Magic Tree House - The Knight at Dawn — Chapter 1

About This Passage

These two short sentences show Annie sneaking and Jack getting ready. Notice how Mary Pope Osborne uses 'as quietly as a mouse' — a comparison children know well — to show HOW Annie moves. Then she lists three things Jack puts on, with commas between them. Young writers will practice using comparisons (as ___ as a ___) and comma lists to make their writing more interesting.

Narration Prompt

Tell someone what happened in this chapter in order. When you get to the most important part, slow down and tell it carefully — what happened, why it mattered, and what you think about it.

Discussion Questions

1. Jack cannot sleep. He gets up at 5:30 in the morning to write a list of facts about the dinosaur trip. Why does Jack feel like he HAS to write the facts down? What does this tell us about how Jack's mind works?
2. Annie wants to go back to the treehouse RIGHT NOW, before the sun is even up. Jack thinks they should wait. Whose idea was better — Annie's or Jack's? What in the chapter helps you decide?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide