Dinosaurs Before Dark was initially published in 1992 by Mary Pope Osborne, and it is the first of the Magic Tree House books, an educational series that traces two siblings’ adventures through time. This novel shows how they discover the tree house and their first trip to the past, specifically to the Cretaceous Period. Osborne is a prolific children’s book author, having written over 40 novels in this series and co-authored several nonfiction supplements. Her first novel was Run, Run As Fast As You Can (1982), and she has written entries in the Dear America and My America series. She has also been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English, The Children’s Book Council, and the International Reading Association.

This guide refers to the 2020 illustrated edition of Dinosaurs Before Dark published by Penguin Random House.

Plot Summary

Siblings Jack and Annie live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. One day, when they’re near the woods, they discover a tall tree house. Annie immediately ascends the rope ladder. Initially hesitant, Jack comes up when Annie tells him that there are books inside.

Annie hands Jack a book about dinosaurs, and he wishes that they could go to the time of the dinosaurs. Suddenly, a Pteranodon appears outside of the window, and the tree house begins to spin. When it stops, they realize that they have traveled somewhere else.

Annie sees the Pteranodon again, and Jack looks up the dinosaur in the book she handed him, revealing that they are 65 million years in the past, during the Cretaceous Period. Annie goes down the ladder to meet the dinosaur. Jack decides that it would be good to learn more in person, though he is nervous. He touches the Pteranodon and takes notes about what he learns.

Annie spots another dinosaur, but this one is larger. She and Jack retreat into the tree house, and when Jack uses the book to discover that it is a Triceratops and that it only eats plants, she goes back down to see it. Jack tries to dissuade her from going up to it, but the Triceratops does not react to his sister. As they continue exploring, Jack finds a gold medallion in the grass, and he realizes that someone was there before them. Annie approaches a nest of dinosaur eggs, but a duck-billed dinosaur appears. Jack tells her to crouch low to look like she’s chewing, and she does. The dinosaur backs off, and she eventually starts to feed it flowers. Jack learns that it is an Anatosaurus, and when the Anatosaurus gets irritated again, he and Annie look around and find a Tyrannosaurus rex nearby. They flee to the tree house.

Once there, Jack wishes to return home, but it doesn’t work. Then, he realizes he left his backpack, the dinosaur book, and his notebook by the Anatosaurus nests. He descends from the tree house and runs back to retrieve them. As he returns to the magic tree house, the Tyrannosaurus blocks his path. Not sure what to do, he hides. Then, he sees Annie climb down and talk to the Pteranodon, who is still nearby. She points at him, and the Pteranodon takes off, landing right in front of Jack.

Although skeptical it can hold his weight, Jack climbs aboard, and the Pteranodon flies him to safety. He climbs back up, and Annie hands him a book about Pennsylvania. He wishes to return to the woods, and the tree house spins again, bringing them back just seconds after they left. For a moment, Jack doubts that they even went on an adventure, still not understanding how the tree house is magical or to whom it belongs. The medallion he found reassures him, seeing it as proof of their trip. He and Annie agree that no one will believe them, so they will keep it a secret. They make plans to return the next day and walk home.