Authors: Mary Pope Osborne
Pirates Past Noon
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
Text copyright © 1994 by Mary Pope Osborne.
Illustrations copyright © 1994 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.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Osborne, Mary Pope. Pirates past noon / by Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca.
p. cm. â (The Magic tree house series; #4) “A First stepping stone book.”
SUMMARY
: The magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back to the days of deserted islands, secret maps, hidden gold, and nasty pirates.
eISBN: 978-0-375-89421-3
[1. PiratesâFiction. 2. Time travelâFiction.
3. MagicâFiction. 4. Tree housesâFiction.]
I. Murdocca, Sal, ill. II. Title.
III. Series: Osborne, Mary Pope. Magic tree house series; #4.
PZ7.O81167Pi  1994  [Fic]âdc20  93-2039
Random House, Inc. New York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland
v3.0
For Andrew Kim Boyce
     Â
Cover
     Â
Title Page
     Â
Copyright
     Â
Dedication
 Â
1. Too Late!
 Â
4. Vile Booty
      Special Preview of
Magic Tree House #5:
Night of the Ninjas
Jack stared out his bedroom window. The rain kept falling. And falling.
“The TV said it would stop by noon,” said Annie, his seven-year-old sister.
“It's already past noon,” said Jack.
“But we have to go to the tree house,” said Annie. “I have a feeling the M person will be there today.”
Jack pushed his glasses into place and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure he was ready to meet the M person yet. The mysterious
person who had put all the books in the magic tree house.
“Come on,” said Annie.
Jack sighed. “Okay,” he said. “You get our raincoats and boots. I'll get the medallion and bookmark.”
Annie ran to get their rain gear.
Jack reached into his drawer. He took out the medallion.
It was gold. The letter M was engraved on it.
Then he took out the bookmark. It was made of blue leather. It had the same M on it.
Both M's matched the M that was on the floor of the tree house.
Jack put the medallion and bookmark into his backpack. Then he threw in his notebook and pencil. Jack liked to take notes about important things.
“I got our rain stuff!” called Annie.
Jack picked up his pack and went downstairs. Annie was waiting by the back door. She was putting on her boots. “Meet you outside,” she said.
Jack pulled on his raincoat and boots. Then he put on his backpack and joined her.
The wind was blowing hard.
“Ready! Set! Go!” shouted Annie.
They kept their heads down and charged into the rainy wind.
Soon they were in the Frog Creek woods.
Tree branches swayed, flinging rainwater everywhere.
“Yuck!” said Annie.
They splashed through puddles. Until they came to the tallest oak tree in the woods.
They looked up.
Tucked between two branches was the tree house. It looked dark and lonely against the stormy sky.
Hanging from the tree house was a rope ladder. It was blowing in the wind.
Jack thought of all the books up there. He hoped they weren't getting wet.
“The M person's been there,” said Annie.
Jack caught his breath. “How can you tell?” he said.
“I can feel it,” she whispered.
She grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Jack followed.
Inside the tree house it was chilly and damp.
But the books were dry. They were all neatly stacked along the wall. Just the way they had been the day before.
Annie picked up a castle book on top of
one stack. It had taken them to the time of castles.
“Remember the knight?” she said.
Jack nodded. He would never forget the knight who had helped them.
Annie put down the castle book. She picked up the next book on the stack.
It was the dinosaur book that had taken them to the time of dinosaurs.
“Remember?” she said.
Jack nodded.
He'd never forget the pteranodon who had saved him from the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Then Annie held up a book about ancient Egypt.
“Meow,” she said.
Jack smiled. The Egypt book had taken them to the time of pyramids. A black cat had come to the rescue there.
“And here's the book about home,” Annie said.
She held up the book with the picture of their hometown in it.
Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.
Jack smiled again. The Pennsylvania book had brought them back home at the end of each of their adventures.
Jack sighed. Okay. He still had two main questions.
Who was the M person who had put all the books here?
And did the knight, the pteranodon, and the cat all know the M person?
Finally Jack reached into his backpack. He took out the gold medallion and the leather bookmark. He placed them on the floor. Right over the spot where the M glowed faintly in the wood.
Rain blew into the tree house.
“Brr!” said Annie. “It's not very cozy today.”
Jack agreed with her. It was too wet and cold.
“Look.” Annie pointed to an open book lying in the corner. “I don't remember a book being open.”