32 pages 1 hour read

Mary Pope Osborne

Dinosaurs Before Dark

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1992

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Chapters 5-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 5 Summary: “Gold in the Grass”

Jack shoves Annie toward the rope ladder to the tree house, and they climb up. Jack admits that they must be in the past, and they stare at a Triceratops eating grass. Annie wonders if it’s carnivorous, and Jack uses the dinosaur book to look it up, discovering that it’s an herbivore. Annie decides to go to see it, but Jack makes her promise not to pet, kiss, or talk to it.

Jack takes notes as they approach the Triceratops, watching it slowly eat flowers. The dinosaur ultimately walks away. Annie opts to explore more, and as Jack follows her, he spots a gold medallion on the ground. It has the letter M engraved on it. Jack thinks that someone must have been there before them.

Chapter 6 Summary: “Dinosaur Valley”

Jack calls Annie to look at the medallion he found, but she isn’t paying attention. He realizes that he’s lost sight of her. When she yells, he climbs to the top of a nearby hill. Below him, in the valley, Jack sees nests filled with tiny dinosaurs. Then, he spots Annie kneeling next to one of the nests. Above her is a giant dinosaur.

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By Mary Pope Osborne

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