Mary Pope Osborne – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Dinosaurs (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #1) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne

A while back, Caramel inherited Marshmallow’s collection of Magic Tree House books and he has been going through them. (For his reviews of books in the series, see Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5), Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6), Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House #7), Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8), Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9), Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10), and Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11).) He has also been revisiting the accompanying Fact Tracker books. (For his reviews of some of the Fact Tracker books, see Knights and Castles (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #2) and Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17).) Today he decided to discuss the first ever Fact Tracker book in the series: Dinosaurs. As usual, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: Okay Caramel, tell me about this book.

Caramel: This is the first Fact Tracker book for the Magic Tree House books. It is supposed to be paired up with the first Magic Tree House book, Dinosaurs Before Dark.

S: Hmm, you did not review that book, but you did read it of course. Right?

C: Right. That was where we first met Jack and Annie, and learned about the magic tree house. In that book, Jack and Annie went back to the time of the dinosaurs.

S: And so this book is written to accompany that one for young bunnies like you who like to learn more facts about the topic of the book.

C: Yes, I always want to know more about dinosaurs and things.

S: I know. You already reviewed a book about dinosaurs for our blog, The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Reptiles by Chris McNab.

C: Yes. And I reviewed a whole lot of How Do Dinosaurs … books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague last week.

S: Of course those latter ones were not really about dinosaurs though they did have a lot of pretty precise drawings. But let us get back to this Fact Tracker book.

the biggest C: Yeah. This book tells us everything humans know about dinosaurs. There are pages for Tyrannosaurus rex, and other meat eaters, and then there are pages and pages of information on plant eating dinosaurs like sauropods, triceratops, and ankylosauruses. Then there is a Hall of Fame. There are lists of the fastest, the biggest, and the ones with the biggest heads, biggest eyes, and the longest necks, and the longest names, and so on.

S: Hmm, what is the one with the biggest eyes?

C: Dromiceiomimus! They had enormous eyes apparently.

S: I had not heard of those before!

Caramel is reading about Tyrannosaurus Rex in Dinosaurs (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #1) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne. — Caramel is reading about Tyrannosaurus Rex in *Dinosaurs* (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #1) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne.

S: So even though you are a little bunny who already knew a lot about dinosaurs, you found new things to learn in this book, right?

C: Yep. For example, I learned more about the ankylosauruses. And I learned that the stegosaurus has a brain the size of a hot dog, so small for a dinosaur of that size.

S: So I know you often reread books you have read before. Do you think you will come back to this one again?

C: Yes. I love this book because it is about dinosaurs and I love dinosaurs. And I like the pictures! And sometimes, I forget some facts and then I can remember them when I read the book again.

S: So tell me more about the pictures?

C: They are black and white but very realistic. They are almost 3D, and there are some photographs. I love looking at them. My favorite is the ankylosaurus!

S: That is great Caramel. Tell me your three word summary of this book. Which three words would you use to describe it?

C: Informative, helpful, neat facts, and cool drawings.

S: Hmm, again that is a little bit more than three words, but it’s alright. So let us wrap up our review then. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Dinosaurs (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #1) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne, and expects he will be coming back to it for tidbits on dinosaurs many more times in the future. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Dinosaurs* (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #1) by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne, and expects he will be coming back to it for tidbits on dinosaurs many more times in the future.

Caramel reviews Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne

Caramel has reviewed quite a few Magic Tree House books for the book bunnies blog before. Today he wanted to talk about one that he had not mentioned here before: Lions at Lunchtime. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

This is the eleventh book in the series. For Caramel’s earlier reviews of books in the series, see Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5), Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6), Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House #7), Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8), Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9), and Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10). For his reviews of books in the accompanying Fact Tracker series, see Knights and Castles (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #2) and Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17).

Caramel reviews Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne. — Caramel reviews *Lions at Lunchtime* (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.

Sprinkles: Caramel, you are reviewing another Magic Tree House book!

Caramel: Yep. I like them!

S: So tell us about this one.

C: As you can tell from the title, it is about Jack and Annie having an adventure with lions around lunch time. They never actually see the lions until the very end, but it is a pretty cool story. They are trying to solve some riddles again, and this book is about the third riddle.

S: Do they solve it?

C: Yup. Of course! How else would they move on to the next book?

S: I guess you are right. So where do they go this time?

C: Africa. And the time is not very clear, maybe it is the present.

S: So the riddles are so that they become librarians, right?

C: Yes, I think they want to join Morgan Le Fay’s library and be Master Librarians.

S: That sounds intriguing. Would you like to be a Master Librarian and travel around with these books and the magic tree house?

C: Possibly. As long as I could get back home whenever I wanted to.

S: I know, right? They go to all these different places and travel to different times, but thankfully they always get back home safe and on time.

C: Always in time for the next meal!

Caramel is reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne. — Caramel is reading *Lions at Lunchtime* (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne.

S: What else would you like to tell us about this book?

C: In the beginning of the book Annie is talking about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I never had a peanut butter and honey sandwich before but it definitely sounds good. Maybe we can try it some time?

S: That sounds good to me. I don’t really like peanut butter with sweet things, but I know you do.

C: You do like peanut butter with bananas and that is kind of sweet!

S: You are right, I guess I just don’t like it with chocolate or jelly. But with honey, it sounds like it would work well together. Alright, maybe you can have a peanut butter and honey sandwich tomorrow.

C: Okay. I really want to try it.

S: Sure. So other than food ideas, did you learn anything else from this book?

C: Yes, the riddle was cool. It goes:

I'm the color of gold,
and as sweet as can be!
But beware the danger
That's all around me. 
What am I?

S: That is a good riddle Caramel, but we should not give away more. Tell me instead your three words to describe the book.

C: Funny, adventurous, and facts! There are a bunch of facts about animals. About gazelles, wildebeest, lions, and so on.

S: And we all know by now how much you like facts about animals! So this was a good read, then.

C: Yes. As usual. I always like the Magic Tree House books.

S: So maybe you will review a few more in the coming weeks. What do you want to tell our readers in the meantime?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more about the adventures of Jack and Annie. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Lions at Lunchtime* (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more about the adventures of Jack and Annie.

Caramel reviews Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne

Caramel has recently inherited Marshmallow’s complete collection of Magic Tree House books, and returned to reading them regularly. In the past he had reviewed several books from this amazing series by Mary Pope Osborne already: Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5), Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6), Knights and Castles (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #2), Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House #7), Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8), and Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9) as well as Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17). Today he reviews book #10: Ghost Town at Sundown. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you chose a Magic Tree House book for your last review before we take a month off for summer.

Caramel: For summer fun and other stuff.

S: Yes, so tell us a bit about this book.

C: The book is about the same kids that showed up in the other Magic Tree House books. So if you read any of those before, then you will know Jack and Annie. Jack is the older brother and Annie is the younger sister, she is more rebellious and Jack is more logical and cautious. Way more cautious.

S: Yes, I remember them well. So what happens in this book to Jack and Annie? What is the ghost town in the title?

C: It’s called Rattlesnake Flats. It is a town in the Wild West. And guess what? They meet the person who wrote the book that took them there.

S: Oh I remember. In this series Jack and Annie travel in a magic tree house. When they open a book they find in it, the tree house takes them to the time and place of the book. So do you know what the Wild West is?

C: I am not sure.

S: Let us see. Wikipedia calls it the American Frontier, and says the popular understanding of the phrase involves “Native American lands west of the Mississippi River, in what is now the Midwest, Texas, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and the West Coast.” Time-wise, it could be anytime as early as the seventeenth century, but more likely is the eighteenth or nineteenth century.

C: I see. That makes sense. At the end, we learn that the book they use to go there is published in 1895 in Dallas. That is in Texas.

Caramel is reading Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne. — Caramel is reading *Ghost Town at Sundown* (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne.

S: So is this story tied in to the previous ones? You last read and reviewed Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9).

C: Well, they are related. This story begins with Morgan giving Jack and Annie a riddle. We saw Morgan before. She is Morgan Le Fay from the King Arthur / Merlin stories, but she is not evil.

S: In fact the kids really like her in these books, right?

C: Yes. The tree house is hers I think. She tells them that they will soon become Magic Librarians, so they can travel with the magic tree house.

S: That sounds exciting!

C: Yeah, so they go and meet a ghost.

S: Is that scary?

C: Not particularly, he is a friendly ghost. He waves at them.

S: Hmm, that sounds intriguing. So tell me your three words for the book then Caramel.

C: Happy, cowboy-ish, and amusing. It’s funny.

S: This makes sense to me though I am not quite sure “cowboy-ish” is a real word.

C: It must be!

S: Okay! So let us wrap up your last review before our summer break. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews! We will be back in August!

Caramel enjoyed reading Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more of these fun and informative books. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Ghost Town at Sundown* (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne, and is looking forward to reading more of these fun and informative books.

Caramel reviews Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17) by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

Caramel has reviewed several Magic Tree House books already: Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5), Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6), Knights and Castles (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #2), Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House #7), Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8), and Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9). This week he wanted to talk about another fact tracker book: Sea Monsters. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you found another book about real things, I see.

Caramel: Yes. This is a book about ocean “monsters”.

S: So who are these monsters? Can you tell me a few of them?

C: There is the angler fish, the giant squid, the goblin shark, the cookie cutter shark, the hairy angler fish, the vampire squid, the dragon fish, oar fish, …

S: Okay, I get the point.

C: … giant tube worms. There is also this dunkleosteus–

S: Hmm, I have never heard of most of these. But this last one does not sound familiar at all. What is a dunkleosteus?

C: It is a giant armored fish, I think it is about forty feet long. Its teeth are actually bone.

S: And it is extinct, right?

C: Yes. And there are other extinct species too. There is the liopleurodon, and the megalodon–

S: So I understand. The book talks about large sea creatures, then. Right?

C: Yes. And my favorite is the liopleurodon.

S: Why?

C: Because it is not armored but it has a giant head. I think it looks really interesting!

S: I’m not sure I’d like to face one under water any time soon!

C: You don’t have to worry about that. They are already extinct!

S: That’s good.

C: Not for them.

S: That is right Caramel. This does seem like an interesting book, with many different types of facts in it. So tell me how it is organized.

C: Chapter titles! Here you go: The first chapter is called Sea Monsters. Then the second is Exploring the Oceans. The third is Squids, Octopuses and Other Creatures. Then there is a chapter called Creatures of the Deep.

S: That’s where we learn about the angler fish!

C: Yes. then there is Prehistoric Seas. And there we learn about the liopleurodon, the megalodon and similar creatures. And then the last chapter is called Sea Monster Tales.

S: Which chapter was most interesting for you?

C: I think I liked the Prehistoric Seas chapter most.

S: I know you like prehistoric animals. You have reviewed a Magic Tree House book about the saber tooth before. And another book on dinosaurs. No wonder you chose the liopleurodon as your favorite sea monster.

Caramel is reading about the liopleurodon in Sea Monsters (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17) by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. — Caramel is reading about the liopleurodon in *Sea Monsters* (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #17) by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce.

S: So what else do you want to tell us about this book?

C: It has a lot of pictures and tons of facts! Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House books tell us all sorts of things. There is also some facts about Steve Irwin and about Jacques Cousteau.

S: We watched a lot of episodes of Steve Irwin’s show together, right? It is sad he died of a sting ray sting. And Cousteau was a famous explorer who was one of the first to go deep into the oceans and to explore. That is great that you read a bit about both. So tell me the most interesting fact you learned from this book.

C: It’s about the largest jellyfish. So let me find it… Okay, here I will read it to you: “The longest animal in the world is not a whale. It is a special jellyfish called a siphonophore. Its tentacles can reach 131 feet long!”

S: Wow, that is long! Wikipedia tells us that “a siphonophore may appear to be an individual organism, each specimen is in fact a colonial organism composed of medusoid and polypoid zooids that are morphologically and functionally specialized.” That is really interesting! I had never heard of them before.

C: Me neither!

S: Okay Caramel, it is probably a good time to wrap up this review. Would you like to tell our readers your three words on this book?

C: Factful, curious because these are really curious animals, and black-and-white because all the illustrations are black and white.

S: Maybe instead of factful we can say “informative”?

C: Yes, that works too!

S: Great! I think then it is finally time for you to say your closing words!

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!