Quick Rundown:
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrator: Sal Murdocca
Age Range: 6-9 or Grades: 1-5
Pages: 73
Blurb: “Catch the wave! That’s what Jack and Annie do when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to a Hawaiian island of long ago. They learn how to surf and have a great time-until strange things start happening. Jack and Annie soon discover the cause: A tidal wave is headed their way! Can they help save their new friends in time?
About: We have come to the last journey in the most recent set of adventures Morgan has set out for Jack and Annie and this time they are going to Hawaii of long ago. After arriving and some brief research, they hear of a party happening in the distance and they go to check it out. Instantly, Jack and Annie befriend a brother and sister, Boka and Kama, and find themselves spending the night in their family hut.
The next day, when they awake, Jack and Annie find the family at work weaving grass mats, making tapa for cloth, and pounding the taro root for poi. Boka and Kama then took Jack and Annie surfing but not before stopping along the way for coconuts and bananas for breakfast. Jack unfortunately wasn’t successful the first time and was angry; Morgan didn’t send them to Hawaii to surf! As Jack was sitting on the beach sulking, he felt a rumbling and instantly looked into his book afterwards to learn it could cause a tidal wave.
Jack quickly paddled his surfboard out to where the others were in the water and told them what was going on. They all took the next wave in to shore. The children scrambled up the top of the cliff before a tidal wave crashed on the beach. Soon they were surrounded by Boka and Kama’s family and the other villagers. They celebrated surviving the tidal wave by telling the story with a hula dance. Jack and Annie soon discovered the answer to Morgan’s riddle…the type of ship they needed but I won’t give that away.
Jack and Annie then headed back home and were greeted by Morgan le Fay herself. Morgan asked them to listen carefully and bestowed upon them important titles for finding the four kinds of special magic, but again I’m not going to give it away. You will have to read to find out what these titles are and what Morgan had to say afterwards!
Activities to try with the book:
–Lei: Make your own lei out of string, straws, and colored cardstock. Create flowers out of the cardstock and cut holes in the center. String them onto the string and separate the flowers with the straws. Once you have a good length, tie with a knot.
–Volcano: Jack and Annie learned that Hawaii was created by volcanoes. You could create a good ol’ fashioned paper mache volcano and create the lava with vinegar, baking soda, and red food coloring.
–Surfboards: Create little surfboards out of foam board and personalize with any materials you have on hand. These would be perfect for a party as name cards or to let guests know what each dish is.
–Writing Prompt: If you were going on a trip to Hawaii, what items do you think you’d need to pack in your suitcase?
Up Next: Christmas in Camelot
If you complete any of the activities, please tag me on Instagram: @readingthroughthelibrary
I would love to see what you do!
You can also see more activities related to the book on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Readingthroughthelibrary
Reading Through the Library 