Mary Pope Osborne - The Knight at Dawn

Heres what kids have to say to
Mary Pope Osborne, author of
the Magic Tree House series: WOW! You have an imagination like no other.Adam W. I love your books. If you stop writing books, it will be like losing a best friend.Ben M. I think you are the real Morgan le Fay. There is always magic in your books.Erica Y. One day I was really bored and I didnt want to read I looked in your book.

I read a sentence, and it was interesting. So I read some more, until the book was done. It was so good I read more and more. Then I had read all of your books, and now I hope you write lots more.Danai K. I always read [your books] over and over 1 time, 2 times, 3 times, 4 times Yuan C. You are my best author in the world.

I love your books. I read all the time. I read everywhere. My mom is like freaking out.Ellen C. I hope you make these books for all yours and mines life.Riki H. Teachers and librarians love
Magic Tree House books, too! Thank you for opening faraway places and times to my class through your books.

They have given me the chance to bring in additional books, materials, and videos to share with the class.J. Cameron It excites me to see how involved [my fourth-grade reading class] is in your books I would do anything to get my students more involved, and this has done it.C. Rutz I discovered your books last year WOW! Our students have gone crazy over them. I cant order enough copies! Thanks for contributing so much to childrens literature!C. Kendziora I first came across your Magic Tree House series when my son brought one home I have since introduced this great series to my class. They have absolutely fallen in love with these books! My students are now asking me for more independent reading time to read them.

Your stories have inspired even my most struggling readers.M. Payne I love how I can go beyond the [Magic Tree House] books and use them as springboards for other learning.R. Gale We have enjoyed your books all year long. We check your Web site to find new information. We pull our map down to find the areas where the adventures take place. My class always chimes in at key parts of the story.

It feels good to hear my students ask for a book and cheer when a new book comes out.J. Korinek Our students have Magic Tree House fever. I cant keep your books on the library shelf.J. Rafferty Your books truly invite children into the pleasure of reading. Thanks for such terrific work.S. Smith The children in the fourth grade even hide the [Magic Tree House] books in the library so that they will be able to find them when they are ready to check them out.K.

Mortensen My Magic Tree House books are never on the bookshelf because they are always being read by my students. Thank you for creating such a wonderful series.K. Mahoney

Text copyright 1993 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Illustrations copyright 1993 by Sal Murdocca.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope. p. cm. (The Magic tree house series; #2) A First stepping stone book.
SUMMARY: Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie use the magic tree house to travel back to the Middle Ages, where they explore a castle and are helped by a mysterious knight.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89419-0
[1. (The Magic tree house series; #2) A First stepping stone book.
SUMMARY: Eight-year-old Jack and his younger sister Annie use the magic tree house to travel back to the Middle Ages, where they explore a castle and are helped by a mysterious knight.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89419-0
[1.

Time travelFiction. 2. CastlesFiction.
3. Middle AgesFiction. 4. Knights and knighthoodFiction.
5.

MagicFiction. 6. Tree housesFiction.]
I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. III. III.

Series:
Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic tree house series; #2.
PZ7.O81167Kn 1993 [Fic]dc20 92-13705 v3.0 For Nathaniel Pope

Jack couldnt sleep. He put his glasses on. He looked at the clock. 5:30. Too early to get up.

Yesterday so many strange things had happened. Now he was trying to figure them out. He turned on the light. He picked up his notebook. He looked at the list hed made before going to bed. Jack pushed his glasses into place.

Who was going to believe any of this? Not his mom. Or his dad. Or his third-grade teacher, Ms. Watkins. Only his seven-year-old sister, Annie. Shed gone with him to the time of the dinosaurs.

Cant you sleep? It was Annie, standing in his doorway. Nope, said Jack. Me neither, said Annie. What are you doing? She walked over to Jack and looked at his notebook. She read the list. Arent you going to write about the gold medal? she asked.

You mean the gold medallion, said Jack. He picked up his pencil and wrote: Arent you going to put the letter M on the medal? said Annie. Medallion, said Jack. Not medal. He added an M: Arent you going to write about the magic person? said Annie. We dont know for sure if there is a magic person, said Jack.

Well, someone built the tree house in the woods. Someone put the books in it. Someone lost a gold medal in dinosaur time. Medallion! said Jack for the third time. And Im just writing the facts. The stuff we know for sure.

Lets go back to the tree house right now, said Annie. And find out if the magic person is a fact. Are you nuts? said Jack. The suns not even up yet. Come on, said Annie. Maybe we can catch them sleeping.

I dont think we should, said Jack. He was worried. What if the magic person was mean? What if he or she didnt want kids to know about the tree house? Well, Im going, said Annie. Jack looked out his window at the dark-gray sky. It was almost dawn. Okay. Okay.

Lets get dressed. Ill meet you at the back door. Be quiet. Yay! whispered Annie. She tiptoed away as quietly as a mouse. Jack put on jeans, a warm sweatshirt, and sneakers.

He tossed his notebook and pencil in his backpack. He crept downstairs. Annie was waiting by the back door. She shined a flashlight in Jacks face. Ta-da! A magic wand! she said. Shhh! Dont wake up Mom and Dad, whispered Jack.

And turn that flashlight off. We dont want anyone to see us. Annie nodded and turned it off. Then she clipped it onto her belt. They slipped out the door into the cool early-morning air. Crickets were chirping.