Magic Tree House - Mummies in the Morning — Chapter 2

About This Passage

Mary Pope Osborne uses the rhythm of the prose to convey the strangeness of the parade. The first sentence is long and uses a list of four things that move 'in a slow, dreamy way.' The second sentence shifts to short and direct. The third sentence finishes in two beats. The pacing mirrors the experience of approaching something that is fading: slow and full first, then sharp and short at the end. Students will study how the speed of sentences can match the feeling of what they describe.

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 thinks the parade is made of ghosts. Jack thinks it is a mirage caused by sunlight and heat. They are both trying to explain the same strange thing in different ways. Whose explanation feels more honest about what they actually saw, and how does Mary Pope Osborne let us decide?
2. The cat does not vanish with the parade. The cat is still there when everything else fades. What does the cat's persistence tell us about the cat? Find the moment in the chapter where the difference becomes clear.

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide