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Dinosaurs Before Dark book cover
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Ages 6–81-min guideAdventureNature

Dinosaurs Before Dark

by Mary Pope Osborne
Good fitA quick, safe adventure. Great for starting a series.
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What it’s about

Siblings climb into a tree house, open a dinosaur book and land in prehistoric times. Book one of the Magic Tree House series.

The ending

What might come up

Scary momentsA littleA T. rex chases Jack.
ViolenceNone
LanguageNone
RomanceNone
Death and lossNone

Why kids like it

Short chapters that end on a cliffhanger, plus real dinosaur facts.

Free printable quiz

  1. 1
    What are the siblings’ names?
  2. 2
    How does the tree house travel?
  3. 3
    What dinosaur saves Jack?
  4. 4
    What letter is on the medallion?
If they liked this

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Parents also ask

Quick answers

Most kids can read it on their own from about age 6. As a read-aloud, it works from about age 5.