Sea Monsters: Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne

For beginning chapter fiction readers, it's a great day when a new Magic Tree House title hits the shelves. The latest, number 39 in the celebrated historical fantasy series, is Dark Day in the Deep Sea (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)), in which Jack and Annie travel back in time to meet the scientists and sailors of the famous nineteenth century research expedition aboard the H.M.S. Challenger.

Set down on a Pacific Island with the charge by the "magical librarian" Morgan Le Fay to discover another one of the "four secrets of happiness," Jack and Annie soon spy a landing party from a large sail-and-steam British ship, the Challenger. Suspecting pirates landing to bury treasure, the children soon find out that the treasure aboard the ship is not gold, but scientific discoveries. Approaching the party's leaders, Henry Moseley and Professor Charles Wyville Thomson, Jack and Annie learn that the ship is on a journey of 68,890 miles around the world, researching the depth, temperature, and life found in the deeps of the world's oceans. The kids are invited aboard by the jovial professor to see the specimens captured and preserved during the voyage, and they are captivated by the sights they find there and the dedication and fervor of these Victorian scientists.

Although the captain is not pleased to find children aboard his vessel, he allows the them to share a mess with the crew before putting them ashore. When a terrible storm strikes suddenly, Jack and Annie are swept overboard, only to be saved by an enormous squid, a real unknown monster of the deep. When the eager crew snares the monster in their nets, the children persuade the scientists not to destroy it when they complete their observations.

"Our fears can best be conquered through compassion," says Professor Thomson, and Jack and Annie suddenly realize that they have found the secret of happiness which is the goal of their journey, and with that knowledge they take leave of their scientific friends to return home to Frog Pond.

The voyage of the H.M.S. Challenger, begun in 1872 and lasting 1281 days, was the equivalent of the moon landing for science in its century. The findings of this extensive expedition published by the Royal Society after 20 years of compilation formed the basis of the modern science of oceanography and marine biology. For modern children, Annie and Jack are the eyes and ears which bring this awesome voyage alive to modern children who may be inspired to join their predecessors in researching the still mysterious deeps of the sea.

With a passion for making the great characters and events of history accessible to primary graders, Mary Pope Osborne's ongoing series has already become must-reads for beginning chapter readers. Like the other books in the series, there is an extensive guide for teachers and homeschooling parents available with this title, Sea Monsters: A nonfiction companion to Dark Day in the Deep Sea (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R)). Inside, authors Mary Pope Osborne and her sister Natalie Pope Boyce hook kids with their investigation of the reality (or not) of legendary sea monsters and introduce taxonomy with a study of the differences between the octopus and the giant squid. Across-the-curriculum activities and research projects, along with a variety of sources both print and online, provide guidance for ways to use this novel to spark interest in oceanography.


For a unique gift combo for young animal lovers, pair Pope's new book with this Plush Fancy Octopus 10" to snuggle when it's time to read this deep sea adventure in bed.