talk about the new words in context--one that stands out is the description of a dinosaur who turned and "loped" down a hillside. My son and I acted out what "loped" was and, as a parent, I'm just delighted to have him engaged in reading and picking up great new words in context.
It has one objectionable phrase in it for me, and it was only in the first book...when the brother mutters that he's "going to kill" his sister for rushing ahead of him. Seemed odd, and my son was actually a bit worried about it until I explained what an "expression" was.
We've read five others in this series and I've been thrilled with everything else so I'll give it a pass. Fight the good fight parents, get these books for your emerging reader and spend a quiet hour away from a computer screen, wii, tv show, iphone, etc. and read these together. This is pleasure reading, pure and simple. When adults read Stephen King, Patterson, Koontz or whomever, they don't get tripped up on modern English use and the word "and" starting a sentence. Just read and have an adventure with your kid!
And teachers (yes, I know, I started this sentence with "and"), please lighten up and bring the fun back to reading. As a former high school teacher who saw teenagers completely give up on reading because it was "work" (an attitude that follows for the rest of life when the love of reading has been schooled right out of them) I beg you to just encourage kids to read, read, read and suspend personal opinions. Let's keep the joy in reading!
*I'm adding this note after more discussion with other parents about the whole "sentence structure" issue (or non-issue). As I said, my son and I take turns reading this out loud and it is very fun to read out loud. There is great pacing, wonderful phrases that add to suspense and can be read with high drama, and my son has started to pick up on a high oral reading skill of pre-reading the "he said" part--for example, the mind sees the words "she whispered" before it actually reads them out loud and yet the reader knows to whisper that line. Awesome. I have not found one parent who really debates the grammar issue here that some people have commented on. Everyone is entitled to an opinion (obviously, as I wax on) so just wanted to add something here for parents of emerging readers to encourage both silent and oral reading. Give it a try...let the kids speak for themselves.
More Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon reviews:
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Summary of Magic Tree House Boxed Set, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
Get ready for a world of adventure with the first four titles in the beloved Magic Tree House series!Jack and his little sister Annie are just two regular kids from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. Then they discover a mysterious tree house packed with all sorts of books...and their lives are never the same! Soon they are traveling through time and space in the magic tree house and having amazing adventures. Whether it's watching baby dinosaurs hatch, finding a secret passage in a castle, helping a ghost queen in an Egyptian pyramid, or finding pirate treasure, readers won't want to miss a single story!
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