Book-1_-Dinosaurs-Before-Dark

DinosaursbeforeDark1,IntotheWoods“Help,Amonster！”saidAnnie.“Yeah,sure！”saidJack.“ArealmonsterinFrogCreek,Pennsylvania.”“Run,Jack！”saidAnnie.Sheranuptheroad.Oh,brother.Thisiswhathegotforspendingtimewithhisseven-year-oldsister.Annielovedpretendstuff.ButJackwaseightandahalf.Helikedrealthings.“Watchout,Jack！Themonster’scoming！Raceyou！”“No,thanks！”saidJack.Annieracedaloneintothewoods.Jacklookedatthesky.Thesunwasabouttoset.“Comeon,Annie！It’stimetogohome！”ButAnniehaddisappeared.Jackwaited.NoAnnie.“Annie！”heshoutedagain.“Jack！Jack！Comehere！”Jackgroaned.“Thisbetterbegood,”hesaid.Jacklefttheroadandheadedintothewoods.Thetreeswerelitwithagoldenlate-afternoonlight.“Comehere！”calledAnnie.Thereshewasstandingunderatalloaktree.“Look,”shesaid.Shewaspointingataropeladder.ThelongestropeladderJackhadeverseen.“Wow…”hewhispered.Theladderwentallthewayuptothetopofthetree.There—atthetop—wasatreehouse.Itwastuckedbetweentwobranches.“Thatmustbethehighesttreehouseintheworld,”saidAnnie.“Whobuiltit?”askedJack.“I’veneverseenitbefore.”“Idon’tknow.ButI’mgoingup,”saidAnnie.“No.Wedon’tknowwhoitbelongsto.”saidJack.“Justforateenyminute,”saidAnnie.Shestarteduptheladder.“Annie,comeback！”Shekeptclimbing.Jacksighed,“Annie,it’salmostdark.Wehavetogohome.”Anniedisappearedinsidethetreehouse.”Annie…”Jackwaitedamoment.HewasabouttocallagainwhenAnniepokedherheadoutofthetreehousewindow.“Books！”sheshouted.“What?”“It’sfilledwithbooks！”Oh,man！Jacklovedbooks.Hepushedhisglassesintoplace.Hegrippedthesidesoftheropeladder,anduphewent.2,theMonsterJackcrawledthroughaholeinthetreehousefloor.Wow.Thetreehousewasfilledwithbooks.Bookseverywhere,veryoldbookswithdustycovers.Newbookswithshiny,brightcovers.“Look.Youcanseefar,faraway,”saidAnnie.Shewaspeeringoutthetreehousewindow.Jacklookedoutthewindowwithher.Downbelowwerethetopsoftheothertrees.InthedistancehesawtheFrogCreeklibrary,theelementaryschool,thePark.Anniepointedintheotherdirection.“There’sourhouse！”shesaid.Sureenough,therewastheirwhitewoodenhousewiththegreenporch.Nextdoorwastheirneighbor’sblackdog，Henry.Helookedverytiny.“Hi,Henry！”shoutedAnnie.“Shush！”saidJack.“We’renotsupposedtobeuphere.”Heglancedaroundthetreehouseagain.“Iwonderwhoownsallthesebooks,”hesaid.Henoticedbookmarkswerestickingoutofmanyofthem.“Ilikethisone,”saidAnnie.Sheheldupabookwithacastleonthecover.“Here’sabookaboutPennsylvania,”saidJack.Heturnedtothepagewiththebookmark.“Hey,there’sapictureofFrogCreekinhere,”saidJack.“It’sapictureofthesewoods！”“Oh,here’sabookforyou,”saidAnnie.Sheheldupabookaboutdinosaurs.Abluesilkbookmarkwasstickingoutofit.“Letmeseeit.”Jacksetdownhisbackpackandgrabbedthebookfromher.“Youlookatthatone,andI’lllookattheoneaboutcastles,”saidAnnie.“No,webetternot,”saidJack.“Wedon’tknowwhothesebooksbelongto.”Butevenashesaidthis,Jackopenedthedinosaurbooktowherethebookmarkwas.Hecouldn’thelphimself.Heturnedtoapictureofanancientflyingreptile–“APteranodon”.Hetouchedthehugebat-likewings.“Wow,”whisperedJack.“IwishIcouldseeaPteranodonforreal.”Jackstudiedthepictureoftheodd-lookingcreaturesoaringthroughthesky.“Ahhh！”screamedAnnie.“What？”saidJack.“Amonster！”Anniecried.Shepointedtothetreehousewindow.“Stoppretending,Annie”,saidJack.“No,really！”saidAnnie.Jacklookedoutthewindow.Agiantcreaturewasglidingabovethetreetops！Hehadalong,weirdcrestonthebackofhishead,Askinnybeak,andhugebat-likewings！ItwasareallivePteranodon！Thecreaturecurvedthroughthesky.Hewascomingstraighttowardthetreehouse.Helookedlikeagliderplane！Thewindbegantoblow.Theleavestrembled.Suddenlythecreaturesoareduphighintothesky.Jacknearlyfelloutthewindowtryingtoseeit.Thewindpickedup.Itwaswhistlingnow.Thetreehousestartedtospin.“What’shappening？”criedJack.“Getdown！”shoutedAnnie.Shepulledhimbackfromthewindow.Thetreehousewasspinningfasterandfaster.Jacksqueezedhiseyesshut.HeheldontoAnnie.Theneverythingwasstill,absolutelystill.Jackopenedhiseyes.Sunlightslantedthroughthewindow,therewasAnnie,thebooks,hisbackpack.Thetreehousewasstillhighupinanoaktree,Butitwasn'tthesameoaktree.3,WhereIsHere?Jacklookedoutthewindow.Helookeddownatthepictureinthebook.Helookedbackoutthewindow.Theworldoutsideandtheworldinthepicture—theywereexactlythesame.ThePteranodonwassoaringthroughthesky.Thegroundwascoveredwithfernsandtallgrass.Therewasawindingstream,aslopinghillandvolcanoesinthedistance.“WH-wherearewe?”stammeredJack.ThePteranodonglideddowntothebaseoftheirtree.Thecreaturecoastedtoastopandstoodverystill.“Whathappenedtous？”saidAnnie.ShelookedatJack.Helookedather.“Idon’tknow,”saidJack.“Iwaslookingatthepictureinthebook—”“Andyousaid,‘Wow,IwishIcouldseeaPteranodonforreal,’”saidAnnie.“Yeah,andthenwesawone.IntheFrogCreekwoods.”saidJack.“Yeah,andthenthewindgotloud.Andthetreehousestartedspinning,”saidAnnie.“Andwelandedhere,”saidJack.“Andwelandedhere,”saidAnnie.“Sothatmeans...”saidJack.“Sothatmeans...what?”saidAnnie.“Nothing,”saidJack.Heshookhishead.“Noneofthiscanbereal.”Annielookedoutthewindowagain.“Buthe’sreal,”shesaid.“He’sveryreal.”Jacklookedoutthewindowwithher.ThePteranodonwasstandingatthebaseoftheoaktreelikeaguard.Hisgiantwingswerespreado