Magic Tree House - Mummies in the Morning — Chapter 10

About This Passage

Mary Pope Osborne uses six short sentences to deliver the discovery of the M. Each sentence advances the discovery by one beat: tip, shine, tip more, focus, recognize, shimmer. The pacing matches the way you would actually look for something hidden in the right angle of light. Students will study how a writer can show the act of looking carefully through small physical adjustments rather than through abstract descriptions of seeing.

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Annie discovers the M on the floor and shows it to Jack. The discovery is hers, not his. Mary Pope Osborne could have given the discovery to Jack since he is the one who collects clues. Why does she give it to Annie? What does Annie's eye for hidden things tell us about her?
2. Jack hears a sound in the bushes and calls out 'Who's there?' He tells the unseen M that he will bring everything back. The chapter does not tell us if M heard him. Find the moment in the chapter and consider what Jack is doing by speaking to a watcher he cannot see.

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide