Book Review 1 - Michael C

Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs before Dark. New York: Random House, 1992. Print.






The book is about an eight and a half year old boy Jack and his seven year old sister Annie who discover a tree house in the woods near their home in Frog Creek Pennsylvania. They find out the tree house is magical when they find themselves in the time of the dinosaurs and have to find their way home.



The story provides an interesting case of gender roles. Jack is portrayed as a serious, bookish, thinker and his sister Annie is portrayed as wild, adventurous, and fearless. The classic idea is that the girl should stay home and help her mother not running around playing with dinosaurs while the boy is supposed to be a bold adventurer fearlessly exploring the unknown. In almost every case in the book Jack is the cautious one while Annie is the risk taker.

Jack was against going into the woods, going into the tree house, approaching dinosaurs, etc. He is contrary to the idea that males should like the outdoors and going on adventures. Instead he is almost like an adult. He does not believe in pretend and prefers real things. When he and Annie are in the time of the dinosaurs rather than enjoying the experience he is trying to act like a scientist and make detailed observations. His first instinct always seems to be caution is the better part of valor. In many ways Jack is like an adult rather than an eight year old boy.

Annie is the exact opposite, she approaches everything with the same attitude of curiosity and openness despite Jack's fears. She is always willing to push the envelope and try new things. Her motto is “Don't think. Just do it.” She exemplifies that motto throughout the story. She is not the delicate daughter who stays at home with her mother and knits. She is bold and assertive and does not heed advice she disagrees with. She ignores Jack's advice in almost every instance to pursue her own path rather than a path defined by others. Annie is the antithesis of Jack, she is bold where he is timid, she is adventurous where he is cautious, and she is fearless where he is afraid.

Mary Pope Osborne has reversed the gender roles in Jack and Annie. She pushes the boundaries of what is proper for males and females and expands the idea of what is appropriate behavior.