Ghost Town at Sundown
Here's what kids have to say to
Mary Pope Osborne, author of
the Magic Tree House series:
WOW! You have an imagination like no other.
âAdam W.
I love your books. If you stop writing books, it will be like losing a best friend.
âBen M.
I think you are the real Morgan le Fay. There is always magic in your books.
âErica Y.
One day I was really bored and I didn't want to read â¦Â I looked in your book. I read a sentence, and it was interesting. So I read some more, until the book was done. It was so good I read more and more. Then I had read all of your books, and now I hope you write lots more.
âDanai K.
I always read [your books] over and over â¦Â 1 time, 2 times, 3 times, 4 times â¦Â
âYuan C.
You are my best author in the world. I love your books. I read all the time. I read everywhere. My mom is like freaking out.
âEllen C.
I hope you make these books for all yours and mine's life.
âRiki H.
Teachers and librarians love
Magic Tree House
®
books, too!
Thank you for opening faraway places and times to my class through your books. They have given me the chance to bring in additional books, materials, and videos to share with the class.
âJ. Cameron
It excites me to see how involved [my fourth-grade reading class] is in your books â¦Â I would do anything to get my students more involved, and this has done it.
âC. Rutz
I discovered your books last year â¦Â WOW! Our students have gone crazy over them. I can't order enough copies! â¦Â Thanks for contributing so much to children's literature!
âC. Kendziora
I first came across your Magic Tree House series when my son brought one home â¦Â I have since introduced this great series to my class. They have absolutely fallen in love with these books! â¦Â My students are now asking me for more independent reading time to read them. Your stories have inspired even my most struggling readers.
âM. Payne
I love how I can go beyond the [Magic Tree House] books and use them as springboards for other learning.
âR. Gale
We have enjoyed your books all year long. We check your Web site to find new information. We pull our map down to find the areas where the adventures take place. My class always chimes in at key parts of the story. It feels good to hear my students ask for a book and cheer when a new book comes out.
âJ. Korinek
Our students have “Magic Tree House fever.” I can't keep your books on the library shelf.
âJ. Rafferty
Your books truly invite children into the pleasure of reading. Thanks for such terrific work.
âS. Smith
The children in the fourth grade even hide the [Magic Tree House] books in the library so that they will be able to find them when they are ready to check them out.
âK. Mortensen
My Magic Tree House books are never on the bookshelf because they are always being read by my students. Thank you for creating such a wonderful series.
âK. Mahoney
Dear Reader,
Over the past year, many of you have asked me to send Jack and Annie to the Wild West. I thought this was a good idea, but I wasn't sure what should happen in the story.
Then one day, I received a letter from a girl named Alexandra, who lives in Washington. She suggested that Jack and Annie help a colt find his mother, who has been stolen by horse thieves.
What an excellent idea, I thought. Many thanks to Alexandra for helping me with this book.
Also, thanks to everyone who has written. More Tree House books are in the planning â¦Â so
all
your thoughts and suggestions are very welcome. Keep them coming!
Text copyright © 1997 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Illustrations copyright © 1997 by Sal Murdocca.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
http://www.randomhouse.com/magictreehouse
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope. Ghost town at sundown / by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
p. cm. â (The magic tree house series; #10)
SUMMARY:
Their magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to the Wild West, where they experience excitement and danger and try to solve a riddle.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89427-5
[1. Frontier and pioneer lifeâWest (U.S.)âFiction. 2. West (U.S.)âFiction. 3. Time travelâFiction. 4. MagicâFiction. 5.Tree housesâFiction.]
I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Osborne, Mary Pope.
Magic tree house series; #10.
PZ7.081167Gh 1997 [Fic]âdc21 97-7298
Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland
v3.0
     Â
Cover
     Â
Dear Reader
     Â
Title Page
     Â
Copyright
     Â
Dedication
 Â
1. How Wild?
 Â
3. Player Piano
 Â
4. Hands Up!
 Â
5. Slim
 Â
7. Ghost Story
 Â
8. Who Am I?
 Â
9. Lonesome Luke
     Â
Special Preview of Magic Tree House #11:
Lions at Lunchtime
For Nick Plakiasâwonderful friend and singing cowboy poet
Jack and Annie were sitting on the porch of their house. Annie was gazing down the street at the Frog Creek woods. Jack was reading a book.
“I have a feeling we should check the woods again,” said Annie.
“Why?” said Jack without looking up.
“A rabbit's hopping by,” said Annie.
“So? We've seen rabbits before.”
“Not like this one,” said Annie.
“What do you mean?” Jack stood up and looked with her.
He saw a rabbit with very long legs hopping down their street. Soon the rabbit left the sidewalk and headed into the woods.
“He's a sign,” said Annie.
“A sign of
what
?” said Jack.
“That Morgan's back,” said Annie. She jumped off the porch. “Come on!”
“But what about dinner?” Jack said. “Dad said it would be ready soon.”
“Don't worry,” said Annie. “You know when we leave in the tree house, time stops.”
She ran across their yard.
Jack pulled on his backpack. “Back in ten minutes!” he called through the screen door. Then he followed Annie.