Dinosaurs Before Dark

Dinosaurs Before Dark was initially published in 1992 and has since grown into a children’s novel series that includes a musical adaptation, nonfiction companion books, graphic novel adaptations, and free classroom guides. Before writing the Magic Tree House series, Osbourne first published Run, Run As Fast As You Can (1982), a semi-autobiographical novel about a young girl after her brother’s death. However, she was then asked to write a children’s series and was inspired when walking through the woods to center it around a tree house. Initially, Osborne was asked to do four books for the series, but that number kept growing (Raynor, Madeline. “Magic Tree House Author Mary Pope Osborne on the Books’ 25th Anniversary.” Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2022). The heroes of the Magic Tree House series, Jack and Annie, also feature in Osborne’s Merlin Missions series—Osborne published the first novel in the series, Christmas in Camelot in 1995. Osborne has also published stand-alone novels, including Adaline Falling Star.

Osborne has cited Ernest Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms,