40. Pirates Past Noon

Title: Pirates Past Noon
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 1994
Number of Pages: 67
Reading Level: 8+
Genre: Fantasy

Summary
It was raining outside and Annie and Jack looked out the window. It was supposed to stop by noon. The kids desperately wanted to go to the tree house. Maybe the mysterious M person would be there. They decided to get all their rain gear on and head out anyway. Once they got to the tree house the kids were looking through the books and thinking about their three previous adventures to the time of dinosaurs, medieval times, and ancient Egypt. Each time they had been helped by an animal or person of that time. It was really cold in the tree house and Annie saw a book open. It showed a tropical scene that looked great compared to where they were, Frog Creek Pennsylvania. Suddenly a parrot appeared in the window saying “too late!” The tree house began to spin and before they knew it they were on that beach that was in the book. Annie went running down to the beach and Jack reluctantly followed. A ship appeared in the distance and they saw the jolly roger. They knew this could only mean one thing, pirates! Jack wanted to sketch the flag and soon the pirates were in a row boat and getting close. Annie hurried Jack along but he left the book on the beach so he had to go back. A pirate grabbed Jack and they searched through their things. They found the gold medallion but were angry there wasn’t anymore. The kids are taken back to the ship and they have to interpret a map of Captain Bones. The kids are locked up but when they look out the window they understand that the island looks like a whale and they see where the eye is and know that this must be where the treasure is. They tell the pirates and are taken back to shore. Two pirates try to move the giant rock and finally do but a storm rolls in and they get scared. The pirates run off and Captain Bones follows not wanting to be left behind. Jack and Annie have to run back to the tree house and Polly, the parrot, helps Jack to leave behind the treasure. The kids return home and Polly turns into a beautiful old woman named Morgan from Kind Arthur’s time. She’s the mysterious M person. Morgan has been collecting books from every time period for a personal library. She says that never before has anyone been able to see or use the tree house but her. It only works when they are together. She leaves them and disappears in the tree house. They love their adventures and they think they will see Morgan again.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to first graders who have vivid imaginations and he dream of going to far off places when they are older. This will help them fuel that imagination and maybe want to see those places more.

Problems/Conflict
There is no reality in a magic tree house that travels through time.

My Reaction
These were some of my favorite books when I was little, especially this one because I like pirates. I didn’t realize how simple these books are because when I first read them they were hard. I just enjoy the simple adventures these two kids go on, but how exotic the places are that they visit.